going back to work...worried about pain

[peachrush7]

hello all!

I am 6 months post op from a L2-3 fusion. (this was my second surgery in two years, my first being just a simple disceptomy.)

I have been doing really well, after the first three months I really saw huge improvement. I started physical therapy at the beginning of may, and immediately saw my back pain reduce. my main problem before the surgery was terrible leg pain caused by a pinched nerve. that pain has steadily reduced post op, and i was down to one pain pill a day last month.

i need to work if at all possible so i took a great job five mins from my house with people who are totally willing to work with my back issues. my first day yesterday was great but as soon as i got home my leg pain came back BIG TIME. i totally lost it, feeling like my surgery was a waste again, but then calmed down when i realized i hadn't sat in an office type chair in over a year for longer than 20mins. i worked about 6 hours straight yesterday, with only a few breaks.

anyway, today they let me work 3 hours, then go home and rest for 2, and go back for 3 more. again, my pain in my leg wasn't too bad at work, but I had to take an extra pill when i went back to finish the 3 hours.

now i'm at home, in pain and had to take a THIRD pain pill, have been icing my back, and am very frustrated. i have a back pillow for the chair, and a decent chair, use good posture etc.

i'm worried that the pain is going to keep me from having a life after work, which is what happened before my first and second surgeries. can anyone relate? does anyone have any advice?

i've been doing my PT religiously, but now i'm afraid to do them because i don't want to further irritate the nerve that is trying so hard to heal.

i don't want to get addicted to pain meds, and have been working so hard to reduce my dose and was sooo happy to be down to one pill a day.

is it normal to have so much pain when you go back to work? or does it mean i went back too soon? (i just feel like, when will i know when i should go back, until i try it? and it's already SO hard to find a good job, i'm just supposed to quit?)

anyway, i know this is super long, i'm just so upset and worried and afraid i'm never going to get better or be able to work a normal job again. i'm only 26, and i've been in pain for 2 years now, and need some encouragement.
i know you all have been in similar situations, and so it's so nice to come on here and know that someone will relate.

thanks ladies for reading. i look forward to hearing from you!

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

Sorry to hear that you're having such a problem after being out of work for so long. That must be frustrating. I wonder if a job that allows you to spend time alternating between sitting and standing would be better for you.

A one level fusion 6 months ago should not be causing the pain you're describing. You may want to talk to your surgeon about this problem.

Hope things get better soon.

Regards,
Linda

[peachrush7]

i don't think the fusion causes the pain, i had the fusion because my spine was crushing my nerve, making me have terrible pain. my surgeon told me it could be at least a year or more before the nerve could heal completely, due to the extreem damage that had been done to it by being pinched for so long. if i hadn't had the surgery i would have lost the use of my leg, and i was already having it give out on me, weakness and had trouble walking. so i know that has improved, i haven't had the weakness, and my leg hasn't given out on me since before the surgery. but i just thought 6 months would be enough time for it to heal enough to go back to work.

[theizzard]

Hi,
4 years ago I had a 3 level l2-l5 a/p fusion to correct spondythliosis (sp?) and stabilize me but most importantly to get rid of the never ending excrutiating pain in my right calf. As soon as I woke from surgery and was able to put my right foot down, the pain was gone and never returned. I am eternally grateful for that. Since then though, I have had to have scoliosis/kyphosis surgery which fixed the mess that was made in getting rid of the leg pain. Like Linda said, you should really have your surgeon look into this and maybe get some more testing. That's the kind of pain that simple fusions (not really simple obviously) should be able to help and shouldn't be lingering. The back pain that I had after my 3 level fusion lingered and became worse and worse and eventually was one of the reasons that the scoliosis surgery became necessary. MY doc though, kept telling me it takes time and would see me every 6 months for 3 years until June of last year when he looked at my xrays again and said that my entire spine needed to be fused because my scoliosis was so bad. Keep on your doctor. You should be healing and not getting worse.
avis

[loves to skate]

Definitely check in with you Doctor about your pain. I still have nerve pain at a year and 1/2 post-op from having the nerve pinched for a long period of time. I take neurontin for the nerve pain and it does help and the pains seems to be letting up somewhat but it is very gradual and my Doctor says it can take up to two years to improve. Linda's advice about a job alternating between sitting and standing is sound. I know for myself, if I sit too long or stand too long, then my pain increases. Take care and I hope things start to improve for you soon. Unfortunately for some of us it is a very long recovery. Sally

[CHRIS WBS]

Dear Peachrush,

Are you being treated by an adult scoliosis specialist? If you have an S-curve in your spine that is progressing, my assumption is that a truly competent adult scoliosis surgeon would want to treat the whole spine and not just use a bandaid approach to address problems in the spine one vertebrae at a time. This can only lead to more surgeries. I hope you get the treatment you deserve. You’re too young for so much pain.