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  • One week post-op

    Hi this is my first post. My son Jeremy is 16 yrs old and was diagnosed with Scoliosis when he was 10 yrs old. He wore a Boston brace for 5 yrs. His curve continued to get worse till at 57 degrees we decided it was time for surgery. We are Kaiser members so we were referred to Kaiser Oakland to see Dr. Ravi Bains. I was very impressed with his expertise in this type of surgery. So the surgery was last Monday, November 14, 2005. His spine was fused from T-1 to T-11. His incision is about 14 inches long. Everything went as planned no complications. He went in on a Monday and was home by Saturday. I don't think he thought he was ready to leave that electric bed that helped him get up and down. Once home we all were very happy. Its so hard to get any rest in a hospital with nurses coming in all day and night and roomates that have visitors that sometimes are loud. The pain has been managable with meds, he's taking Narco for pain and Valium for spasms and anxiety. He wanted to take a shower by himself 6 days post op so he did. He also took a walk outside, well this wiped him out. He was shaking and in extream pain after. It took him quit awhile to settle down after that. Today he decided to take another shower and again it was way too much for him.
    We have learned how little energy he really has. Every little movement just wipes him out. We are taking it one day at a time and learning every bit of the way. I have been visiting this forum for months now and finally decided I had something to say. One great thing that happened was this morning he was joking around with his brothers, telling them they are lucky he can't get up they told him no you're lucky. In other words his personality is coming back and he actually felt like kidding around. That's music to my ears. I do have one questions does anyone know how to remove all that sticky stuff left over from the tape? Also any comments are welcome on how to get through this difficult time. :
    Yvonne
    Mom of Jeremy with Scolosis 16 yrs old
    Fused T-1 to T-11 Nov 14, 2005
    Kaiser Oakland, Dr. Ravi Bains

  • #2
    Hi Yvonne,

    Sounds like Jeremy is healing well and his recovery is on schedule. He'll continue having experiences with fatigue as he feels a little better each day/week, and tries to push himself more and more. This is normal - sometimes 2 steps forward, 1 step back is the experience.

    Does Jeremy have a problem with constipation from the narcotics? If not, he's one of the lucky ones! Good for him.

    The sticky tape residue - go to the pharmacy and buy a bottle of Detachol. This works well to get the residue tape off (with a cotton ball). Don't remove the steri-strips too soon. You don't want the incision to open up again. The steri-strips should fall off on their own within 2-4 weeks post-op. Any sooner than that could be a problem with the incision. If, after 3-4 weeks post-op they are all still very well-attached, you could put a layer of vaseline/bacitracin/neosporin over the steri-strips before bed one night. By morning, most, if not all, will be off. This is what we do with Braydon's steri-strips (Braydon has very dry skin so they don't fall off on their own).

    Good luck and keep up the good work! Continued smooth recovery vibes coming your way.
    Carmell
    mom to Kara, idiopathic scoliosis, Blake 19, GERD and Braydon 14, VACTERL, GERD, DGE, VEPTR #137, thoracic insufficiency, rib anomalies, congenital scoliosis, missing coccyx, fatty filum/TC, anal stenosis, horseshoe kidney, dbl ureter in left kidney, ureterocele, kidney reflux, neurogenic bladder, bilateral hip dysplasia, right leg/foot dyplasia, tibial torsion, clubfoot with 8 toes, pes cavus, single umblilical artery, etc. http://carmellb-ivil.tripod.com/myfamily/

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    • #3
      constipation

      Yes constipation is a problem he went home from the hospital without having a bowel movement and continued that way till one week post op. I finally said enough is enough we have to do something besides the colace, prune juice and milk of magnesia. Of course being a 16yr old boy he was not thrilled in a suppository at all. So I thought a liquid enema would be less envasive since the only thing going in his behind was the tip of the bottle, not my finger. It worked and he had a bowel movement, great but now nothing since Monday and today is Wednesday. I told him about the suppositories and told him how they worked. He thinks he can put one in himself but says not now. So I might have to be the bad guy and insist later today. Any suggestions would sure be appreciated.
      Yvonne
      Mom of Jeremy with Scolosis 16 yrs old
      Fused T-1 to T-11 Nov 14, 2005
      Kaiser Oakland, Dr. Ravi Bains

