11 days post op and I have questions

[Roxjanine]

I'm fused t2 to l2, so far I have been experiencing the following:

Soreness/tenderness all over my mid torso especially ribs,chest, hips.
Lower back pain- I feel strained like there is a lot of pressure on my lower back
Cracking sounds when I log roll in and out of bed. I'm worried I'm twisting still somehow or what.
Constipation, of course
Tightness when I walk, its like I'm being weighed down.
Chills, everyday around the same time I get very cold and shiver. It's usually when I begin to get tired.

I'm on oxycodone, avatin and tylenol, fyi.

If anyone can address my issues with their experiences that would be great!

[Singer]

That all sounds absolutely normal and to be expected. Most people find that the drugs make them feel cold a lot of the time (or hot and cold with chills) -- and of course the drugs are very constipating. I used Miralax every day until I weaned off oxycontin. The feelings of tightness, tenderness, and heaviness are all really common. I never heard cracking sounds with my fusion but a lot of people have talked about it here.

[Marina63]

I agree with Chris. Except for the cracking, I had everything else you mentioned.
Hang in there ^^

[titaniumed]

Been there, done that....

You don’t want to get constipated.....go nuclear if need be.

Get a bottle or 2 of Magnesium Citrate just in case. Its sold over the counter.

Drink plenty of water, and walk. Many shorter walks during the day are better than a marathon.

Hang in there.
Ed

[GOE]

Your'e doing great !!!

Hello Roxjanine -

I am sure the other responses have allayed your fears. I think everything you are experiencing is normal as I experiened most of it as well.

With this surgery you just never know what you'll experience and when but for the most part we all similar concerns at the beginning. I had a paralytic ileus (ie my bowel just refused to wake up after surgery and so had to be sent back to PACU after a week to get an IV injection that got things movings. That ended up keeping me in the hospital for 11 days in total with nil by mouth for 9 of those days . The good thing though was whatever injection they gave me must have been very strong cos it kept me regular from then onwards and I did not have to deal with any constipation when I got home.

Apart from that I experienced everything else you have mentioned.

For me the cracking and popping sounds started at about 5 months post op and totally freaked me out !!! I mentioned it to Dr Boachie at my 6 month visit but he never quite addressed it so I guess it is nothing to worry about. These days it comes on and off but I have noticed that it happens when I have overdone it with walking and my back is tired and in pain. My PT told me that those rods and screws are very rigid so don't get to worried about every little movement. I know I was too. Just continue to practice log rolling as one unit and you should be fine.

I felt all kinds of pains, tightness and chills for about 3-4 months post op so hang in there. You are doing great . Sending healing thoughts your way.

[rockycarm]

Hello Roxjanine -

I am sure the other responses have allayed your fears. I think everything you are experiencing is normal as I experiened most of it as well.

With this surgery you just never know what you'll experience and when but for the most part we all similar concerns at the beginning. I had a paralytic ileus (ie my bowel just refused to wake up after surgery and so had to be sent back to PACU after a week to get an IV injection that got things movings. That ended up keeping me in the hospital for 11 days in total with nil by mouth for 9 of those days . The good thing though was whatever injection they gave me must have been very strong cos it kept me regular from then onwards and I did not have to deal with any constipation when I got home.

Apart from that I experienced everything else you have mentioned.

For me the cracking and popping sounds started at about 5 months post op and totally freaked me out !!! I mentioned it to Dr Boachie at my 6 month visit but he never quite addressed it so I guess it is nothing to worry about. These days it comes on and off but I have noticed that it happens when I have overdone it with walking and my back is tired and in pain. My PT told me that those rods and screws are very rigid so don't get to worried about every little movement. I know I was too. Just continue to practice log rolling as one unit and you should be fine.

I felt all kinds of pains, tightness and chills for about 3-4 months post op so hang in there. You are doing great . Sending healing thoughts your way.

How are you feeling 8 months post op?

[JDM555]

Drink a cup of warm prune juice in the morning for your constipation problem. Best thing I've ever done lol.

[GOE]

Much better !!!

[QUOTE=rockycarm;135578]How are you feeling 8 months post op?[/QUOTE
Hello Rockycarm,

I am feeling alot better than I did at 6 months. Still tend to get frustrated with the limitations and the ongoing nerve pain in my legs that get aggravated with activity but then I compare it to how I felt the month before and see that I have improved.

I had really big curves so the doctor said the impact of the surgery to my body was alot. Its a slow process so it is teaching me lots of patience

[Roxjanine]

Thanks all for the advice. I wanted to tell everyone that I although I'm still taking a lot of pain killers, I have not needed to take laxatives this past week since I began taking 4-6 grams of chlorella(green algae) every morning. I had a lot of digestive issues before surgery, so I took chlorella to help me be regular. Since I have increased my intake and I drink 8 glasses of water a day, I have been regular everyday! So much better than taking those awful laxatives plus its full of nutrients to help you heal!

[LSKOCH5]

Popping & cracking

Glad you're on the mend. A big thank you for having posted about the popping/cracking (someone else recently did as well) - it kept me calm when Jacob came to me an hour ago totally freaked out because his back kept cracking every time he moved his shoulders, even walking. He insisted I text Dr, who replied back that it's inflammation & will happen occasionally.