sleeping after surgery &other discomforts

[Curvy Corky]

Hello everyone!

I just had anterior spinal fusion of T12-L4 for my painful scoliosis. Mine wasn't near as severe as many of yours, just a 45 degree thoracolumbar curve, but giving me many problems for the past few years. Anyway I tend to ramble a lot.... as you will see.

So had surgery 1/4/06, spent a week in the ICU and last day in a private room and was released the next day. My surgery was anterior so my incision is on my left side not my spine. I am having some serious problems getting comfortable in bed at night and even during the day when I am at home resting. Still on pain meds 24/7 and can't imagine trying to deal without them right now. If I fall asleep for too long at night and don't take my meds within the 4 hour window I wake up in horrible pain in the middle of the night and once it is to that point it is hard to control it. They removed a good portion of one of my upper ribs and when I lay on my back it feels like the remaining riblet (that's my name for it) it sticking out and poking me. It's pretty painful and very uncomfortable. It almost feels as if that rib has gotten out of place somehow. It really hurts to lay on my other side that doesn't have the incision, and I can only tolerate it for about 5 minutes max, and have to wind up on my back again. I have stuffed pillows and adjusted and put so many fluffy things on my bed I just don't know what else to do to get comfy. The pain meds help keep the worse pain at bay but they don't give the me comfort I need to sleep at night. Plus I am worried with the funky ways I have to lay in bed on my back that I might be twisting my torso a bit and I am scared that could hurt my fusion, as we all know there is no bending, twisting or lifting for quite some time after surgery.

Another problem from laying on my back for a long period of time is that my actual spine where the fusion was done starts hurting really bad. I just can't get any rest at night even when I take a higher does of meds to knock me out I still wake up about every 2 hours in horrible discomfort.

Any suggestions or advice on how to get rest and comfort in bed after this surgery? I am about 3 weeks post-op right now and it seems to just get worse.

I feel like this recovery has been a nightmare for me the past few weeks.
Right after I got home from the hospital I had to go to the ER a few days later because I thought I had hurt something internally really bad getting out of my car. Well while at the ER I picked up a stomach virus and was violently ill with vomiting and the other fun stomach virus symptom for 5 days. I lost over 10lbs in 5 days from being unable to keep food down. So it's just been tough and now that the stomach thing is over it just seems like getting comfortable has been impossible and I need rest!!

I would greatly appreciate any help or advice with dealing after surgery any of you may have to offer.

Thank you!
Shelly

[Shari]

Hi Shelly,
I too had a very hard time getting comfortable. Are you in a brace? Have you tried putting a pillow under your knees while laying on your back? I couldn't lay on either side for quite a while. My first week home I didn't take my meds at night and that made for horrible days.

I don't even want to think about how awful it must of been to have to vomit right after having this surgery. It was bad enough just to sneeze. . Hang in there, you're not alone!!!

Set the alarm clock, and take your meds,
Shari

[LindaRacine]

Hi Shelly...

You may need to be on a stronger pain medication. What are you taking now? Don't be afraid to call your surgeon's office and ask for something stronger. You should expect to be uncomfortable much of the time at this point, but you shouldn't be in uncontrollable pain.

--Linda

[Curvy Corky]

Hello Linda,
Thank you for your response. I am currently taking the following meds:

Hydrocodone/APAP 10mg/325mg
(I take 1-2 every 4 hours all day long)
In the evening before bed I take 2 and till the morning take 2 each 4 hours. If didn't it would be much more painful. During the day when I am up moving around a bit and not just laying in bed for 8+ hours straight one pill can control the pain.

Also take a muscle relaxer:
Tizanadine 2mg
I take these mainly at night to help me sleep my perscription says take 1-2 every 6 hours as needed. So at night before bed I take 2 then wake up about 6 hours later and do another does. Usually during the day I might not take these or just take one during the day. Just depends on the day I've been having some spasms so when they act up I take these more often.


My pain tolerance is very low, before I had surgery I was in a ton of pain and it was getting worse each day. I had been taking pain meds before surgery too and thought they might have a hard time medicating me post-op since I have been on them so long, I've figured I built up a tolerance.

I'll check with my doc to see if he can up my dose or give me something stronger. During the day I can somewhat manage but at night when I am laying for over 8 hours it just gets really painful and is very hard to sleep. Which keeps my husband up too and that's a whole other round of issues!

Thanks for your help!

[Curvy Corky]

Hey Shari,

Thanks for replying to my post.

Yes I have a brace, the Boston Brace, however I've lost so much weight from the stomach virus that it doesn't fit at all anymore. I've run out of velcro to even fasten it! So I am going monday to get re-fit for a new one, and should have it by next Thursday. I've been wearing the one I have very little since it hurts and doesn't fit. My doc only wanted me to use it when walking or sitting. I can't imagine trying to lay down in that horrid thing. It's plastic so it's really hard and it hurts my incision as well as my riblet.

Oh the pillow under the knees trick, yep, tried all that. For the most part that does help a little but there are so many areas in my back that hurt it doesn't help them all. I also kind of turn half way onto my right side and stick a fluffy pillow under my left side to prop me up a little on the side, so I am not fully laying on my side. This is tricky though cause sometimes I worry I might be twisted a bit. This takes a lot of other pillows to support my legs and head so that I can get comfortable. Still even this position all night gets painful. I'm going to see if the doc will up my pain meds and maybe that can help.

They really should send a nurse to your home the first day out of the hospital and show you how to lay right in a normal bed.

Thanks for your support and advice. This forum is so helpful cause everyone on here is going through this or has. My husband still just doesn't get what the pain is like or how hard everything is to do even after dealing with me for 3 weeks at home, so it's nice to talk to people who do.

Shelly

[Heathmoose]

sleeping

Hi Shelly. Sorry to hear about your stomache bug. I also had anterior, as well as posterior fusion, very similar to yours, from T-11 to L5, w/titanium rods. After the hospital, I went to rehab ane then home. They did have be on two different pain killers, dilaudid (hydromorphone) and a duragesic pain patch (fentenyl-sp?) so I had continuous pain relief. I also wore a brace, but not while sleeping. Since you have tried rearranging the pillows with not much success, I remember before my surgery, I was almost going to buy a foam/egg-shell mattress to put over my mattress. I never bought it, but you may want to look into it.
It took me a while to get comfortable in bed and I didn't sleep well for a while b/c I was always afraid of moving the wrong way, but you'll get used to it. It's good that you're going to your doctor to possibly increase your pain meds. That might just do the trick.
Good luck and be patient...it does get better!
Heather

[crookedspine]

I, too, had trouble sleeping in my bed. My husband went to a back shop and bought a wedge. I used that under my head and back for several weeks and it worked wonderfully, along with a pillow under my knees. I'm glad you can use hydrocodone...it made me ill. Good luck. The bad feelings (pain, uncomfortable, etc.) will go away soon. Each day you will find new accomplishments. Linda