I'm Home and finally done!

[amae28]

Hey everyone I just wanted to say that I have made it home from my surgery. It was on June 30, and I stayed in the hospital for 8 days, mainly because of nausea and dealing with blood and pain issues. Everything really went as planned though and from what it looked like I have a really straight spine. I don't have a picture of the front xray but I have one of the side, i'll post it later. The only disaster was the first night after surgery my morphine pump got somehow shut off and my nurse didn't figure it out until the dr. saw me the next morning. to say the least it was hell but after that I have felt pretty good, just really really tired. I will post more later, I have sat for too long already...

Abbie

[briarrose]

I'm so glad to hear your home and that everything went ok! The pain must have been awful after your morphine shut off and I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Did you have low hemoglobin?

[txmarinemom]

Yay, Abbie! Welcome back!!

Good to hear you're doing well, kiddo .

[debbei]

Good for you!! I'm glad everything went well (except for that morphine pump thing!) I'm looking forward to hearing more when you're able to post.

Take care, and rest up!

[Susie*Bee]

Welcome to the other side!

Yay Abbie! It was great to read your post! It sounds like, all things considered, you are doing quite well now that you are out of the hospital. Rest up for now-- but post again later when you are feeling up to it-- it's so good to hear of others' experiences! Lookin' forward to seeing those pics of that straight back! Gentle hugs, Susie

[JamieR]

Congratulations on a successful surgery. I am so glad to hear everything went well for you. Hope to hear more from you as you start feeling better.

[ladare]

Abbie,

So good to hear you are home! I had my surgery on 7/3, but in hospital five days, so I think we both came home the same day (7/7). Doesn't if feel wonderful to be home!!! I find I have one good day, one not so good day...and the pattern repeats. I think on the good days I do a little too much, so I'm trying to be more mindful of not overdoing. Yesterday, as I was setting down a plate, I hit a glass and it started to tip, so my natural response was to grab the glass....ouch.... I don't have a brace to help support my back. It really didn't feel very good, but I feel ok today. I will be praying for a steady, strong recovery for you. I totally understand the "I have sat long enough already". Me too for now. I look forward to following your progress. BTW, what was your fusion level?

Blessings,

Lisa

[amae28]

Ladare- my fusion as far as i know was from T3-L1, but I am missing a lumbar vertebrae so it is almost like i had it to L2.

Anyways, thanks for the responses. My main obstacle right now is trying to eat enough. I have no appetite whatsoever but we bought some ensure and I've been trying to drink that at least.

I have a question for anyone- right now we have a bed set up for me in our living room so that I can lay down downstairs during the day. The thing is, it still takes someone else to help me get comfortable and arrange pillows behind my back or straighten me out... stuff like that. I also have to call my mom like 3 times a night to come help me turn over because I get sore laying on my side or back for too long. My question is how am I supposed to transition being able to turn myself over and make myself comfortable? In about 5 weeks I am not going to be at home anymore and back at school in an apartment with a roommate that really doesn't understand what I had done. Any advice????

here is a link that might work of my before/after pics... i don't have my xrays yet, there's a whole album of pics there but i think you might have to take a sec and make a facebook account to see it, i will try and put them somewhere else when i feel up to it:
before/after

[Susie*Bee]

Loved the pics, Abbie! Your new back looks SUPER!

[Qikdraw]

By the time you get to school I think you'll be fine to turn over on your own. You still need to be careful in what you are doing, because your back is still healing. But overall I think you'll be up and around and doing most things you need to be doing.

Brad

[Ginger W.]

I agree with Brad. I was amazed at the differences between Week 2 and 3. Then, between Week 3 and 4. I think you won't have any problems with changing positions in the bed.

I'm a "mature" woman and needed a lot of help during the first two weeks, but things really tapered off. My god-daughter was living with me until the end of the 3rd week and then my daughter and her husband were planning to move it. Well, I assessed the situation and realized I didn't need them. For me, I made the right decision.

[Sharshe]

Little by little you'll be able to reposition easier. I still have some problems laying on my left side so I do that during the day when I rest so I can pay more attention to how I move. It all just takes time...good luck

[ladare]

Abbie, I do believe that you will be able to move quite well by the time you get to school. For now, as for shifting from back to either side in bed, I wear satin pj's, and have put a piece of satin fabric on top of my bottom bed sheet. You can grab the satin with your hands and really easily slide your body side to side. Well, at least I can with my fusion that starts at T10. Since yours is starts quite a bit higher, maybe this won't work for you, but you might want to give it a try. I only lay down in bed, and sit up in a chair. As for sitting in the chair, I leave the extra back pillows where I need them, and occasionally fluff them before I sit down. And I have two pillows on a table next to the chair that I can grab and reinforce my sides once I'm sitting. It took a while to figure out the routine, but it works. Again, we do have different fusions, so what works for me may not work for you, but maybe you can gleen some ideas from it. And I agree with other comments, each week will get better.

Take good care,

Lisa

[Louisse]

Hi Abbie
So glad to hear you are home - good luck for your recovery. Fantastic pics by the way - thanks for sharing.
I'm looking forward to reading more of your recovery soon.
Take Care - glad you got the pillow routine sorted, from what I read, I better get stocked up!!!
Louisse

[txmarinemom]

Abbie,

I really think you'll be a lot further along than you think by 5 weeks, and as others have said, that 3 week mark really is kind of magical ...

Even recovering solo, I found by 1-2 weeks home, things were getting MUCH easier.

Hang in there! BTW, your back looks fantastic, dah-link!

Regards,
Pam