Lumbar Only?

[jrnyc]

am seeking response from any scoli patients who have had lumbar surgery only, & specifically from those who have bilateral pelvic fixation...or any fixation, for that matter..or "cages"...cause it seems so different from upper body fusion in terms of where you can bend from, etc...
i can jokingly call it "getting fixed"..but am hesitating with surgery for november due to fear of "fixation"!!!

any info would be most appreciated...& blessings to those who are healing from any fusion anywhere....

jess(jrnyc)

[Cimbom]

Hi Jess,

I recently had fusion surgery from T12-L3. I'm not fused to my pelvis (obviously :P) but thought I'd let you know how mine went. The surgery went well and it seems like I've got a good correction too. I was completely off pain meds at 6 weeks post-op and have been keeping active although I do get tired a lot easier but I guess that's to be expected at this early stage. My surgeon got me to wear a brace which I'll be in until the 24th of this month. Then I can start slowly weaning out of it. I'll also find out my exact correction then, so I'll let you know.

Good luck with your surgery. The waiting is probably the worst part. Although you'll be in pain for a bit, it does get better gradually. Time seems to fly during the early stages of recovery (well it did for me anyway). All the best

[asccbodypro]

lumbar curve

Jess,

I am not sure if my imput will help you any but here it goes. I had a 50 degree lumbar curve with a 5 centimeter shift of the plumb line. Originally they were only going to fuse the lumbar region but felt that the original curve originated in the thoracic area.

For my surgery they spilt it into 2 seperate surgeries. The first, they went in laterally over my left hip and removed 3 degenerated discs. It basically was bone on bone. They put in the titanium cages with bone graft taken from my spine and added in a bio protein and something else called "peak". (not sure of the spelling there)

Then the following week they went in and straightened everything up. They fused from L5-T5. The reason they did it this way was they were afraid that if they didn't I would lean to the right and of course we didn't want to chance that and have to go back in and have more surgery.

Good luck with whatever they decide to do for you.........

[jrnyc]

thanks for the replies you guys...i guess my big fear is the "fixation" stuff....i have visions of robot style walking like the tin man....the "pelvic fixation" is giving me nitemares & mind changing back & forth..yes i'll have the surgery, heck no i wont, yes i will, no i wont, etc etc etc!!...it's alot to think about while i lay awake at nite!!!

best of luck to you...& continued healing
jess

[dolores a]

As far as walking like a robot is concerned, I also feared my gait would be a little wooden, but now that I have had my surgery and walking as much as I can everyday, I don't feel like I am walking like that. I am walking with caution so I don't fall, but that's about it.

[jrnyc]

congratulations

dolores...
wow, just not even a month from surgery....no wonder you walk w/caution! how much are you able to walk now? may i ask whether you were "fused" at the pelvis or sacrum? cause my dr. says i will need to be..."fixed" as it were....anyway, i wish you nothing but good luck & healing...& thanks for the reply...

best to you
jess

[kt2009]

up coming surgery

I, too, have my curve in the lumbar area (63 degrees) and I am wondering what my recovery will be like. I think I will be fused from L1 (possibly T12) to L3 or L4. I think that sounds right. This is my first posting and I am having surgery on August 26 and I feel overwhelmed! I would love to hear from someone who had a similar experience. I am 43 years old and have 3 kids and would like to know what to expect.
Kathy

[asccbodypro]

Kathy,

I was fused from L5-T5. I have a 50 degree lumbar curve with a 5 centimeter shift of the plumb line which means my shoulders and head weren't centered over my hips. They decided to fuse all the way up to T5 instead of T12 because they were afraid that I would lean to the right. My bending xrays showed that the curve originated in the thoracic area.....I had an S curve as a kid.

I am 2 1/2 months post op and doing pretty good I think. I have somedays that are really good and some slow days. I am weaning out of my brace but have decide along with the doc that I would wear it during cardio and it makes my mother in law more confident when she is doing "our chores" and I am sitting with the baby. Like you I have three kids. They are 15, 10 and 17 months...all boys:O)

I am luckly because my mother in law is staying with us for an extended period of time.....until I can pick up the baby on my own with out being in pain. My oldest son is a great big help and also does very well with the baby and chores around the house and yard work as well.

Coming home after surgery I had my husband home for a month, my mother in law and my parents were here for one week. I have been blessed that I haven't had to worry about the kids being taken care of and also my husband is in the Coast Guard so that makes things a little more difficult but I just couldn't put off the surgery any longer because I have had severe pain for 5 years now.

My goal is to be able to run around and play with my son as he gets older rather than having to say, mommy can't play because my back hurts. I don't want him to have to grow up that way. My oolder boys have delt with it for to long already. They are constantly aksing if they can do anything to help me.

The first two weeks was so difficult for me and I need constant help with everything. You hit your milestones slowly but you will get through it. Good luck and I wish you the best.

[loves to skate]

Hi Kathy (KT2009) and Jess (jrnyc),
I have already talked to Jess about lumbar fusion. I have been fused from L2-S1 at the ripe old age of 67. My Dr. never measured my curves because I had severe DDD with stenosis from L2 down to S1. I didn't even worry about how I would walk or bend since I was in so much pain. I just wanted the surgery no matter what, since I was the next best thing to being in a wheelchair. They get you walking right after the surgery and yes, I walked a little stiffly in the beginning and tried not to bend too much for the first nine months post-op until fusion had taken place. By 10 months when I was able to get in to see my Dr., he told me I was fused and I could go back to my passion of roller-skating as long as I skated on a wooden surface. I took me awhile to get my balance and confidence back, but now I can skate almost a good as I did before I had to quit because of pain. Oh yes, I can walk normally now also. I have done a lot of gardening this spring/summer (when it hasn't been raining) which includes quite a bit of bending and lifting. I have never questioned my decision to have this surgery and I feel I have my life back and am truly blessed. I am not totally pain free since a lot of damage was done to my nerves before the surgery, but it is not a pain that prevents me from doing what I enjoy and the only medication I take for pain is Neurontin and sometimes some Ibuprofen or tylenol. Sometimes when the weather changes drastically, I do have increased pain in the area of all of the hardware. I hope this helps you to know that as Pam (texasmarinemom) says, there is life after fusion. Good luck in your decisions. You both are a lot younger than myself so your recovery might be a little easier. You can PM me if you have more specific questions.
Sally