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  • Is Log-Rolling Forever?

    Do you always have to log-roll after the surgery or you only do it during initial healing? Also, if you are fused to the sacrum, how do you get in and out of a dentist’s chair? Do you always ask your dentist to move the back of the chair up and then down after you get in that chair? Let alone some other chairs… (Women will understand what I mean). I hope there are some creative ways to climb up there after a fusion.
    I am stronger than scoliosis, and won't let it rule my life!
    45 years old - diagnosed at age 7
    A/P surgery on March 5/7, 2013 - UCSF

  • #2
    Logrolling is good for everyone. It takes the strain off of the lumbar spine. At some point after surgery you probably will be able to sit up without logrolling, but if you do, you should use your elbows to assist you.
    Sally
    Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
    Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
    Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
    Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
    New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
    Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

    "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

    Comment


    • #3
      Is log rolling forever?

      Yes, and no.

      I started sitting up rather than log rolling out of bed after about 8 months....My surgeon told me that I was ok in doing this. Log rolling really is an easier way to get out of bed and I still do it most of the time. Positioning yourself getting into bed is something that you have to be careful with because if you lay down too close to the headboard, your head will hit and you will need to be creative in getting yourself out of that predicament. Moving up and down the bed after laying down is pretty much impossible. For a reposition, you have to log roll back out and try it again.

      It seems that many of the motions that I did before my surgeries came unexpectedly in my recovery. All of a sudden I was bending over rather than squatting to pick things up probably due to healing and being lazy....Return to normalcy does happen...I know it doesn’t seem that way while doing a recovery but it does happen. I think it happens when you finally get scoliosis off your mind.

      Dealing with dentist chairs can require some thought, its just something that has to be tackled when it happens. I think they raise the back up for me? I really don’t know anymore because my recovery is complete. I have adjusted and these sorts of things don’t even matter anymore.

      I had all my Dental work done right before my surgeries. This is a good thing to do....you don’t want to have dental issues during your recovery.

      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


      • #4
        I'm 22 months post op and still log roll. I have tried to get up the normal way but find it really difficult and it's quite uncomfortable. This could be because there's a possibility my metalwork may have to come out because I have pain in the middle of my back.

        I have heard though that's it's better to carry in log rolling because you should avoid things that can put pressure on any remaining discs. I always log rolled before surgery too because of pain so I guess it's become a habit
        Fused T2-L4 with costoplasty on 3/11/10

        Comment


        • #5
          I had my teeth cleaned at about 6 months postop and the tech raised the seat and brought the back upright. I backed up to the seat and sat down sideways then carefully pushed back onto the seat and slowly brought my legs over. The whole time I slowly slid back into position of the chair because of the leather-like covering on the chair, it was a lot easier than I expected. Getting out was not so bad, my daughter had to pull me out toward the edge of the seat so I could stand up. The bigger challenge was my annual gyno exam getting into position for that.

          Warmly,
          Doreen
          44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

          Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
          Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

          Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
          2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

          http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Doreen1 View Post
            I had my teeth cleaned at about 6 months postop and the tech raised the seat and brought the back upright. I backed up to the seat and sat down sideways then carefully pushed back onto the seat and slowly brought my legs over. The whole time I slowly slid back into position of the chair because of the leather-like covering on the chair, it was a lot easier than I expected. Getting out was not so bad, my daughter had to pull me out toward the edge of the seat so I could stand up. The bigger challenge was my annual gyno exam getting into position for that.

            Warmly,
            Doreen
            This is a very helpful answer, Doreen. I have a lot of dental problems and dentists love me. Legacy of a former Soviet dental care... Something always comes up and I am sure that I would have to visit my dentist during recovery (at least for cleaning). You have to take antibiotics for two years before any dental procedure, right?

            Another question - when can you go to a hairdresser and how do you handle washing hair overthere? Is it better to just ask a hairdresser to spray hair and do not bother with that thing for hair washing? At what point did you feel comfortable sitting in a hairdresser chair for just a basic haircut?
            I am stronger than scoliosis, and won't let it rule my life!
            45 years old - diagnosed at age 7
            A/P surgery on March 5/7, 2013 - UCSF

            Comment


            • #7
              I got a haircut at about 4 months post-op, and it was fine. I think whenever you feel comfortable sitting that long. I did wash my hair at home in the shower first and went in with wet hair. I can't really imagine leaning back in those awful seats to get my hair washed. My kids' haircut place has a "bed" for them to lay down on for washing. Seems like a great idea!!

              I don't know if logrolling is forever. But it definitely hurts at 5+ months if I don't do it right. Have to remember to tighten those abs!
              age 48
              80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
              Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
              Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
              Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
              Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

              Comment


              • #8
                I'm still log rolling. Sometimes I try to go back to how I used to do it, but I forgot how I did it. Log-rolling works fine. Janet
                Janet

                61 years old--57 for surgery

                Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
                Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
                Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
                Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
                T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

                All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Irina View Post
                  This is a very helpful answer, Doreen. I have a lot of dental problems and dentists love me. Legacy of a former Soviet dental care... Something always comes up and I am sure that I would have to visit my dentist during recovery (at least for cleaning). You have to take antibiotics for two years before any dental procedure, right?

