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  • New here - preparing for surgery

    Hi everyone,

    I've been reading about everyone's experiences, and it's been comforting to see other people have made it through this successfully.

    I'm a 22 year old grad student, and I feel like I'm packing the next 10 weeks between now and surgery as full as possible (I'm working 30 hours a week, taking 2 classes, and TAing a Lab section). I will have T4-L1 fused on December 3rd. Classes start again January 16th and I'm hoping to be well enough by then to return to my life. Following surgery, and the week in the hospital, my step mother, mother, and boyfriend will be taking care of me.

    I'm not sure what questions I want answered, but I feel like I have a ton of them. Mostly, how can I best prepare for surgery, both mentally and physically? I feel like I'm keeping myself so busy so I can't think too much about it, but every now and then I'll over react about something unimportant, and I think it's my anxiety about surgery coming through. I'm trying to go to yoga weekly, but it's hard with my crazy schedule.

    Also, what can my "caretakers" expect? I hate imposing on them, which is partially why I'm trying to distribute the workload.

    And specifically regarding the T4-L1 fusion, it seems like many of you have had more extensive fusions. Will having this size fusion make recovery easier or harder? What about movement afterwards?

    Thank you for all of your words of wisdom in advance. It's a relief to find a place where I can learn and vent about this all at the same time.
    2000 34*L/39*T
    2007 44*L/53*T

    12.3.07 Posterior Spinal Fusion T4-T12
    (initially planned T4-L1)
    12.18.07 11*L/10*T

    23 years old

  • #2
    Also preparing for surgery

    My surgery is one day after yours, so I can't give you any advice based on my experiences. However, I've been on this forum for 3 years and have learned so much just reading other posts.

    Today I bought several pairs of pajamas/loungewear with drawstring waists (I was told elastic waistbands would be uncomfortable), sleeveless T-shirts, bikini panties (easier to deal with when wearing a brace than ones with higher waistbands) - all 100% cotton; a couple brands of facial cleansing pads - wet 'em and wipe face - no rinsing required (I'll try them beforehand - may well be that cucumbers and green tea are not my favorite aromas). Thanks Cathie for the suggestions

    I realized while buying all this stuff how much time has flown by - less than 11 weeks to go! And I am starting to have some emotional upheavals - I think this is pretty normal. Fortunately I am very busy with my work. I hired someone to do the yard work and am considering a home health aide for a while. I've given "assignments" to friends: those who cook for their families will make an extra serving; those who don't cook will bring Chinese take-out, and those who don't drive but have a great sense of humor will call me to tell me jokes!
    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.

    Comment


    • #3
      Next in line

      Hi Guys! I'm on the 6th of december but mine is a revision. I'm also a grad student, doing my PhD in clinical psychology.
      The first surgery I needed lots of dvd's as I couldn't concentrate on reading etc. All my tops suddenly were too short also! I used to sleep in a t shirt but then when I put it on after it was indecent! I'm also buying an egg crate mattress top for my bed, as I have heard good things about them on the forum. I wish I had one for the first surgery as it can be a bit uncomfortable lying on hard-ish surfaces.
      Mental preparation, I have been struggling a bit. I went to see my own psychologist to prepare for the surgery. I have been imagining start to finish the day of the surgery to get de-sensitized to the thought of being admitted to hospital and reduce my anxiety. I have some relaxation CD's loaded on to my i-pod also, and favorite songs.
      Something else that I am going to do (recommended by the psychologist) is to start a small notebook with things in that will be useful. One section can be for friends and family with lists of things that they can do that will be helpful when I'm feeling bad (sit with me, rub my feet, talk to me about their day, give me my relaxation stuff), another part is for things that I can do for myself (watch tv, read book), another with things that I can think of when I'm upset (I can do this, it is hard now but it can only get better from here... that kind of stuff) also friends can refer to it too. I thought that people could also write stuff in it to wish me luck beforehand.
      I know this is a long list, you'll figure stuff out as you go along. it's hard for your family too so I recommend the book idea. All the best.
      1994 curve at age 13, 70 degrees, untreated
      2000 Anterior fusion with instrumentation T9-L2, corrected to 36 degrees, 14 degree angle between fused and un-fused thoracic spine.
      2007 26 degrees junctional scoliosis
      Revision surgery, 6th December 2007 T4 to L3, Posterior approach.
      msandham.blogspot.com

