My husband had surgery four weeks ago. He was fused from T4 to L4. We traveled all the way from California to St. Louis to have this surgery with Dr. Lenke. Needless to say, the journey back (at 3 weeks) was a real trip!
Everything seems to have gone really well from the point of view of smooth surgery, great-looking Xray and the wound healing beautifully. The pain has been very difficult, but that was expected.
My biggest worry at this point is that my husband has no appetite whatsoever and does not want to eat. He is very thin as it is, and now is obviously losing more as he isn't able to take in the calories required to build up some weight. Thank goodness he is able to drink Ensure, but I really don't think it's enough at this stage, and he doesn't seem to be making the progress I would expect with a gradual return of appetite. I am sure this is really slowing his body's ability to heal, so I keep pushing the food and trying all different kinds of things which are as mild and plain as possible. I'm trying to be patient and not to push too much, as that probably creates resistance, but I don't really know what to do!
Has anyone had experience with this, and if so, any suggestions??
Another question is: he is using a cane to walk now, and could this cause any problem with unequal distribution of weight, or is it okay?
Lastly, has anyone tried acupuncture for post-surgery pain control, and would this be considered safe at all? I believe acu-pressure would not be okay until much more healing has occurred. Is that correct? I am sure the pain meds are contributing to his lack of appetite, but he can't manage without them.
I'd REALLY appreciate any advice/feedback or sharing of experiences on these topics! It's really hard to watch your loved one suffering and not appear to be
flourishing as one would hope.
Thank you!
Everything seems to have gone really well from the point of view of smooth surgery, great-looking Xray and the wound healing beautifully. The pain has been very difficult, but that was expected.
My biggest worry at this point is that my husband has no appetite whatsoever and does not want to eat. He is very thin as it is, and now is obviously losing more as he isn't able to take in the calories required to build up some weight. Thank goodness he is able to drink Ensure, but I really don't think it's enough at this stage, and he doesn't seem to be making the progress I would expect with a gradual return of appetite. I am sure this is really slowing his body's ability to heal, so I keep pushing the food and trying all different kinds of things which are as mild and plain as possible. I'm trying to be patient and not to push too much, as that probably creates resistance, but I don't really know what to do!
Has anyone had experience with this, and if so, any suggestions??
Another question is: he is using a cane to walk now, and could this cause any problem with unequal distribution of weight, or is it okay?
Lastly, has anyone tried acupuncture for post-surgery pain control, and would this be considered safe at all? I believe acu-pressure would not be okay until much more healing has occurred. Is that correct? I am sure the pain meds are contributing to his lack of appetite, but he can't manage without them.
I'd REALLY appreciate any advice/feedback or sharing of experiences on these topics! It's really hard to watch your loved one suffering and not appear to be
flourishing as one would hope.
Thank you!
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