                  Another question - when can you go to a hairdresser and how do you handle washing hair overthere? Is it better to just ask a hairdresser to spray hair and do not bother with that thing for hair washing? At what point did you feel comfortable sitting in a hairdresser chair for just a basic haircut?
                  Correct on the antibiotics. Several days after I was released from the hospital but before we headed back to Atlanta, I had to return for final postop pix at Lenke's office. That same day, I went to the hospital hair salon where they washed/dried my hair. They put me in a regular shampoo chair and used lots of rolled up towels to keep me comfy. I was on lots of meds too but the staff were so incredibly nice. I do remember them saying, "We do this all the time." Such a blessing to have the salon in the hospital!

                  I believe I was around 2 months postop and I desperately needed a haircut. I planned it so that I took my meds right before the appointment and had the next round of meds in my purse. My stylist put me in one particular shampoo chair that laid farther back than the other chairs and I brought some pillows too. I did need hubby's help getting out of that chair and felt very lighted headed too once I was sitting up. My stylist gave me juice to sip on which helped immensely. It was definitely one of my first big outings. We ate lunch on the way home, took my meds, and by the time we got home, I was physically wiped out. It was probably a 3 hour journey (drive time, salon, lunch).

                  6 weeks later I brought my pillows again for a haircut, still needed a little help getting out of the shampoo chair, but it was better than I expected. I no longer bring my pillows with me and my stylist is such a sweetheart; always concerned about my comfort.

                  Warmly,
                  Doreen
                  44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

                  Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
                  Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

                  Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
                  2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

                  http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    You all are so nice answering my never ending questions! Thank you so much!

                    Another chair question - pedicure chair. I think I read somewhere that you should not bend your legs more than 90 degrees. So, when you are getting pedicure, you have to lift your legs a bit and put them on that little step while they work on your toenails. Is that Ok after the fusion? When can you concur that chair?
                    I am stronger than scoliosis, and won't let it rule my life!
                    45 years old - diagnosed at age 7
                    A/P surgery on March 5/7, 2013 - UCSF

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Some pedicure chairs allow you to recline a bit (the massaging ones). I had no trouble with the bending after I was ready to sit in a chair long enough for a pedi. (Probably 4 months.)
                      age 48
                      80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
                      Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
                      Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
                      Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
                      Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Doreen1 View Post
                        The bigger challenge was my annual gyno exam getting into position for that.

                        Warmly,
                        Doreen
                        My doctor doesn't make me scoot forward. He says that is for the convenience of the doctor and is not necessary. So I've had my last 5 paps with just my feet in the stirrups, etc., without having to move forward. Just FYI. I do still log-roll for everything. My surgeon told me to for life, so I will. But then, I'm just fused to L4 and need to be careful of my lower vertebrae. Log-rolling is second nature to me now...
                        71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                        2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                        5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                        Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                        Corrected to 15°
                        CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                        10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                        Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Susie*Bee View Post
                          My doctor doesn't make me scoot forward. He says that is for the convenience of the doctor and is not necessary. So I've had my last 5 paps with just my feet in the stirrups, etc., without having to move forward. Just FYI. I do still log-roll for everything. My surgeon told me to for life, so I will. But then, I'm just fused to L4 and need to be careful of my lower vertebrae. Log-rolling is second nature to me now...
                          That is good to know, Susie. Thanks!
                          I am stronger than scoliosis, and won't let it rule my life!
                          45 years old - diagnosed at age 7
                          A/P surgery on March 5/7, 2013 - UCSF

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Irina View Post
                            You have to take antibiotics for two years before any dental procedure, right?

                            Another question - when can you go to a hairdresser and how do you handle washing hair overthere? Is it better to just ask a hairdresser to spray hair and do not bother with that thing for hair washing? At what point did you feel comfortable sitting in a hairdresser chair for just a basic haircut?
                            I don't recall hearing anything about antibiotics before a dental procedure. I had my teeth cleaned about 3 months after surgery, and there were no antibiotics at all. I then had a crown recemented a few weeks ago after it popped off the second time.

                            The Saturday after my dressing came off (during the 2nd week after surgery), I went to my regular hair dresser and had him shampoo my hair. I see him roughly every 7 weeks. I had seen him about two weeks before the surgery, and I had already scheduled another appointment for 7 weeks later. I kept that appointment (about a month after surgery), and have seen him every 7 weeks since then. He was very careful with me, and it felt so good to have really clean hair.

                            By about 6 weeks after surgery, I was washing my own hair in the shower while standing up, just like I always had before the surgery.

                            -- Mary
                            -- Mary D. Taffet
                            Lumbar curve 27 degrees in 07/2007 > 34 degrees in 03/2009 > 38 degrees in 02/2011 > 42 degrees in 09/2011
                            Laminectomy L2-L5, Fusion T9-S1 (sacrum) with pelvic fixation 01/23/2012 w/ Dr. Richard Tallarico, Upstate Orthopedics, Syracuse, NY

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by mdtaffet View Post
                              I don't recall hearing anything about antibiotics before a dental procedure. I had my teeth cleaned about 3 months after surgery, and there were no antibiotics at all. I then had a crown recemented a few weeks ago after it popped off the second time.


                              -- Mary
                              Yes Dr Bederman requires antibiotics before a dental procedure
                              Melissa

                              Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                              April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

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