      Comment


      • #4
        You will probably want to sleep most of the time after your surgery. Try to do a lot of walking now to build up your legs. You will use them a lot in place of your back. Practice the "log-roll" to get in and out of bed. The hardest thing for a couple of weeks after surgery is showering. Have a person nearby and a chair in the bathroom. I had extremely long hair when I had my surgery and it was hard to take care of. I cut my daughter's hair to shoulder length before her surgery. She was mad but after surgery, she was glad it was easy to wash. If you keep a postivie attitude and work towards a goal of getting back to school then, you will probably be able to do it. Just know that this is MAJOR surgery and you will tire very quickly for several months after. Good luck
        T12- L5 fusion 1975 - Rochester, NY
        2002 removal of bottom of rod and extra fusion
        3/1/11 C5-C6 disc replacement
        Daughter - T7 - L3 fusion 2004

        Comment


        • #5
          I'm glad I'm not the only one who's emotionally out of wack about this! I feel like a basket case some days! I like the book idea. Is the psychologist helpful?

          Thanks for the ideas about what to buy. Are you talking about what is comfortable with a clam shell brace? I believe that's what I'll have following surgery... does anyone know more about what that brace is like?
          2000 34*L/39*T
          2007 44*L/53*T

          12.3.07 Posterior Spinal Fusion T4-T12
          (initially planned T4-L1)
          12.18.07 11*L/10*T

          23 years old

          Comment


          • #6
            Preparation, preparation, preparation

            HI Vndy. When I was in your position, I did a lot of web surfing and found some good lists people had put together of what they needed after surgery. Here's one of them http://www.scoliosislinks.com/PreparingforSurgery.htm.

            A very informative book I read that I gave to my caregivers as well was Scoliosis Surgery: The Definitive Patients Guide.

            The personal advice that I have is for you to make time to deal with what's coming (as best as you know). I've been anticipating my surgery for about 2 months, and while I've been busy with other things most of that time, I've felt surgery issues processing in the background of my mind all the time. There's a lot of it to go through--the gamut of "ow, it's gonna hurt," to "woo-hoo! I'm going to look better," to "oh crap this is serious." You need to spend some time sorting through these feelings. And there are a lot of things you need to do in preparation for the surgery, so leave yourself plenty of time pre-op that's dedicated to taking care of these. Then, aside from those things, leave yourself time to just sit with your thoughts. I hope to have everything in place by T minus 7 so I can have a week to relax, meditated, and think healing thoughts before I go in.

            Best of luck. You sound like you've got good support there to help you out, and grad school schedules can be forgivingly flexible when they need to be, so that should aid your recovery (I'm jealous--I just left grad school right before this surgery came up).

            Keep posting. We'll keep trying to help!
            Age 33
            40 degree diagnosed 1993; 70ish degree 2007
            Fusion to T9 to L5 October 3, 2007 with Dr. Kurt Von Rueden
            Corrected to 8 degrees

            Comment


            • #7
              Vndy,

              There's just no magical forumla for preparing for this surgery mentally -- you just have to feel your feelings til the day comes. I had good days and bad days and when the date got really close, I seemed to get calmer. I walked a lot to get in as good physical shape as possible and it helped a lot with my overall health and stamina afterward.

              The most important items to me post-op were drawstring sweat pants with loose waists (I'm still wearing those 3 months later), and grabbers. You need two grabbers because you'll be dropping them all the time. Also, make sure you don't have to open any heavy or low drawers for anything -- you'll be weak for a while and you can't bend. I also had a group of girlfriends who cooked for us for a few weeks, which was wonderful.

              I think the biggest surprise for my caretaker -- my darling husband -- was how emotional I was for the first month or two afterwards. The anesthesia and the drugs and your helplessness take a real toll on your emotions...I was VERY weepy over the slightest thing but we laugh about it now!