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      • #4
        I'm surprised Jeremy didn't come home from the hospital on stool softners. I would use oral meds first (suppositories and enemas have a mental stigma that most teenage boys don't find acceptable). There are OTC meds you can take. Call the doc and find out what he/she recommends. Colace is just a stool softner. Dulcolax/ExLax/etc. have stimulants to push the stool through. Stimulants may cause cramping. Not fun. Try the Colace (ask if he can take it twice a day) to see if that helps. Good luck!
        Carmell
        mom to Kara, idiopathic scoliosis, Blake 19, GERD and Braydon 14, VACTERL, GERD, DGE, VEPTR #137, thoracic insufficiency, rib anomalies, congenital scoliosis, missing coccyx, fatty filum/TC, anal stenosis, horseshoe kidney, dbl ureter in left kidney, ureterocele, kidney reflux, neurogenic bladder, bilateral hip dysplasia, right leg/foot dyplasia, tibial torsion, clubfoot with 8 toes, pes cavus, single umblilical artery, etc. http://carmellb-ivil.tripod.com/myfamily/

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        • #5
          I'm surprised they left your son leave the hospital without having a bowel movement. They actually kept Jamie in the hospital an extra day because she didn't move her bowels until after she was given a suppository. I too am surprised he wasn't sent home with a stool softener. I agree with Carmell, avoid anything that would cause a lot of cramping. Has anyone told you that sometimes the pain medication causes constipation? Iron pills can also cause constipation. Encourage him to drink lots and lots of water. Good luck!

          Mary Lou

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          • #6
            constipation

            I kept insisting that he had still not had a bowel movement in the hospital and the nurse said its OK since he really has not eaten much at all. Even his doctor said it was Ok and to just work on it at home. The nurse said well I can give him a suppository I said great. She came in and said do you mind doing it I really think it would be better. I was really surprised and my son said can we please wait till we get home. So we did and finally used the enema. He is drinking alot alot of water and eating pretty good. I'm not sure which medicine is more constipating the Narco or the Valium.
            Yvonne
            Mom of Jeremy with Scolosis 16 yrs old
            Fused T-1 to T-11 Nov 14, 2005
            Kaiser Oakland, Dr. Ravi Bains

            Comment


            • #7
              CaMom, hi and welcome to the forum. This is a wonderfully supportive to place to be. It is probably the narco that is the problem. Try dried fruits. My experience has been that you can eat more of them than fresh fruit and dried apricots especially seem to get things moving. It is very embarassing for the kids to have to answer the 'poo' questions so it makes it hard for you to help. Good luck and best wishes.
              Cheryl

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              • #8
                Hi. Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on getting through the surgery without going bonkers (I think this is a huge maternal accomplishment).

                My daughter also struggled with constipation, and nothing oral worked. The district nurse eventually had to come to our house and do the suppository thing, which corrected the problem most dramatically in about 10 minutes. Although Caitlin was pretty embarrassed about the procedure, she felt infinitely better afterward and said she wished she'd asked for it sooner.

                About fatigue: Caitin was basically completely knackered until almost four weeks post-op. She was supposed to walk five minutes a day for the first week after she got home. We would walk slowly around the block, then she would sleep for two hours. But rather suddenly, at about three and half weeks, she just started to feel a lot better and have more energy. She was still not 100%, that took several months, but there was a definite qualitative change at that 3 1/2 week mark.

                Best of luck - Patricia
                Patricia
                Scoli Mum from New Zealand
                Daughter Caitlin's surgery 2nd May 2005
                Posterior fusion T3 - L1

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                • #9
                  Thank you for all the great advice. Today is 2 weeks post op and he is doing so much better. He finally was able to have a bowel movement. We do need to keep up on the stool softners and dried fruit though due to the pain meds.
                  I'll keep in touch you have all been life savers I don't know what I would have done without this fantastic forum. As you know a forum is only as good as its caring participants so keep up the great work.
                  Yvonne
                  Mom of Jeremy with Scolosis 16 yrs old
                  Fused T-1 to T-11 Nov 14, 2005
                  Kaiser Oakland, Dr. Ravi Bains

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