thoracic feeling

[theizzard]

I am 7 months post-op and have been doing really well but I am wondering about this feeling in the thoracic region. It gets painful and has started waking me up so that I can't stay in bed. It feels like there is something in the rod region about the size between a softball and a basketball. Yesterday I put my brace back on for the day and it really did feel better after taking it off and when I had it on. Does anyone with a fusion up at this level have any pain or bizarre sensation in this region? The longer I have to sit the worse it feels an forget about when it is cold outside, it feels worse.
avis

[dolores a]

Hi Avis, Sorry you're having this pain, my fusion levels are just about the same as you, I do have a lot of tightness in my thoracic area, but I get more of a pain in the low lumbar area which I attribute to overdoing it especially on the weekends when I have to catch up on everything like the wash, vacuuming, etc. Also I'm not as far along as you. If the brace helped you to get relief, sounds like it might be muscle fatigue, but maybe you should call your surgeon's office. Actually, a couple of weeks ago I had a pain in the upper thoracic area on my left side, it was kind of scary, had it for about two days, now it's gone. Maybe even at seven months you are still going through the healing stages where different areas are still swollen.

[Jo 71-09]

Hi Avis,
I'm sorry you are feeling this new pain. I'm wondering if your new very busy grad school schedule has something to do with the pain. When we read and write we typically lean a bit forward just a bit. Maybe when you are focused on your work you don't realize the pressure you are putting on your new and not fully completed fusion. Could it be that without thinking about it you are relying on the hardware to keep you upright instead of your muscles? As awkward as it is, I might wear the brace more at school and doing homework until you are further along. ...Just a thought. Hope you feel better soon.