              Best of luck to you.
              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


              • #8
                I think you've got lots of GREAT advice here in this thread. I'm 5 weeks post-op, and I'll reiterate some of what others have already told you --

                WALK! It's a really good idea to get your legs going now; my physical therapist commented how good it was to see that someone had prepared physically before surgery, as it made the post-surgery walking and climbing stairs a non-issue (but note, I didn't have a bone graft taken from my hip)

                VITAMINS. I started taking vitamin A and C, as well as iron supplements, on my own before surgery (and cut out E and fish oil, due to blood thinning properties). Of course, ask your doc about this first, since everyone is different.

                MENTAL PREP. I think nz's suggestions are great, and the book shegiles suggests was a must-read for me. Also, Peggy Huddleston's "Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster" book & cd were great; helps with relaxation techniques and visualizing a successful surgical outcome. I also became very calm in the weeks before surgery- I think part defense mechanism, and lots preparation!

                CARETAKERS. Like Rainbow and Janet mention, it helps to know what your various friends and family are capable of and willing to do. You will need help in the shower at first, so find someone you are comfortable with in your birthday suit. Chances are, your loved ones will just be waiting for the word from you for what you need; try not to feel like a burden, they will be happy to help (I understand, I struggle with this also).

                FUSION LENGTH. I don't know a lot about the correlation between fusion length and recovery times; I think there are so many factors involved in this surgery that it's difficult to point to just one thing. My fusion was T4-12, and so I wonder if the fact I wasn't fused into my lumbar helped in my recovery. I just don't know enough about that.

                Be prepared for highs and lows. You may struggle with pain control, sleep, mood swings, and other things, but just know that it is NOT anything that you cannot handle! I'd never gone through anything close to this, and I am doing great! It helped me, as well, to visualize going to the hospital the morning of surgery, and waking up after surgery to my loved ones faces, and hearing the doctor say that all went well. Keep posting your concerns, the people on here are so amazing, and this website was a godsend to me.
                31 year old female
                55* (day of surgery) thoracic curve w/compensatory lumbar
                T4-T12 on Aug 15, 2007

                MRI, pre-surgery
                Xray, 3 mos. post-op
                Machu Picchu, 8 mos. post-op

                Comment


                • #9
                  HTML Code:
                  waking up after surgery to my loved ones faces
                  Be sure to warn your loved ones that you will probably not look so good immediately after surgery. You will be face down in surgery for several hours, and apparently that can cause facial swelling and other temporary conditions. This phenomenon was something I never came across in my preparations for my first long fusion, and my family told me later that my face was swollen like a balloon, I had tiny pimples on my face that looked like water blisters, and one eye was rolling around totally independent of the other eye! I was too out of it at the time to see the shocked looks on their faces, but we have had many laughs about it ever since. This only happened after my first surgery, but not after the other two - too bad, because I wanted to see it for myself!
                  FeliciaFeliciaFelicia
                  10/24/00 posterior fusion T4-L4 at age 57
                  8/5/05 posterior surgery for spinal stenosis at L4-L5; laminectomy and fusion
                  5/14/07 posterior revision with fusion to sacrum
                  2/11/08 anterior discectomy L5-S1, and reinforcement of fusion with plate attached to L5-S1
                  3/9/2011 and 3/11/2011 revision surgery with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis - complete revision and fusion with instrumentation from T1 to sacrum, one lumbar osteotomy.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Welcome vndy-

                    You are definitely at the right place to get help- We were all nervous and seeking good advice pre-op, too. It's a long recovery, and you have to be prepared to give it adequate time to get well. But, we're all on this path together! You'll find that this is the best place to vent! Lisa
                    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 !!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thank you

                      I want to thank all of you for your suggestions and reassurance. I don't want to spend the next 10 weeks worrying and anxious, and I think that your suggestions about productive things I can do to prepare will help me balance preparation with the rest of my life. I also have been directing the people around me (who are watching me go through this now, and see me the rest of the way through the surgery and recovery) to this thread so they know what to expect from me, and how they can help.

                      Remaining questions..

                      What are your experiences with the clam shell brace?

                      When were you able to go back to working?

                      Any thoughts on ways to make the hospital stay more tolerable?

