what was i thinking

[nathan]

my name is nathan i am new to the forums i had back surgery on
march 28,2007 for scoliosis. i thought the surgery was going to be
a success boy was i wrong it seen lite i am wrost of now my lower
is still very sore that i cant touch it, my legs go num all the time and
my fleet fall a sleep a lot.when i told my doctor he said everything
look good on the xray but i no something is not right is any one els
havin this problem.

[ge628]

Hi Nathan,

I also had surgery in March 2007. I'll be honest with you... I had 2 surgeries done one on March 5 and the other part on March 12... 5 hours for the first, 15 hours for the second... I have been totally numb in the back from my waist to the top of my butt for all of these months... Two days ago, I starting feeling pain where I've been numb... Is this good??? I don't know... I'm waiting to see how bad the pain can get... It's still hard for me to get up without holding onto something, I still do not turn or twist - I may never be able to... My lower back partially is still numb... I have to see my doctor the end of this month... Take care...

Gina

[nathan]

Hello Gina I Am Sorry That You Are Havin Pain In Your Pain In
Your Lower Back And Numb... I Also Have Pain Numb & Spasm Some
Day Are Good But Most Day Are Bad My Doctor Told Me That
The Numb.. Should Go Away Soon But He Did Not No What Was
Cause The Pain & The Spasm I Hope You Start Feeling Better
Soon Your Friend: Nathan

[HGD24]

I had surgery in Feb 2005 and was numb for a very long time, I still am in the area directly surrounding my spine. I notice more and more areas coming back to life as time goes on.

I started phyical therapy at 4.5 months post op and it made a world of difference. Up until then, I wasn't able to get out of bed without the use of a handrail and I felt that my entire lower back was stiff as a board. After 6 weeks of PT, I felt great!

[ge628]

I'm so happy to hear that therapy worked for you... I'm scheduled for therapy, but lately I've been hearing such horror stories! I'm so afraid to start. What did they do in therapy? Was it painful?

Gina :confused:

[HGD24]

The PT I had at 4 months post op was not painful at all. I started out on a stationery bike for a few minutes, then I would lay on a table and stretch my arms out to each side and lift small weights up over my head (directly in front of my face). Then I would lift the weights from over the top of my head down to my stomach. After a week or so, I started adding the eliptical and some sqats on a Total Gym and then graduated to squats on the floor while holding onto a pole. My therapist had worked with me in the past and was very aware of my scoliosis and the type of surgery I had. I recommend making sure you get a therapist who is familiar with scoliosis and the type of surgery you have.

I did have some PT and OT when I arrived home from the hospital. I wouldn't say that it was painful, it was more tiring than anything...yes, I ached at first, but the end result is worth it!!! A little pain in the beginning is worth no pain in a few weeks! Our bodies have been through Hell and they sometimes need help to get those muscles back into shape...I've had PT done before my surgery for various injuries and I have to say that I swear by it!

Good luck...and please don't go into it thinking it's going to be painful...a lot of times, pain is what you make it. Just keep telling yourself that the end result is worth it and that you can do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better.

[nathan]

i had my surgury seven month ago and my back is still very sore to the
touch is anyone havin this problem ?

[HGD24]

Nathan - Is it an achy type of pain, a stinging type of pain, a shooting pain? I can't say that I had pain to the touch, but I did have a strange sensation when someone would touch my back...sometimes I could feel the pressure in the muscles, but due to the numbness, I couldn't feel the actual touch on my skin. It felt odd at times but I can't recall if it was painful.

[ge628]

Thanks for getting back to me about therapy... I feel so much better after hearing from you... thanks for all of the info... My back also sounds very similiar to yours... The numbness is there but at first I could not even feel it if someone was touching my lower back, now if I touch it, it is like a tingly sensation, as far as where my scar area is, I do not have any feeling there... I have pain when I get up from laying down, standing for awhile or sitting for awhile... It's still hard for me to get up, hopefully therapy will help that... My pain is an achy stabbing pain when I get it...

Hope that you feel better Nathan...

Gina

[HGD24]

You're very welcome Gina. I hope PT goes well for you and don't be afraid to talk with your therpist if you feel the pace is too much for you. I had some fears (like using the exercise ball) and talked with my therapist about he. He told me that for every exercise, there are 1/2 a dozen different ways to accomplish the same result. We just tried things until we found the ones that worked best.

[ge628]

Heidi,

I started therapy and you were right! I kept thinking about what you said. My therapist was so nice and understanding. I will be going 3X a week now for 6 weeks.

Thanks again!
Gina

[jessiflute]

Some numbness in your back is normal. I had my first surgery in 1993 and had a little numbness in my back until my second surgery in 2007. Numbness and tingling in your extremities (arms/legs) sounds like they hit or irritated a nerve while they were in there. You should get a second opinion if your doctor is just dismissing that stuff with no explanation.



Idiopathic Scoliosis Diagnosed 1990
Suboccipital Decompression for Arnold Chiari Malformation 1991
Posterior Spinal Fusion 1993
L2 Lumbar extension and iliac wing post. fusion 2007

[suzyjay]

Nathan

I am 8 months post op and still in pain, the pain isn't usually bad. I had tingling in my hands and arms at times but not now. I suggest you ask your doctor for a blood to rule out infection. I was experiencing severe pain in my right side and legs 4 months after the surgery and found out it was a staph infection from the surgery that was never discovered until I was in that extreme pain.

Sue

[HGD24]

YAY Gina! I'm glad you started PT and that you've got a great therapist! I hope it's going well. Just keep in mind that a the little pains and aches now will be worth it in the end.

[nathan]

suzyjay

I had my surgery six month ago they had to give me a blood transfusion
after my surgery becouse they could not control my blood pressure? can
you get staph infection from a blood transfusion ? what kind of treatment
to they have for staph infection.




nathan

[suzyjay]

Nathan
I also had to get blood tranfusions after my surgery, I don't know if you can get staph from that. I have been on very strong antibotics from June 2007 until the end of Aug 2007. I was off the antibotic for two weeks and my doctor took blood tests and it showed my count was high for inflamation which means there is an infection somewhere. Of course I think the staph infection is back. I just had another blood test today in a few days I'll find out if my counts are normal or not. Staph infections attach themeselves to implants and once they go on your implants it is very hard to get rid of them and most cases they have to go back in for surgery clean out the infection and replace the hardware. I was given more antibotics to take if the blood results come back high again. My choice is to take the antibotics for the rest of my life or have surgery. The the surgery isn't guaranteed - the staph may be dormat for a while and attach itself on the new hardware. If I can I will wait for next year hopefully my fusion will be solid by then and have the hardware removed.
Sue

[ge628]

Thanks again Heidi!!! :) I'll keep you posted on therapy, I'm sore and achy, but I keep remembering what you said!!!

Nathan, I also had blood transfusions in March 2007... 2 units of blood on March 5 and 6 units on March 9th...

While in the hospital, they thought that I had a staph infection, they isolated me, but it was just my body reacting and how my body was healing...

I still have pain and hopefully, therapy will help me!

Talk to you soon,

Gina

[nathan]

hello friends

I just found out the doctor who did my surgery in march 07, is going to retire at the end of this month.i am mad becouse i thought he should
have told me he was thinking about retireing before he did my surgery. now
i am in all this pain and no doctor i am feeling kind of depress i know
there is a light at the end of the tunnel but it seem like it,s so far away
do anyone no a good back doctor in birminghan alabama?




nathan