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  • Leg Pain

    Hello All,
    Hope everyone is doing well. I had a total fusion to sacrum on Mar 1st and I am doing very well. I still have some back pain. I've been able to lessen my pain pills and make them farther apart. I'm back working part-time 4 hours a day. I do very well at work as they are very easy on me. I have mostly a computer job so it's more of a matter getting my fingers back in shape than my back. And, I have to get used to sitting at the computer again. But, everyday is getting better and better little by little. This has been a long haul of an ordeal, but not as bad as I had prepared myself for so I guess that's okay.

    The main thing I'm fighting, and concerned about, is every since the surgery the top of my left thigh has been numb, tingling, etc. I get pain that shoots down the top of my thigh, but it comes and goes as quick as it comes.

    I was just curious if any one else experienced this type of phenomenon following surgery? It doesn't seem to get any worse or better. I haven't talked with Dr. Lenke about it as I have my followup on May 26th, so I will mention it to him then.

    I value you all's opinions and wondered if anyone else experienced this same thing? It's just the one leg at least. Otherwise, everthing else is going very well. I have one spot in my back that is stil very, very sore at times and gives me fits to the major degree if I happen to walk too far or overdo things. Funny how our back can rule out life, isn't it?

    Thanks much for your thoughts on this. I appreciate it, as always.
    Rita Thompson
    Age 46
    Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
    Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
    Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
    Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree

  • #2
    Hi Rita! I'm so glad your doing well. :-) What your describing in your leg is somewhat similar to me...the top of my right thigh around the side of my hip has been numb since my surgery. I get some zingers from time to time where I'll get a shot of pain or strange feeling, but its generally numb all the time. I talked to my doc about it after the surgery and he said it was just from moving all the nerves around and it would come back with time. I have another appointment with him next week and plan to talk to him about it again. To be honest though, even if it doesn't come back I can live with it...its mildly annoying but not a huge deal for me.

    Rich
    Pre-Surgery Lumbar 65 degrees
    A/P Fusion T10-Pelvis by Dr. Christopher Good
    Virginia Spine Institute, Reston, VA 3/17/10, 3/18/10
    Post-Surgery Lumbar 19 degrees, and 2" in height

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Rich: Yeah, I agree. I can certainly live with it. Not a big deal for me either. Just a weird feeling for sure. thanks for the infromation. I feel much better. thanks again.
      Rita Thompson
      Age 46
      Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
      Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
      Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
      Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree

      Comment


      • #4
        Since my surgery my right quadricep has had terribly unbearable pain, and now my shin is hurting too. I can barely move my right leg now and sadly either sitting, standing, walking, or lying down are all uncomfortable. Today the pain got so bad I just cried while I was reading a story to my son. I feel so fed up with it and it made me wonder why the heck I had this surgery in the first place. I spoke to my surgeon who has put me on Neurontin (a nerve pain reducing pill) so far I've had two of these pills, one last night and one this morning, these pills knock me out sleepy and dizzy and so far absolutely no pain relief. I'm just hoping and praying the pain goes away soon as it's affecting my entire life. I also thought by now (maybe it was wishful thinking on my part), that my mum would have been able to go back home and I could have taken care of my boys by myself by now, but I"m not even close to being able to do that yet. Sorry if this is a downer, but I'm feeling so sick and tired of this pain and sick of tired of not being able to do much in my home or with my kids.
        Lynette - 44 years old.

        Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
        Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

        Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
        Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

        Surgery April 1st 2010.

        Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
        Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

        Comment


        • #5
          Your Pains

          Lynette,
          I'm thinking about you and hope you get some relief soon.
          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


          • #6
            Rita, it took me some time to get used to sitting again but once I began to sit for an hour or more at the computer, I also had pains down the tops of my legs, both left and right but not both at the same time. I believe it was something (nerves? muscles?) getting used to that position, which was obviously different to how they were before. After about 3-4 weeks the pain stopped and it hasn't come back.

            Lynette, if you get no relief from the Neurontin in a day or two, my advice would be to ring your surgeon again. It's probably just something getting used to being in a new position, now that you're doing more, but there should be some medication other than Neurontin to help with the pain.
            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


            • #7
              All you guys are still very early along.....and almost done with the toughest part. I had the jolts, and stabs for months. It’s the nerves healing....

              Rita
              I cant believe you are working! You must be doing well! Take it slow....

              Rich
              I was numb for months. It eventually tapers down in time.

              Lynette
              I know what you are saying about not being able to get comfortable. Pretty soon you will start to feel better... I had a 20% improvement bump at 4 weeks out. I took 5 hot baths every day for 3 months for the pain. You hang in there.