                      Thank you thank you thank you!
                      2000 34*L/39*T
                      2007 44*L/53*T

                      12.3.07 Posterior Spinal Fusion T4-T12
                      (initially planned T4-L1)
                      12.18.07 11*L/10*T

                      23 years old

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi Vndy,

                        I am five months post op - I was fused from T6 - T12. I feel that the shorter fusion made recovery a little easier - I even went to a wedding 2 months post op and had a nice birthday party only a month after my surgery. I didn't go back to work for 3 1/2 months (my doctor is quite strict on pushing too hard), but I think I could have returned back at 2 1/2 months. I did not need to wear a brace after surgery, so I can not help you there. I wouldn't worry to much about the hospital stay - you'll sleep most of the time, and I was only there for 3 days. One suggestion I would like to make though is an electric toothbrush. It was so hard to move my arms back and forth at that angle to brush - the electric toothbrush came as a great relief. Oh, and gum! When I just couldn't brush - mint gum both easied the grimey feeling, and helped to settle my stomach when it was queasy.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          hi vndy,
                          In answer to your earlier post, I found the psychologist really helpful. I was struggling just to even think about the surgery without crying. Being a girl who has my head screwed on and generally takes things in her stride it was a bit odd to find myself crying so easily. I had 4 sessions with the psychologist and cried all through the first one, and the other ones were more productive breaking down what I was worrying about and putting strategies in place to help. It was good to be able to say all of my fears without having to worry about someone elses feelings, like not wanting them to worry. One of the things that I did that was helpful was emailing my friends and things about what the surgery is, and that I'll need stuff at the time... like visitors to hang out with me and watch rubbish on tv etc so that I don't go spare.
                          I had been feeling really good for the last few weeks, but this week not so good. I went into uni today and ended up before going to class deciding that I wasn't feeling up to going in... too tearful. It was unusual for me to have to leave because I thought i was going to cry... made it halfway out before bursting into tears when a friends asked me if i'm ok. There aren't many people who know what to do, and I don't know what to do etiher. It's good on the forum though because at least people have been there at some stage. For my first surgery I wasn't as emotional thankfully.
                          The thing with psychologists is that you need to find one that is a good match for you, so if the first one you see isn't that great, try another one.
                          After my first op which was anterior, I went back to work (nursing at that time) after 3 months.
                          Last edited by nzgirl; 09-20-2007, 09:07 PM.
                          1994 curve at age 13, 70 degrees, untreated
                          2000 Anterior fusion with instrumentation T9-L2, corrected to 36 degrees, 14 degree angle between fused and un-fused thoracic spine.
                          2007 26 degrees junctional scoliosis
                          Revision surgery, 6th December 2007 T4 to L3, Posterior approach.
                          msandham.blogspot.com

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Not sure about the brace, as my doctor didn't require that I wear one...

                            As far as work, I went back just shy of three weeks. BUT, if you read my post at three weeks (I've been trying to post weekly), I explain that I was back ONLY because I have a desk job, a desk that raises and lowers, a flexible boss and workplace, and a couch to lay down on whenever I need to. I'm working about 6 hours a day, and it is definitely my limit right now.

                            To make the hospital experience more tolerable, I would say that it's a huge bonus to have a person or people (friend, family member) there with you to help you with your one-on-one needs. My nurses were amazing, but the reality is, they have plenty of people to take care of in their shift. If you've got someone there to get you ice chips when you need them, help you sit up, put chapstick on you, hand you your morphine button if you drop it, or any other little or big thing you may need, it's very reassuring; there is nothing like a personal assistant and advocate in the hospital!

                            Like azalea says, you will spend much of your time laying in bed, trying to sleep amidst constant hustle and bustle, and working with physical and occupational therapist. Looking back, my time there passed very quickly.
                            31 year old female
                            55* (day of surgery) thoracic curve w/compensatory lumbar
                            T4-T12 on Aug 15, 2007

                            MRI, pre-surgery
                            Xray, 3 mos. post-op
                            Machu Picchu, 8 mos. post-op

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I would also stress that you absolutely need someone with you all the time in the hospital. ALL hospitals are experiencing a nursing shortage and nurses are all overworked and stressed, and they only rarely will come right when you call for them. I was in the hospital 10 days -- had my husband and a friend stay with me for three days and a private nurse stay with me the remainder of the time. It made a HUGE difference, especially at night when everybody on the floor is buzzing for nurses at the same time.
                              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

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