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Mixed feelings about my 6 month check up.

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  • Mixed feelings about my 6 month check up.

    Hello Scoli friends,

    I went in today for x-rays and my check up and had very mixed feelings. As of two weeks ago I was on top of my game with life and P.T. (I was also starting to wear my cute 3" heels again!) My P.T. thought it was time I started to push myself a bit and I felt so good I thought OK. I'm ready. I have been in P.T. for 2 mos. So after that P.T. session I go to my regular gym a couple of days later and do a light work out then 3 days later tougher P.T. then I woke up 2 days later with pain that puts me back on more meds then I've had for 2 months! And by the 3rd day of pain I had a swelling on my lower left back as big as my whole hand! Anyone go through this?? P.T. for the next 3 sessions was ultra sound, shock stimulation, massage and hot/cold Tx. Finally swelling and pain are almost gone.
    So, I go to my Dr. today and he says no problem he has seen it before just take it easy for a bit longer. 10 lb lifting limit is now a whopping 20lb. (Yes, insert sarcasm here.) I was hoping to be cleared to do anything within reason. He says from x-rays "I am fused" but, I won't be cleared for another 6 months to resume all normal activities. Which don't get me wrong, I knew I wouldn't snow ski or jet ski or Rollerblade or scuba dive till after a full year but, I truly thought I wouldn't have the lifting restrictions anymore. I'm tired of looking around the store for someone to help me get dog food or bottled water loaded onto my cart. Plus, I have another problem that the Dr. says will get better. I wonder if any of you lumbar fusion patients have experienced this. I CAN NOT push my pelvis back. It looks as though I am tucking my butt forward. (If I were a dog this is the look when they are in trouble, and know it, and tuck their tail under!) I try to push my hips and butt back but just can't. I am only fused to L4 and Dr. and P.T. think it is because my hamstrings are really tight from lack of use. So, anyone else have this and did it go away? Or do I just go buy a butt from Frederick's of Hollywood? LOL!
    Also, my surgeon is going to be the head of back/spine for Kaiser here and starts 9/1/06. So for my 9 and 12 month check ups I will need to make my insurance let me go see him. (I have a PPO not Kaiser.) I'm sure that will be a fun one to tackle.
    Dr. said I turned out to be his scoliosis poster child and I'm doing great. I should be thrilled However, I am worried because I really didn't like the 2 week set back I've had and how will I tell if I have over done it until days later and I am back in bed? UGH! Guess it's my turn to vent...............

  • #2
    You're a trooper....

    Hi Suzy-
    Sounds like you're doing really well after all that. I am fused to my sacrum
    since 1998...I pushed myself alot after that last surgery because I needed
    to get back to work. I'm 40 now and wondering how much "domestic goddess" pays (lol) I read your bio . Right now I am a train wreck....
    I can answer one thing for you-they told me the same thing about hamstring
    tightness and scoliosis, you have to do a lot of PT with your legs and hamstring stretches.They said somehow the hamstrings have a tendency to
    shorten if you don't keep them limber.
    Believe it or not I ski too even with 3 rods, 6 screws,and 2 titanium disc replacements. More power to you, patience is SO hard, I am not one
    to stay still either and deal with "restrictions" for my whole young adult life
    I did whatever I felt like even though friends/family told me "you shouldn't be lifting that" or whatever. In one ear and out the other.... Keep up the good work and try to listen to the doctor about restrictions-after 40 it takes longer for fusions to take. God bless, domestic goddess
    1982- Scoliosis fusion with Harrington rod T3-L4
    1998- revision surgery for flatback syndrome: fusion extended to sacrum, 2 discs removed/replaced with
    titanium spacers, 2 new short rods attached to Harrington rod, 6 pedicle screws
    2005-found out one screw was broken-surgeon said fusion is solid and not to worry
    2004 to now: neck, shoulder and hip pain, degenerative disc disease in neck, herniated and bulging discs in neck, bone spurs, arthritis

    Comment


    • #3
      Suzy -

      You crack me up! When you were talking about not being able to push your pelvis back, I literally laughed out loud. I thought about something I did a couple of weeks ago. You know that insurance commercial where Charo (if you were alive in the 70's or ever watched an episode of the Love Boat, you know who Charo is)is translating for this guy and she does her signature "coochie, coochie, coochie" move with her hands over her head and her pelvis thrusting back and forth? Well, I was watching t.v. with my kids and that bloody commercial came on. My kids thought it was funny so what did I do? I started imitating Charo...hip thrusting and all. Let's just say, it was a pathetic sight. The rods in my sacrum would not allow me to move backwards at all. I looked and felt ridiculous. I knew I was going to lose some mobility, but I had no idea I couldn't coochie coochie anymore!
      Brandi
      Congenital Scoliosis, 58* lumbar curve
      Combined Anterior/Posterior Spinal Fusion w/Laminectomy May 22, 2006
      L1-S1
      Dr. William Lauerman
      Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
      Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy @ L3, Posterior Spinal Fusion L2-L4, rod removal with re-instrumentation T10-S1 and Laminectomy February 5, 2009 to correct flatback
      http://brandi816.wordpress.com/

      Comment


      • #4
        By the way...

        You sound like you are progressing perfectly normal to me. Try to be patient and accept the fact that setbacks, annoying as they are, are a fact of life.

        Keep up the good work!
        Brandi
        Congenital Scoliosis, 58* lumbar curve
        Combined Anterior/Posterior Spinal Fusion w/Laminectomy May 22, 2006
        L1-S1
        Dr. William Lauerman
        Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
        Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy @ L3, Posterior Spinal Fusion L2-L4, rod removal with re-instrumentation T10-S1 and Laminectomy February 5, 2009 to correct flatback
        http://brandi816.wordpress.com/

        Comment


        • #5
          I'm not supposed to be doing P.T. yet???geez!

          Suzy---you are doing really well. About the swelling-I felt it bad last night where my rib removal was & thought I might have over done it all in P.T. Monday night. It was so bad it woke me up last night & worried me. I e-mailed my nurse & she told me I should'nt be doing any more P.T. until my surgeon approves it! Evidentally Kessler Rehab went ahead & put me in the outbound program without my surgeon's prescription....geez! good thing I only did one hour session so far.................if I had'nt heard people on this forum saying they were not doing P.T. early on I would have never called my doctor's office....I was quite upset yesterday........................Ly

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          • #6
            Thanks Brandi, You made me LOL and I needed it! I want my coochie, coochie motion back!! (Insert whiney voice here.) Maybe we can learn how to do it again. Yes, I do know who Charo is and always wondered why she had a job!! Didn't she have a really old husband who had connections and got her in to show business?? Meowww!

            Janski66, Glad to hear from another skier. I hated sitting out last year, I love to ski so much and it is something I go do alone, with friends or family. My kids were disappointed too, as I usually take them more then my husband. I am going to stretch hamstrings as much as possible. (Brandi,I'll let you know if it helps for coochie motion.) I'll tell you, this surgery recovery makes you learn to be patient. Which is SO not me either. As to the Domestic goddess pay.... Hmmm. Room & board, food, car, credit card and I get to sleep with the boss and not worry about loosing my job!

            Lynne, sent you a letter this morn.

            Funny thing about my back swelling, my husband thought it might have been due to something he/we did during our last "Session." He said "you don't pay attention to your back during........." Duh, I having much better thoughts!!

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