              I didn’t take Neurontin, but it seems to be used often....
              Ed
              49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
              Pre surgery curves T70,L70
              ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
              Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

              Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

              My x-rays
              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

              Comment


              • #8
                to Lynette...you had surgery April 1st...? wow, that is so recent....please try to remember how early on you are in healing...i am so sorry that you are in so much pain...but with such a long fusion, i wouldnt expect that you could do much for yourself or your children til you are further out from the date of surgery! please go easier on yourself!!

                thoughts and prayers go out to all of you who are just new to healing from this traumatic surgery!

                best regards
                jess

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yes, it is very early! I had severe leg pain and weakness for a couple of months. I never took Neurontin, but ice packs on the sore leg helped a lot. It's frustrating because nerves heal very slowly.
                  Chris
                  A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                  Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                  Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                  Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I had numbness and tinglieness from my lower back, continuing halfway down both thighs, front and back. As the weeks/months went on, the area of numbness/tingliness grew smaller and smaller. The line from halfway down my thighs gradually moved up, and the numbness on the lower back moved down. Now, 1.5 yrs later, there is a very small area on my lower back on each side, right above the butt where it's not completely, but partially numb. No tingliness left. I had to actually reach back there just now to figure out if I have any symptoms left.

                    I'd say that I was dramatically better with these symptoms within 4 months, and then after that, very gradual improvements. But remember, everyone recovers differently.

                    As a side note, I still have a small patch of almost complete numbness to the right of my left shoulder blade. That area is much smaller too than it used to be, but the numbness doesn't bother me at all. No pinchie pain (used to describe as bee sting pain) there like I had initially.
                    __________________________________________
                    Debbe - 50 yrs old

                    Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                    Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                    Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                    Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                    Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                    Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                    Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Rita, I had that pain that you are describing, but got it day two post-op. It seem to get worse everytime i went for my walk. Dr H said that it will improve, but when he made me walk down the hospital hall to check it, i started to limp as it was very painful. He didn't like what he saw and ordered me some Endep. Just before you google it. Endep is an antidepressant which is used for two reasons in diffferent doses, for example: in doses of 150mg it is used to treat depressive disorders but in doses of 5-10mg it is used to treat limb pain. I was prescribed 5mg in the am and then before bed. The good thing was, i didn't need to have the fourth dose as the pain had gone.
                      Hope it clears up soon for you.
                      Vali
                      44 years young! now 45
                      Surgery - June 1st, 2009
                      Dr David Hall - Adelaide Spine Clinic
                      St. Andrews Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia
                      Pre-op curve - 58 degree lumbar
                      Post -op - 5 degrees
                      T11 - S1 Posterior
                      L4/5 - L5/S1 Anterior Fusion

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Yup,,,me, too. About 5 days post-op I started with THE worst pins and needles pain in my right leg (my incision was on the right side). It was even worse when I stood up. It took about a week to go away. Then about 2 months post-op, I started having pain, couldn't tell if it was nerve or muscular, in my right groin area and down my quad. It was hard to lift my leg to swtich from the gas to the brake while driving and hurt to lift my leg to walk up the stairs. My PT said it was possibly my muscles compressing on a nerve as everything was repositioning itself from the surgery. It finally went away...exercise helped and every now and then it comes back, but not as badly.

                        Have patience as everything tries to get back to normal...the new normal!
                        Kathy, 43
                        Diagnosed as a teen
                        Boston brace 2 years
                        63 degree lumbar curve
                        Surgery August 26, 2009
                        Anterior approach fused T12-L4
                        now 28 degrees

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I also was stupid - I had weaned way down on my meds, too much so as I really wanted to get off the meds, but boy the pain in my right leg was so unbearable, and then my back was hurting, that I realized that I had to up my percocet again. Feeling better in myself since I upped my meds, but my leg pain is still unbearable. I've been putting ice packs on it all day today, still got my walk in but boy does it hurt all the time.
                          Lynette - 44 years old.

                          Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
                          Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

                          Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
                          Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

                          Surgery April 1st 2010.

                          Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
                          Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I am almost 3 years post op and I have a spot on both my legs in the same spot (to the outside and the very top of the thigh) and when I scratch it or bump it I actually feel it in my lower back it is so wierd that it is on both legs in the same spot. It used to be painful but now it is just a strange feeling.
                            Patty 51 years old
                            Surgery May 23, 2007(43 Birthday)
                            Posterior T3- L4
                            Pre surgery curves
                            T-53degrees
                            L-38degrees
                            and a severe side shift to the right.
                            Post surgery curves
                            Less than 10 degrees
                            Surgery April, 2006
                            C4 - C6

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Wow - thanks guys. I appreciate all the information. You guys make me feel lots better. I can't hardly do steps/stairs at all because I have no strength in my right thigh from this numbness/tingling/pain, so although it's a little concerning I will just wait and give it time.
                              Thanks again.
                              Rita Thompson
                              Age 46
                              Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
                              Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
                              Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
                              Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree

                              Comment

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