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  • Keeping your scar out of the sun?

    Has anyone heard that you should keep your scar out of the sun for at least a year in order to allow it to lighten? I thought I read that somewhere, and since it's summer I want to get out in the sun a little but am worried about my scar darkening instead of getting lighter as it should. So I ordered two new swimsuits in the racerback style - I hope they cover my scar fully.

    Also, a mini update on my recovery. I am 8 wks post op and was doing great until about week 6. I suddenly had a pinched nerve at L5. (on a previous post I stated that my surgery was from T4 to L5 - it was actually T3 - L4 - I blame the meds for making my brain turn to mush. ).
    I can barely walk, the pain is just incredible. I am on the max dose of neurontin but it isn't helping. I'm resting and trying not to over do. My surgeon told me to try those things first but that if they didn't work he wants to refer me out in order to get a shot of some kind. I didn't get full details since he was running 2 hrs late that day and was in a hurry. I'll be speaking with his nurse on Monday in order to schedule this shot and get a better understanding. I have to admit, this nerve problem took me completely by surprise and has made a very big dent in my "positive" attitude. Prior to the nerve attacks my friends and family told me repeatedly how great I was doing...now I'm barely moving at all. I'll update everyone once I get this shot...but if anyone knows what it probably is...or a direction to point me in...please let me know.
    Thanks again to all of the regular posters....you are all very special people.

    Lori
    37 yr old female
    5/14/07: Spinal fusion w/Titanium implants to correct 80 degree curves - T5 to L4
    7/30/07: Revision to remove screw from T12 that is abutting spinal cord

  • #2
    Good luck on your pinched nerve! What kind of shot does your surgeon suggest? What does the pain feel like?

    Just wondering since I'm 3 months post op and just started getting a shooting burning feeling between my shoulder blades and sometimes it shoots all the way down my spine, almost like an electric current. It's so scary! It goes away though, but I'm always worried it won't next time. The burn I get at the top of my fusion is more often and does seem to relate to moving my arms, but not always. Sometimes it just happens.

    Let me know what your nerve pain feels like. I hope it gets better for you.
    berta
    Berta in Hawaii

    Comment


    • #3
      Berta,

      A friend told me she had a pinched nerve at the top of her spine but I don't know the full details.

      I don't know what the shot is called....only that it is administered under some kind of live "xray" or something. The only thing I really know is that they can view my bones/nerves when they administer it and that it will last for "months" but with no set time line.

      As for the pain. It started with a tingling in my left knee. That started almost immediately after surgery. Like I said, at about week 5 or 6 the tingling increased to a little bit of pain. But when it hit me full force it seemed to be intermittent for a few days and then suddenly if I walk or sit upright I apparently add pressure to the nerve and aggravate it.

      The pain is usually a very deep pain in my left hip and then a very severe muscle ache the full length of my thigh and it continues to about mid way down my shin. Sometimes it is shooting - lasting only a few minutes until I adjust my position. Sometimes, like today, it takes hours to alleviate the pain after lying on my right side.

      When I described this to my surgeon he said it was most definitely a pinched nerve at L5. He fused up to L4 and he said that L4 was putting a different pressure on L5 and pinching the nerve OR that the changes to L4 had caused a slipped disk between L4 and L5.

      I just sent a super long email to his nurse asking for a quick referral since the pain is increasing daily and has forced me back to almost total bed rest. My back is actually sore from lack of activity! I was coming along so well, then WHAM this nerve literally took me to my knees! I can't rely on my left leg to support me anymore. I even fell and landed on my left knee when my leg just gave out from under me. I'm sure that only aggravated that pinched nerve even more!!!

      I have had experience with nerve problems before since I have Trigeminal Neuralgia. This is a strange disorder where the Trigeminal nerve (face/head) is inflamed/aggravated and is treated by the seizure medicine Neurontin (or some other type of nerve meds). So when the doc told me to double my dose I understood what he was trying to do. He wanted the neurontin to calm my pinched nerve but it didn't work. I was hoping to avoid this shot but after 2 weeks I am now begging for it. My doc did say that if the shot doesn't work....then I'm off to the operating room again.

      I hope my description helps. I can tell you that my TN disorder is similiar to what you are experiencing - sharp shooting pains that subside but then come back.

