Surgery scheduled - sooooo many concerns

[Rise]

Rise, can you hire someone to help take care of dogs, walk them, etc....
so your husband can concentrate on taking care of you...????

best of luck...
jess...and Sparky, the wonder puppy

Thanks everyone for your replies. Unfortunately, our dogs are simply spoiled rotten so training 'ain't going to work at this point. Walking them isn't an issue because we are fenced in and since their weights range from 22-32 lbs I'm not worried about them knocking me down. The biggest adjustment is going to be keeping them out of our bed.

I think I'm going to take a look at a couple of rehab places and keep my options open. I'll see how I feel after surgery. I know I'm going to want to come home but depending upon how helpless I am I'll make the decision then. My husband is very willing to take care of me and is encouraging me to stay home but something tells me that may get old fast!

Thanks again!

[mabeckoff]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Unfortunately, our dogs are simply spoiled rotten so training 'ain't going to work at this point. Walking them isn't an issue because we are fenced in and since their weights range from 22-32 lbs I'm not worried about them knocking me down. The biggest adjustment is going to be keeping them out of our bed.

I think I'm going to take a look at a couple of rehab places and keep my options open. I'll see how I feel after surgery. I know I'm going to want to come home but depending upon how helpless I am I'll make the decision then. My husband is very willing to take care of me and is encouraging me to stay home but something tells me that may get old fast!

Thanks again!

Even if you go to rehab, when you get home there will be plenty of time for your husband to take care of you

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Rise,

I think there is a huge variation in care available "at rehab." I had my surgery in Portland, OR at the large university hospital, but I live 2 hours away in a smaller college town of 50,000. I asked about rehab and the only thing available to me in my hometown would be a stay at a nursing home --- definitely that would not have been helpful, and probably would increase my infection risk massively! Others mention being in very specialized rehab hospitals where they had excellent pain control and twice per day visits from PT, but I definitely didn't have anything like that available to me. So it may depend a lot on your location and insurance.

I was not in good shape when I first got home, but it was good to BE home with my family.

[susancook]

I was in a large university hospital in San Fran and went to an acute rehab unit of a nearby hospital. I was in the hospital for 14 days, but only walked. I was also really drugged out for pain management in the hospital. The rehab hospital was good, mostly. The qualifier to go to the "acute rehab" was that you had to be able to do 3 hours of therapy a day. At first, I thought that it would be impossible, but I managed and learned self-care, improved walking, and better motion management. I had my first shower there about 16 days after surgery. i had daily PT, OT. I took lots of naps. I also worked on getting pain meds better controlled. They also found that I had a slight infection and was anemic, so took care of that. My brace did not fit well, so the folks at UCSF came down and picked it up and fine tuned it.

My hospital experience was very intense, from the drug management perspective. I remember almost nothing of my 2 weeks in the hospital until I got into the ambulance to go to rehab. Maybe that's good?

I liked having another time to try to figure out how to manage my new body as independently as possible. I also could rest well and access medical help if needed. I did have an episode of chest pain which was only a small area of collapse in the lung and not a blood clot as they thought that it might be. If I had been home having to call 911, that would have been a huge ordeal! (just thought about that!)

Susan

[titaniumed]

My hospital experience was very intense, from the drug management perspective. I remember almost nothing of my 2 weeks in the hospital until I got into the ambulance to go to rehab. Maybe that's good?

Same here....My surgeon warned me a few times that my pain levels were going to be on red line, and that they would keep me out for a few days. The hospital told me that I was on the strongest medication regiment known to man. There is no PCA button when you don’t have the ability to push a button. On these meds, there is no pain, no hallucinations, no thought, no memory. I lost a week of thought. They do have the ability to turn all pain off, no doubt.

Weaning down off of this is not pleasant, and they do reduce. So after 10 days of NPO, no food, hoses everywhere, I was tired of playing hospital and ran home not being weaned to Oral medications. This you don’t want to do. You can wing re-hab, but you have to remember that you want to be weaned off injectable’s BEFORE you leave. I’m the only one that does these crazy things.....

