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  • Back among the living!!!

    Hi everyone!! just got home from 10 days in the hospital/10 days in rehab today. I'm doing okay except for a nasty post-surgical complication, a very painful and weak right leg. The leg buckled on me several times in the hopsital so that I had to wear an immobilization brace for a week after at rehab -- it's a bit stronger now but I have to use a walker and it hurts a lot at night. Boachie thinks he bruised a muscle during the anterior incision ....he allso thinks it will heal entirely but it will take a bit of time and probably lots of PT.

    I got an unbelievable correction, however: from 70 deg. down to 14 degrees!!!! I am so freaking straight. However my belly is very swollen; I look pregnant so I can't enjoy my new figure yet. I have a great appetite and am eating like a pig.

    This is one tough surgery. Thank God for oxycontin, though I doubt there's enough ocycontin in the world for the tightness and pulling of a newly fused back. It feels like every muslce in my back is trying to get back to its old position!! -- but if it weren't for my leg I'd be doing great. I have stamina and energy and can put up with the back pain pretty well. I just can't do much walking yet. It's frustrating and a bit scary.

    I'l have more tales to tell when I can sit longer...welcome back to everyohe else who went around the same time I did...Nadia,etc..
    Chris
    A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
    Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
    Post-op curve: 12 degrees
    Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

  • #2
    Weclome back!

    Hi ya Chris!

    I am so glad all went well! The bruised muscle is a drag but, at least temporary. What a tremendous correction, I bet you never imagined getting to that number.

    I kept wondering during the time you were in the hosp/rehab what might be going through your mind. Was it as you expected, worse or better. I remember all the times you thought you wouldn't go through with your surgery. Sure there is pain like you said, but geeze, look what your body went through! YOU ARE AT 14* Yippee!

    I am so glad you are back, welcome home. Now the tough part, patience.
    Best wishes, Suzy

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    • #3
      Hi Chris! Welcome back to the forum. Sounds like you're doing really well. And you've got appetite too! I had none while on all those meds. I'm sure your leg will heal in time. I had some nerve pain on my left thigh and it hurt to shave over it, but it went away after a few months. You got a similar correction to me! I went from 70 degrees to like 19 degrees.

      I hope the rest of your recovery goes well...

      Love,
      Heather
      Heather
      Surgery date: April 20, 2004
      Anterior/posterior surgery
      Fused T-11 to L-5
      Pre op lumbar curve: 70 degrees, thoracic curve: 42 degrees
      Post op lumbar curve: 19 degrees, thoracic curve: 18
      Surgeon: Dr. Boachie-Adjei
      Had successful pregnancy and birth 2 years post-op

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      • #4
        welcome back to the living, Chris

        Thank God for your good attitude and appetite ! It is a hard surgery, and hard recovery, but you have a great outlook and can see the small improvements your making every day. Keep us posted and let us know how the bruised leg is doing, I have a touch of that, too.
        Lisa age 47
        T curve 69 degrees
        L curve 40 degrees more or less - compensatory
        fused to from T-3 to sacrum
        anterior and posterior surgeries completed June 1, 2007
        pushing hard in recovery !!

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        • #5
          Congratulations, Chris! I have been thinking of you. So glad to hear that you are doing well, and have had such great results!

          Comment


          • #6
            Yeah !!!

            Dear Chris,

            Welcome back. Holy #$&%@ ! What a correction! Had Dr. Boachie told you, pre-op, what degree correction he felt he could obtain?

            I've been following the blog, and it seems to me (someone who is not there yet) that you did quite well post-surgery. The 8-hour delay must have been agonizing for you.

            I'm really happy for you, and wish you a speedy recovery from the leg buckling. Has your new height been measured? Do you have any pre & post x-rays to share?

            Janet
            As of 12/25/07, age 62, 100* thoracic kyphosis, 73* L1-S1 lordosis, 37*/25* compensatory S-curve scoliosis. On 12/26/07, Dr. Boachie @ HSS NYC did 11 hours ant. & post. procedures, fused T2-L2, kyphosis now 57*, scoli 10*. Regained 2 1/4 inches in height!! Improving every day.

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            • #7
              Welcome back Chris! WOW! What a wonderful correction! I have been wondering about the muscules fighting the correction and how wierd that will feel....Well, guess I'll find out in 10 weeks myself!

