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Two weeks post op!

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  • Two weeks post op!

    Hey All,

    I'm two weeks post op (It's 1AM and I can't sleep...)

    I went in on Sept 15th and my surgery took from 8am to 3pm, I stayed overnight intubated in the orthopedic special care unit. Was supposed to goto step-down room first than to a regular room but I skipped directly to a regular room.

    Next time I'm at HSS I'll...um stay in OSCU longer. Free larger screen TV vs. little tiny pay-per-day TV in general room. (kidding bad reason to want a higher lever room)

    Overall great care except for one lazy day shift nurse. Everyone else involved were fantastic. Also... apparently HSS is where all the nice, athletic male nurses work at in NYC. Got a blood transfusion of one unit on Wed/Thursday because my counts stayed low and I was getting dizzy and nauseous every time PT came by to try to get me walking. Before I actually got the transfusion I ended up tossing my cookies just from taking few steps away from my bed and back. Since I hadn't eaten much all I brought up was ginger ale and bile w/ chunks of meds. Gross... TMI I know.

    I got discharged on Monday 22nd, two days later than planned because my bowels didn't want to corporate. It took all HSS had in their bowel regimen to get my bowels to release... I had bowel sounds right away but just didn't want to let anything go.

    Being home has been OK so far. Have bad hours and good hours. Already had my visiting nurse and home PT stop in and supposed to get a health aid as well for help with showers and stuff.


    Oh and last and most importantly my surgeon got a better correction than we expected and I'm fused from T3 to L3 as it was planned.

    Attachment is the picture of a printout I have - will eventually get a CD.

    3 rods because surgeon's preference was to use cobalt chrome and I requested the use of titanium instead so it'd be less noisy/artifacty on MRI scans, which I need to get at least once a year. Anyway titanium is weaker than cobalt so he wanted to boost the strength to prevent a rod break.
    30 something y.o.

    2003 - T45, L???
    2005 - T50, L31
    bunch of measurements between...

    2011 - T60, L32
    2013 - T68, L?

    Posterior Fusion Sept 2014 -- T3 - L3
    Post - op curve ~35



  • #2
    That's one amazing correction! Congrats on being on "the other side!" Even your sense of humour is intact. I hope your recovery continues smoothly.
    Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
    Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
    T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
    Osteotomies and Laminectomies
    Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

    Comment


    • #3
      Fantastic report for 2 weeks post-op!!
      Peg
      61 yrs old
      75 degree lumbar curve with thoracic kyphosis
      T3 - S1 surgery with Dr. Buchowski in St. Louis, on 10/27/14
      Working on healing in Columbus, Ohio!

      Comment


      • #4
        Your correction is amazing. Best of luck with a smooth recovery.
        Karen

        Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
        Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
        70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
        Rib Hump-GONE!
        Age-60 at the time of surgery
        Now 66
        Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
        Retired Kdgn. Teacher

        See photobucket link for:
        Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
        Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
        tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
        http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks all!

          Overall doing great. My big pain issue now is the never ending spasming of my rhomboid muscles. Honestly, I'm not registering the level of pain I expected w/ my spine. The rhomboids however I can't get much relief from anything. I'm in the shower constantly letting the warm/hot water run down my back to override the spasming sensation. Icy Hot (natural -- only menthol and no aspirin analogues) helps but because it's hard to apply to self I have to wait until either my BF is around or a friend is visiting to have them apply some for me.


          Is it weird I think I can wean myself off narcotics already (if I had to). As it is now I may have a gap where I'm out anyway because I called my surgeon's office too late to have the script mailed in time, oops.

          I'd go jump in the shower now but I told my visiting nurse this morning he can show up whenever in the late afternoon (oops again) - he wasn't too sure when b/c of his packed schedule.
          30 something y.o.

          2003 - T45, L???
          2005 - T50, L31
          bunch of measurements between...

          2011 - T60, L32
          2013 - T68, L?

          Posterior Fusion Sept 2014 -- T3 - L3
          Post - op curve ~35


          Comment


          • #6
            Hi...

            More and more of our patients are off pain meds within a couple of weeks. That seems almost impossible. I'd like to try to figure out why it's that way with some patients and not others.

            Are you taking anything for the spasms? If not, you should ask for something. They're generally pretty effective.

            --Linda
            Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
            Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

            Comment


            • #7
              I'm on Zanaflex for spasms -- I figure if i wasn't on it I'd be spasming all over.

              I think the rhomboids spasming are partly due to overuse. I'm not comfortable in bed unless i'm completely flat so I end up holding up my arms a lot playing on my phone/reading books... So I think just the act of holding my arms up is causing extra strain on my rhomboids.

              Spasm is much better today, after I consciously tried to use my arms less. I guess I need to figure out how to put myself in a reclined position so I don't end up using my arms so much and subsequently straining the rhomboids.


              Maybe the continued improvements in instrumentation and surgical technique is helping reduce pain levels?
              30 something y.o.

              2003 - T45, L???
              2005 - T50, L31
              bunch of measurements between...

              2011 - T60, L32
              2013 - T68, L?

              Posterior Fusion Sept 2014 -- T3 - L3
              Post - op curve ~35


              Comment


              • #8
                Who was your surgeon? I had surgery at HSS in July (fused T9-sacrum w/ pelvic anchors) and had similar experience with excellent care and was able to get off all pain meds (very occasional Tylenol) at 5 weeks.

                Sounds like you're doing great!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by green m&m View Post
                  Is it weird I think I can wean myself off narcotics already (if I had to). As it is now I may have a gap where I'm out anyway because I called my surgeon's office too late to have the script mailed in time, oops.

                  Hi there,

                  It sounds like you are doing really well which is wonderful! I would caution however that if your meds are getting low and you may run out before your appointment that you start to wean yourself off now, instead of finding yourself in a pickle with no meds at home. Many of us have suffered some unexpected withdrawal symptoms when decreasing meds after this type of surgery, and the symptoms are extremely unpleasant. Not something you can just power through. So please consider decreasing your doses now in a systematic fashion so that you don't run out abruptly and land in the ER.

                  Best of luck on your continued recovery.
                  Gayle, age 50
                  Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
                  Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
                  Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1


                  mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
                  2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
                  2017 curves stable/skeletely mature

                  also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I have a new script so I won't run out. I have oxycodone instead of oxycontin so it'll be easier to wean off since oxycodone is immediate release and I can break the pills in half to slowly tamper off as I finish the current bottle.

                    Had some difficulty getting the script filled. Had to be driven around to three pharmacies before I found one that had enough (or more likely willing) to fill the amount. First CVS said they didn't have enough and didn't even want to call the other CVS down the road to check, 2nd CVS only had 1/3rd of my script and finally Walgreens down the road had enough and was the only one that asked/realized I was post-op.

                    I have an inkling first CVS lied about not having 'any'. I moved a month before surgery so I haven't been to any new pharmacy near my new place -- I actually though about going to my old CVS but that was going to be a 20 min. car ride vs 5... I probably should have, by the time I was being driven to Walgreens I'd have been to my old CVS.
                    Last edited by green m&m; 11-28-2014, 07:20 AM.
                    30 something y.o.

                    2003 - T45, L???
                    2005 - T50, L31
                    bunch of measurements between...

                    2011 - T60, L32
                    2013 - T68, L?

                    Posterior Fusion Sept 2014 -- T3 - L3
                    Post - op curve ~35


                    Comment

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