They sent the nurses and PT people to my house everyday instead. They asked me “How did you get out of the hospital, your beat?”

I was.

But that’s ok....Hard chapters in our lives come and go, and it always turns out in the end.

Just thinking about clearing out all that bone, removing all the bad discs, and making room for nerves is something. The relief of extreme lower spine pain was like popping a large weather balloon.

It worked....It took me a long time to get used to being pain free.....I was in pain for decades.

Rise, Do you have a date?

Ed

[LindaRacine]

They do have the ability to turn all pain off, no doubt.

Maybe, but I think it's more likely that you were getting an amnesiac, and just don't remember the pain. :-)

[titaniumed]

Linda, I wish I knew what they were giving me in ICU.

I was out after the anterior and my surgeon had to get my permission to continue with the posterior. They stated this in the hospital reports. He woke me up with a twist of a valve.

“Ed, how are you doing?” “Can we continue on with the next surgery?”

It was surreal...This is what I saw....... Check out the neck hardware! LOL Its very Monty Python having a Roman support column for scoliosis hardware!
(Scroll in)

This would make for some great art work for the scoliosis surgeon. (smiley face)
Ed

[rockycarm]

I've been reading these posts for so long truly believing that despite a significant curve I was going to be the exception and escape surgey. Not! I've had scoliosis since I was a kid and as a child was always a borderline candidate for surgery. (Curve was in the 40's and wore a brace for years - treated by Dr. Richard Ulin in NYC). Flash forward to my 30's and 40's and increased pain and increased curves. Went to see Drs. Neuwirth, Lonner and Boachie. All agreed surgery was the inevitable way to go. I decided to stay with Boachie and take a wait and see approach. Began "training" for surgery by going to the gym and staying fit. Pain was always there but hey, I'm tough so living around it wasn't a big deal. My fear of surgery was bigger. Well, now at the ripe old age of 49 my lumbar curve is 91 degrees (up 10 degrees from a year ago) and with Dr. Biachie relocating in October the writing is on the wall.

I'm scheduled with Drs. Boachie and Kim at HSS for surgery in July. Fusion will be from T9 - sacrum. Help! You'd think after all the time I'd be prepared but not even close! Fear is huge! I've always been way physical despite my condition - I workout, garden, clean, travel and just generally live! I fear what is going to happen to me post surgery and that the pain that is now bearable is going to be replaced by surgical agony.

Any insights that anyone can give me would be much appreciated. The fear of making an irreversible mistake is daunting!

Rise,

All I can say is that I too had surgery with Dr. Boachie in 2012 and wouldn't do anything different. I must say that it took me many years to come to my decision as well and once decided I started to prepare mentally. I did a lot of research on what to expect, how to prepare, prayer and meditation. The day I scheduled my surgery I cried but knew it was a start to a new me as I felt I really didn't have much of a choice if I wanted a quality life in the future. I was 53 years old at the time with 3 curves 2 over 65 degrees. I was fused from T9-S1 and it took me about 5 months to get back to work f/t. It is now 2 years since my surgery and feel great. Do I feel like I did before surgery? No. I do not have the pain I had before but I do have some restrictions. I do everything I did before but maybe differently or slower but I do them. I can't say more about Dr. Boachie and the confidence I have and had in him. I am heartbroken he is leaving but have been reassured by him and the staff that Dr. Kim is the guy. My blessings to you in your decision.

Rockycarm

[susancook]

Same here....My surgeon warned me a few times that my pain levels were going to be on red line, and that they would keep me out for a few days. The hospital told me that I was on the strongest medication regiment known to man. There is no PCA button when you don’t have the ability to push a button. On these meds, there is no pain, no hallucinations, no thought, no memory. I lost a week of thought. They do have the ability to turn all pain off, no doubt.

