Hi, I have been reading the posts and gotten a lot of good information over the last few weeks and decided to join the forum to ask some questions. My son, Sam, had posterior spinal fusion surgery on July 24th and the surgery and the recovery in the hospital went really well. He had no problems with nausea and did well with the PT. We came home on Saturday the 29th. He had his postop appointment on Aug 1 and the surgeon said the X Ray and the incision looked fine.
I've been giving him his pain meds every 4 hours around the clock like they said. The first few days I was also giving him the Valium every 4 hours and the surgeon said to back off on that and only give it when he had the spasms. So we did that but he has a really hard time telling me what kind of pain he has - he really doesn't know if it is a spasm or not. Today he seemed to have more pain and when the Percocet didn't improve it I gave him a Valium and he said that helped some. The Percocet I gave him was the last of that and now we have Vicodin from here on out. I don't know if that is going to be less effective or not. Also part of what might have made his pain worse today is the combination of the trip to the surgeon on Tues and yesterday having his first bowel movement (that was an ordeal for him!). ANy suggestions on how to describe to him the difference between the pain from spasms and the regular pain would be helpful. Also, how long til the pain starts to ease up? Right now he has no energy/desire to do anything other than watch TV or sleep. We get him up a couple times a day to walk around the house and to sit up to eat but otherwise he is in bed. We've tried getting him comfortable in a recliner so he can have a change but he says it hurts too much. Sitting is still really painful - to the point where he would rather not eat sometimes if he has to sit up to eat. (We tried letting him eat laying down a few times because we were concerned about him not eating but then he got indigestion. This kid was 5'9'' and weighed 112 before the surgery so eating is a concern).
When we left the hospital they had him sitting up 20 minutes twice a day. It's a struggle for me to get him to do 10 minutes twice a day. And the amount of walking he is doing at home is less but I am getting him to do it twice a day. I know it is important to get him sitting up and moving, but is this enough at this stage?
Any ideas on foods that are easy to eat at this stage?
Sorry this is so long and rambling but it is so hard to see him this miserable and not be able to "fix" it. This week is more dificult is some ways than the week in the hospital.
Thanks
Sandy
I've been giving him his pain meds every 4 hours around the clock like they said. The first few days I was also giving him the Valium every 4 hours and the surgeon said to back off on that and only give it when he had the spasms. So we did that but he has a really hard time telling me what kind of pain he has - he really doesn't know if it is a spasm or not. Today he seemed to have more pain and when the Percocet didn't improve it I gave him a Valium and he said that helped some. The Percocet I gave him was the last of that and now we have Vicodin from here on out. I don't know if that is going to be less effective or not. Also part of what might have made his pain worse today is the combination of the trip to the surgeon on Tues and yesterday having his first bowel movement (that was an ordeal for him!). ANy suggestions on how to describe to him the difference between the pain from spasms and the regular pain would be helpful. Also, how long til the pain starts to ease up? Right now he has no energy/desire to do anything other than watch TV or sleep. We get him up a couple times a day to walk around the house and to sit up to eat but otherwise he is in bed. We've tried getting him comfortable in a recliner so he can have a change but he says it hurts too much. Sitting is still really painful - to the point where he would rather not eat sometimes if he has to sit up to eat. (We tried letting him eat laying down a few times because we were concerned about him not eating but then he got indigestion. This kid was 5'9'' and weighed 112 before the surgery so eating is a concern).
When we left the hospital they had him sitting up 20 minutes twice a day. It's a struggle for me to get him to do 10 minutes twice a day. And the amount of walking he is doing at home is less but I am getting him to do it twice a day. I know it is important to get him sitting up and moving, but is this enough at this stage?
Any ideas on foods that are easy to eat at this stage?
Sorry this is so long and rambling but it is so hard to see him this miserable and not be able to "fix" it. This week is more dificult is some ways than the week in the hospital.
Thanks
Sandy
Comment