Details about surgery.....

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Thanks for replying Cheryl. I won't have to be in the intensive care unit at all according to my doctor. In the hospital that i am having it at ( which is the hospital for sick children. The one in Ontario, not Boston) there is a special unit there where the nurses watch constantly to children who have come out of only orthopaedic surgery. I will spend a few hours there then to my room. Really to think about it, it is sort of liked the intensive care unit with a few small diffrences. My surgeon doesn't have an amount of days he likes all of his patients to stay. He just tells you that isn't a race to get out of the hospital so stay until you are absolutely sure you can manage at home. The major thing is that he wants all of his patients fully mobile before he sends them home.I have two more questions. Was Amber in alot of pain when she woke up and how often did they roll her? Hope to hear from you!

[mumof5]

Amber was on morphine as well as having an epidural. So no she wasn't in pain when she woke up. The next day was when she started to use the PCA morphine. Rolling was very painfull and they would tell her to use the PCA 5 mins or so before they rolled her. They rolled her every 2 to 3 hours day and night.
Best wishes.
Cheryl.

[lrmb]

question for Boo

Hi Boo,

It's great to hear you're doing so well!! Can I ask, where in England did you have the surgery? I am currently in the US but might need to move back to the UK and it would be good to know where you had such a good experience, and what doctor did you surgery.

THANKS!! Congratulations again on getting through the surgery so well
Laura

[Angelwithaflute]

hi everyone,

I decided to look around here today, for the first time in *months*, and see what all is going on.

My name is Lorna. I had surgery in January of 2000, when I was 9 years old. I'm now 15, and can do everything that a normal teen does! I saw your comment, Lauren, about how long you've been told your surgery will last. My surgery was 10 hours long, and after that I spent the night in ICU.
Any questions you have, I'd be glad to try an answer them!

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Thank you everybody! I have another question for anybody who has had surgery. Did you do physio therapy. I f so for how long. Also did someone come and do breathing excersizes as well? Hope to hear from you!

[Angelwithaflute]

I had to do phys. therapy for a few weeks, going up and down stairs. Yes, I had to do the breathing exercizes. you have to blow into a little tube thingie that blows a ping-pong ball type thing up. Is that what you're going to have to do?

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Hi Lorna,
It sounds like I'm going to have to do something like that. My doctor hasn't told me exactly what I have to do. How log were you in the hospital after your surgery? My doctor estimates that I will be there for six days following the surgery. Hope to hear from you!

[Angelwithaflute]

I think that's about how long I was in the hospital, 6 days, a week. somewhere around that time frame!

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Hi Lorna,
Thanks for replying. Did you have an anterior or posterior spinal fusion/ I'm having a posterior spinal fusion. This question goes out to anyone who had surgery, Hoe long is your scar? Hope to haer from you!

[jachar]

Hi Lauren,

My daughter (13 yrs old) had posterior surgery on Sept. 28 and her scar goes from about the base of her neck down past the middle of her back (T2 to T12) and the scar on her hip is a few inches long too.

Jaci

[Angelwithaflute]

I actually had antirior. My scar starts about and inch above my hip, and curves upward and around to about the start of my shoulder blade. It is about 10 inches long.

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Hi,

Thank you for replying. According to my surgeon, the scar will be the length of my spine. He hasn't told me anything about the bone graft ( i think that is what it is called )so I don't know what is going on with that. ANother question to anyone whuo has had surgery. Did you give any blood? I am giving two units.Hope to hear from you

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Hello,
Another question has popped into my mind. How long was your IV in for and how many did you have? Hopeto hear from you!

[Horselover]

Hi

Hi, I have had surgery. I have a fusion and I had two rods in my back. I wieghed about 65 pounds when I went into surgery and i lost about 5 pounds. I didn't eat much for about a month. I was up and walking a couple days after surgery. I was not allowed to have a shower for a month. My stitches had to disolve naturally. I was not on a lot of pain medication because I have a high pain tolerancy. I have had two smaller surgeries since 2000 when I had the big one. I had the tops of my rods taken off because they popped off my spine and where protruding near my neck. And then I had one rod removed all together. Now I only have one rod and I am going back the 29th of November, 2004 to get the other rod out. I was not allowed to ride horses for a year after my fusion. It really sucked. I was told I would not be able to do somesaults either for the rest of my life. But I can still do them. I had a 96 degree curve in my upper back. luckily my lower back was fine and i still have all my flexibility down there. The only part I really dislike about surgery is the IV needle. It hurts. But don't worry. And your back will most likely be numb in places the rest of your life. But that is ok. I am glad that I am not the only one out there that had to go through this. I only wish I had found this place before now. I was 12 when I had my first surgery. I am now 16. I lost 6 inches with the curve and 15% of my right lung. I gained 4 inches back on the table and I have grown 2 inches in four years. I am 4' 9". Things will be hard but you will live through them and be able to handle them. i just hope you don't have problems and have to keep going back.
Keep your chin up.
Kimberley. If you would like to email me here is my address. kimberley_gayle1@hotmail.com(underscore in there)
PS
I was in the hospital about 1 1/2 weeks. I had my IV in for all of that time. mainly because I couldn't keep food or water down. And I didn't give any blood. I just had numerous blood tests about once a day while I was in the hospital. my scar stops about the middle of my back. And I had a chest tube so I have a small scar in my side and I had to have some ribs used for my fusion so I have a about a 6 inch scar from my shoulder blade to my side. I had physical therapy too. It wasn't that hard for me. I had to do stairs and rollovers and breathing exercises. my surgery lasted about 7 hrs and then I spent that first night in ICU. And I see you live in Canada. Me too. I will be happy to answer any questions Kimberley

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Hi Kimberly,
You were twelve when you had your first surgery. I am twelve now but when I have my surgery I will be thirteen.Did you have an anterior or posterior spinal fusion. I hope to hear from you! Bye!