Weaning down off of this is not pleasant, and they do reduce. So after 10 days of NPO, no food, hoses everywhere, I was tired of playing hospital and ran home not being weaned to Oral medications. This you don’t want to do. You can wing re-hab, but you have to remember that you want to be weaned off injectable’s BEFORE you leave. I’m the only one that does these crazy things.....

They sent the nurses and PT people to my house everyday instead. They asked me “How did you get out of the hospital, your beat?”

I was.

But that’s ok....Hard chapters in our lives come and go, and it always turns out in the end.

Just thinking about clearing out all that bone, removing all the bad discs, and making room for nerves is something. The relief of extreme lower spine pain was like popping a large weather balloon.

It worked....It took me a long time to get used to being pain free.....I was in pain for decades.

Rise, Do you have a date?

Ed

Ed, whatever they gave me made me fairly dysfunctional. My husband said that I would cry and say that I was in severe pain and that I needed something (I have vague recollection of this), so my husband would tell me to push my PCA button. I had no idea what he was talking about as I just continued to cry and ask for something for pain. After the nurse came in, she said that she could not do anything because it was up to me to use the PCA. Another crying episode, and my husband hit the PCA button and I went to sleep. That apparently happened many times.

I will ask for a copy of my hospital records. Should be interesting reading! Susan....what is my name again?

Ed: so you are saying that you left he hospital early to be with your ex-wife? You were on major drugs!

Post Flashback: I remembered the name of the drug that hey gave me: Ketamine. It is for analgesia and provides amnesia.

[Rise]

Surgery July 2

Hi All, I had my surgery 7/2 at HSS w/ Dr. Boachie and cannot say enough about the level of care I received there. Staff was consistently attentive and caring. I was fused T9-S1 and am told all went according to plan. I went home on 7/8 although I was cleared on the 7th I was not emotionally ready to leave the safety of the hospital. My pain is controlled but the sensations are new and sometimes frightening. Physically, I'm told that I am ahead of the curve but again, my head and fear don't easily accept that. If I had to give one piece of advice to anyone considering this major life changing surgery it would be to get into the best physical shape you can. My years working out at the gym have enabled me to get in and out of bed with relative ease and walking and steps are fairly routine (with a cane for support). Similarly getting myself to the bathroom etc is not an ordeal. Best of luck to everyone. I have a feeling that despite good initial progress this is a very long road.

Risė

[golfnut]

Rise,
I am glad to hear your surgery went well. I couldn't agree more with your recommendation to get in the best physical condition possible before surgery. Remember to be patient with yourself and walk as much as possible! Are you getting along okay with your dogs? We have a fenced in backyard, but my two dogs were used to me walking them in the morning and evening. My husband hired a neighbor to walk them for several months. I was never one to take naps or sit around much, but Nicki must have sensed that I needed a recovery buddy and she was with me day and night. Best of luck with a smooth recovery.

[susancook]

Rise, welcome to the other side! Life will progressively get better but expect setbacks. My PT said that my back is just starting to adjust to the muscles being relocated with the changes from the scoliosis curve to being fairly straight.

Try to be patient. Patience is something that I am learning about.

Susan

[Irina]

Thank you for letting us know, Rise. I am happy to hear that the surgery went well. Wishing you speady and uneventful recovery.

[Rise]

Hi Irina,

Is there any such thing as an up eventful recovery? I sure hope so. I think I prematurely tried to cut back on pain meds and boy did I pay the price! It's catch 22. I hate taking the meds because of how they mess with my head but the pain becomes draining and unbearable.

Is this normal? Where should I be at 12 days post op? I still feel so helpless and vulnerable. I've showered and washed and blow dried my hair (with my husbands help) a few times now and getting in and out of bed is fairly easy BUT I feel limited in my movements and am getting very inpatient. Any advice?

Risė

[JenniferG]

I was still in hospital at 12 days! This is very early out and all I can say is "Patience." It WILL get better.

Ed, I nearly lost my coffee when I saw that pic. Holy dooly! Hahaha! You said Yes" to that?