              Ann
              44 year old female
              Surgery on Nov. 1, 2010
              Dr. Darrell Hanson, Methodist Hospital
              Posterior Only, 9 hours
              Presurgical: T 61 Degrees, L 58 degrees, with 15 degrees of thoracolumbar rotation
              Postsurgical: T 26, L 25

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              • #8
                Welcome back Chris. Glad to hear you are doing so well and wish you a speedy recovery.

                Sue

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                • #9
                  yea!! you did it!!

                  Congratulations on being on the other side now, Chris! Sounds like you did great, and your complication will go away, I'm sure. I think almost everyone has something! Mine is an incisional hernia (even though it's not right at my anterior incision, and most likely started with a previous surgery). I have to have surgery in a few months to repair it with mesh. (oh boy)
                  So now it's just patience, like Suzy says! And since we are forced into it, mind as well make the best of it! I'm still having to work on it and I'm a little over 3 months post op.
                  How far were you fused? Your correction is amazing! Did you get stainless or titanium hardware? Do you have to wear a brace?
                  I'm still finding out all the details with mine, since I had x-rays recently and mailed them on a disk to my surgeon at the Oakland Kaiser (since I'm in Hawaii) and we had a phone appt. as my 3 month post op.
                  This is a long healing process, but we can do it, huh!? Take care and keep us posted.
                  Berta
                  Berta in Hawaii

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Glad your back. Great correction. Take it easy and have lots of patience....
                    48 yr old female. 80° thoracolumber curve. Surgery Feb 14 2007. Fused T3 - L5. Correction to 23°. Happy!

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                    • #11
                      Hi everybody, thanks for saying hello. Keep 'em coming, they really help me.

                      It's great to be home. To answer a couple of questions: No, I had no idea the correction would be that big; boachie thought he'd get it in the 30s or 20s but once he got in there I was very flexible. He took out three discs and replaced them with what look llike mesh hockey pucks or donuts; apparently my disks were shot and ready to herniate so it's good I had the surgery when I did. I'll post the x-ray soon; it looks like I swallowed a tool chest!!

                      My poor husband is already exhuasted from waiting on me...i'm still pretty helpless because of the leg...can't wait for it to get better. Patience, therapy and time...

                      They measured me at rehab and I grew 2 inches; I'm now five feet tall -- of course I may "settle" a bit when I'm up and around more regularly but it's so cool to be looking DOWN on my daughter again instead of eye-to-eye!!!
                      Chris
                      A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                      Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                      Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                      Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hey Chris,

                        Glad your home and everything went well... As for your complication i hope it gets better soon. Everyone nearly has one like mines is to do with a little bit of my incision not healing well its blistered up and was weeping for the last 5 wks and only a few days ago started looking like its getting better!!!! But i look at it as there are other people worse off then us some people can't walk or have worse complications ours are little things thats what makes me think i can get through it.....

                        Keep smiling things do get heaps better around 3 - 4 wks post op.

                        Lee
                        Had surgery May 28th 2007 Anterior/Posterior getting fused from T3 - L3

                        http://curvedgirl.blogspot.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Chris!!!

                          So glad you are doing well, it's awesome to hear.
                          By the time i got your comment about leaving for surgery, you had already left.
                          I'm just so happy to hear that you did great, got an awesome correcion, and are well on the road to recovery.

                          Take care and take it easy,

                          Kat
                          36 year old single mom of teens ages 14 & 15.
                          Anterior/posterior spinal fusion on February 9th & 16th 2006 with Dr. Anthony Moreno who now has his own practice.
                          Fused from T-3 to S-1 (sacrum)
                          Curve pre-op = 70 degrees
                          Curve post op = 20 degrees
                          No pain anymore!!
                          Google is your friend

                          I am not a doctor and will never give medical advice. I will support and answer questions from personal experience only.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Chris...

                            Knew you could do it!

                            I also had a leg thing after surgery. It bugged me far more than my spine did. Luckily, mine resolved in about 10 days. Hope your's goes away soon.

                            Regards,
                            Linda
                            Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                            Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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                            • #15
                              Chris,

                              Glad to hear that you had a great correction! Now the really hard part begins. Just remember to take everything nice and easy! Day by Day! You will have bad days, but you will also have GREAT days! Just remember that everyone here knows what you are going through and have loads of support for you!
                              Theresa

                              April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
                              Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
                              Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
                              Fused T2 to sacrum
                              June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
                              MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

                              FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

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