      Hope this helps!
      Lori
      37 yr old female
      5/14/07: Spinal fusion w/Titanium implants to correct 80 degree curves - T5 to L4
      7/30/07: Revision to remove screw from T12 that is abutting spinal cord

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Lori,

        Thanks for your reply. Oh.... I feel so bad for you, since that sounds just like the pain I had pre-surgery, to the knee, tingling, aching, I had a bad sciatica mid butt along with it too. But now after surgery, that is gone.
        Now it's a new upper burn and quite sensitive to how I hold my neck and use my arms, but can happen anytime. So far it isn't constant though, and my pre-surgery pain was. It was always, except the first hour I got up in the am, or when I was laying down after about an hour, it would finally subside. So I do know what you are feeling and it drove me to surgery.
        Good luck with your outcome. Keep us posted.
        Berta in Hawaii

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by laf3030
          Berta,

          A friend told me she had a pinched nerve at the top of her spine but I don't know the full details.

          I don't know what the shot is called....only that it is administered under some kind of live "xray" or something. The only thing I really know is that they can view my bones/nerves when they administer it and that it will last for "months" but with no set time line.

          As for the pain. It started with a tingling in my left knee. That started almost immediately after surgery. Like I said, at about week 5 or 6 the tingling increased to a little bit of pain. But when it hit me full force it seemed to be intermittent for a few days and then suddenly if I walk or sit upright I apparently add pressure to the nerve and aggravate it.

          The pain is usually a very deep pain in my left hip and then a very severe muscle ache the full length of my thigh and it continues to about mid way down my shin. Sometimes it is shooting - lasting only a few minutes until I adjust my position. Sometimes, like today, it takes hours to alleviate the pain after lying on my right side.

          When I described this to my surgeon he said it was most definitely a pinched nerve at L5. He fused up to L4 and he said that L4 was putting a different pressure on L5 and pinching the nerve OR that the changes to L4 had caused a slipped disk between L4 and L5.

          I just sent a super long email to his nurse asking for a quick referral since the pain is increasing daily and has forced me back to almost total bed rest. My back is actually sore from lack of activity! I was coming along so well, then WHAM this nerve literally took me to my knees! I can't rely on my left leg to support me anymore. I even fell and landed on my left knee when my leg just gave out from under me. I'm sure that only aggravated that pinched nerve even more!!!

          I have had experience with nerve problems before since I have Trigeminal Neuralgia. This is a strange disorder where the Trigeminal nerve (face/head) is inflamed/aggravated and is treated by the seizure medicine Neurontin (or some other type of nerve meds). So when the doc told me to double my dose I understood what he was trying to do. He wanted the neurontin to calm my pinched nerve but it didn't work. I was hoping to avoid this shot but after 2 weeks I am now begging for it. My doc did say that if the shot doesn't work....then I'm off to the operating room again.

          I hope my description helps. I can tell you that my TN disorder is similiar to what you are experiencing - sharp shooting pains that subside but then come back.

          Hope this helps!
          Lori

          Hi Lori

          I am sorry to hear about this set back. I hope you start to feel better soon.

          Sue

          Comment


          • #6
            Berta,

            The nerve pain in your upper back is actually quite normal for this surgery. You can look at it as good, the nerves are regrowing! I know it's not comfortable but try using a cold pack or ice pack on it. It helped for me.
            Last edited by Theresa; 07-08-2007, 10:40 PM.
            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

            Comment


            • #7
              Lori,

              I had just started having the exact same thing happening to me a few months before this last surgery. When my doctor did my surgery he did say that he found some nerves that were being pinched at the L2 area. Before the surgery we had discussed with my pain management doctor about doing the shot that you are talking about. My understanding is, if it's the same thing, the doctor does the shot first and if it gives you relief they know they are in the correct place. They then go in again the same way but with different medicine that will actually burn the nerve. The nerve does grow back after a while, but that usually takes about 6 to 12 months. We ended up not doing it at the time because of the upcoming surgery, there is a risk factor of a possible infection. Good Luck, I hope it helps you so you won't have to go back in for more surgery!
              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

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks Theresa!
                I was so glad to read your post about the nerves in my upper back. And since I'm getting occasional burns shooting thru elsewhere also, such as in some of my numb areas not even at the incision, such as my hip, plus other places here and there, it sounds right what you say. Especially since these burn sensations were not happening in the beginning, it does seems like things are coming back to life. I hope this neck one, which happens the most, doesn't stick around. After I hear of all you with other nerve pinching stories, it's scary.
                Berta in Hawaii

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Lori,

                  I can address your original question on this thread. My Dr. recommended I keep my scar out of the sun for the first year. I am at 16 months post op and my scar has NEVER been in the sun without an SPF 60. At this point in time you can barely see it. I use "Ocean potion" SPF 60. It is at Walmart. It comes with a dab on applicator that is too wide to use so I popped it off and apply it with a q-tip. It is the consistency of water and is very easy to draw on over your scar in a thin line. A friend of mine who had back surgery 1 week after me did not use the SPF I use, that I gave him. His scar is so DARK! It does work.

                  Berta,

                  Theresa was right on the nerves regrowing. I experienced such jolting shocks during my recovery I would gasp out loud. I scared the c*#p out of my husband the few times! My Dr. had warned me about nerves reattaching but I still wasn't ready for that type of jolt. It does go away.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks everyone for all of your comments.

                    Suzy,

                    Thanks for the tip on the sunscreen. I'm waiting on two racerback swimsuits to arrive (shopping online is a sanity saver!) but I thought I would also put on sunscreen under the suits just to be extra careful. BTW, now that it's summer again and a while after your surgery, are you still using extra sunscreen on the scar or not?


                    Side note on the pinched nerve. The surgeon ordered a CT scan asap this week, kinda worried me. But as it turns out he was looking to see if any of the screws or hardware were touching a nerve. His nurse told me that the nerves weren't anywhere close to the hardware. I asked about the slipped disc that he mentioned might be a cause - again, nothing showed up on the CT scan. That seems like good news but it just made me cry. If they can't find out what is causing this pain then I can't help but feel that I'm going to have to live with it forever. And that is just so depressing.
                    I did get one injection this week. It hasn't worked yet - that dr said it would take 24 - 72 hrs before I might see any results. I go back in one week to try again. The surgeon's nurse said that if this next shot didnt work that she would get me in to see the surgeon asap. That means another 3 hr painful drive to Cleveland (The Cleveland Clinic) and it just seems like it will be so that he can tell me he doesn't know what's wrong. Geesh.
                    Oh well, what's a girl to do but follow the dr's orders and wait it out?

                    Thanks to everyone for all of your comments, well wishes and prayers. This forum, as I've probably said before, is wonderful.
                    37 yr old female
                    5/14/07: Spinal fusion w/Titanium implants to correct 80 degree curves - T5 to L4
                    7/30/07: Revision to remove screw from T12 that is abutting spinal cord

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Lori, I am sorry to hear about your pinched nerve setback...I hope that gets better...I know that can be so frustrating.

                      I was also told to keep my scar out of the sun. I kept it mostly covered, or had strong sunblock on it. Also I used Mederma and cocoa butter cream and I think both helped to fade the scars (I had both anterior and posterior scars) The one in the back is practically gone and the anterior one on my side is pretty well concealed...parts are still red, b/c the scar got stretched during my pregnancy...
                      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

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Yes Lori, I am still putting sunscreen on my scar. It is so easy and I thought I would do it this summer for good measure. I could not wait to get my new figure into a bikini and show off my new straight back! I feel like my scar is a badge of courage. I have been asked about it by people who have a family member or friend with scoliosis and it gives me a chance to tell my story. I also give them the forum info so they can be helped like I have. This surgery is such a wonderful thing to have available to us. It gave me back my life. Best wishes.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          In all honesty, I was in the tanning bed a couple months post-op. I covered it for a brief while, but then quit. My scar is always in the sun with minimal sunscreen (not healthy skinwise, I'm sure), and still has faded to being barely visable. When it is in the sun, it turns splotchy though...But only for a brief while...
                          Chloe
                          Surgery date: December 12, 2005
                          Pre op lumbar curve: 68 degrees, thoracic curve: 38 degrees
                          Post op lumbar curve: 25 degrees, thoracic curve: 15

                          Comment

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