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  • 3 1/2 weeks Post-Op

    3 1/2 weeks post-op and glad to be on the other side.
    Surgery went well, I gained 2 1/2 inches.
    I was in the hospital for 15 days, the last 7 days in re-hab which helped me with my walking and also climb stairs.
    I am certainly glad to be home but have had some rough days.
    Lots of pain and bowel problems which are now under control. But don't know for how long.
    My husband and children have been a great support and help with everything.
    Thank goodness my arms are long enough for the bathroom routine and I do not need any help there, don't know if my husband could have handled that. Lol.
    I am walking with the help of a walker and would not be able to without.
    Wonder how long before I can walk without a walker?
    I feel I am not walking enough, but find it very tiring and painful.
    Sitting as well, I can only do 10 min. at a time sometimes not even that long.
    These are the meds I am taking since coming home from the hospital.
    Gabapentin 100mg every 6 hrs
    Oxycodone/acetaminophen 5/325mg every 3hr
    Oxycodone CR 10mg every 8 hrs
    And a sleeping pill at 10 pm
    It does not seem enough for the pain, does any one have any thoughts on that?
    The pain was less in the hospital but had stronger meds.
    Any suggestions would be appreciated.
    Wishing all the Moms out there a Happy Mothers Day tomorrow.
    Marianne
    rotoscoliosis, subluxation and spinal stenosis
    Surgery April 15, 2015 at age 67
    T11-L5
    Decompression with multiple discectomies
    Concord cages @ L2-3, L3-4, L4-5
    Osteotomies and local bone grafting
    Revision Feb.22, 2018
    Replaced rods
    Took out L5 disk to free up nerves
    Used BPM to help with fusing
    Fused T10-S1 with screws in pelvis

  • #2
    Hi Marianne!
    Congrats for being on 'the other side'! It takes quite awhile to increase sitting tolerance. 10 minutes is about right, at this time in your recovery. Use lots of pillows!
    Peg
    61 yrs old
    75 degree lumbar curve with thoracic kyphosis
    T3 - S1 surgery with Dr. Buchowski in St. Louis, on 10/27/14
    Working on healing in Columbus, Ohio!

    Comment


    • #3
      Marianne

      The walker is used as a safety device. If you are sure you wont fall, you don’t need it. Just make sure you don’t fall. I would have a 10 foot walk to the bathroom from my bed, think about the task, and make it happen. Rest when you get there....All our movements are thought about carefully in our early days of recovery, but this will pass in time......Take things one day at a time for now.

      I used ski poles for my outdoor walking, one in each hand.

      Walkers have a tendency to lean you forward.....and you want to be upright while you walk and heal. Walk like a model, with your head up or in its natural position.

      Just do short walks a few times per day.....I was doing 2 houses and back for months, 10 minutes.

      You are seeing how oral meds work....and we build up immunity and it feels like they don’t work well anymore.....Terminating meds should be a goal, and reduction can be done at 20% per week, or 5 weeks total. Some need longer, but I was having constipation issues that were not worth it so I quit at 6 weeks. Pain shot up, but reduced quickly after termination....it was 3 days of pain, and did many hot water soaks in a deep tub. Hot water 106 Degrees F works well for pain. Turn the hot water heater up.

      Sitting is hard....no doubt. So, if you are not sitting or laying down, that means your are standing or walking, which is good. Standing is actually exercise. The main thing is to keep moving. We are just like sharks that have to keep moving.....this distributes nutrition through our bloodstream, and regulates or promotes movement in our intestines. Sipping water all day long is a good idea.....this helps with constipation.

      Having a bottle or 2 of Magnesium Citrate right now would be a good idea.....This liquid laxative is sold over the counter.

      Hang in there....things will get better. Breathe DEEP, and think about how well you will be doing soon.....

      Where in Ontario? I spent a lot of time in the Kingston Area Thousand Islands through the years.....50 years to be exact.

      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
        Thanks for all the good information.
        I have a pair of walking poles they should work the same as ski poles and will give them a try.
        I tried the magnesium and that certainly worked, thanks Ed.
        I don't have a soaker tub so will have to make do with hot showers, they do make me feel good and ready for a nap.
        Did you not take anything after 6 weeks Ed? That seems hard to imagine right now.
        Hopefully I can do this.
        We live in Muskoka, Kingston is about 4 hrs South-East from us. I love the Thousand Islands boat cruises.
        My granddaughter has been accepted to Queens University in Kingston so will have to make a trip down there in the fall.
        Marianne
        rotoscoliosis, subluxation and spinal stenosis
        Surgery April 15, 2015 at age 67
        T11-L5
        Decompression with multiple discectomies
        Concord cages @ L2-3, L3-4, L4-5
        Osteotomies and local bone grafting
        Revision Feb.22, 2018
        Replaced rods
        Took out L5 disk to free up nerves
        Used BPM to help with fusing
        Fused T10-S1 with screws in pelvis

        Comment


        • #5
          I think most surgeons restrict patients fused to the sacrum from bath tubs and sitting on the floor for at least the first 3-6 months.
          Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
          ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
          Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

          Comment


          • #6
            I looked on the map and you are way up there! How do you deal with any medical issues being so far from Toronto? Wow!

            I had a friend that owned Lindsay Island, and would go there and try to recuperate after all the travel.....(before my surgeries) I found a Chiro in Brockville, On and took the boat trip, and car ride up for an adjustment. He was a afraid to slam on me, but the adjustments did help...

            Elon Musk went to Queens.... Kingston is a nice place.....

            6 weeks.....cold turkey. 03/14/08 What an experience. Freezing, sweating, re-freezing, re-sweating, hugging the toilet, that sort of thing. The constipation was one of the most painful things I have ever felt, it acted as a motivator to quit. I also needed my mind back.

            The bath tub should be a deep tub since bending isn’t a great idea after surgery. If its deep, you can straighten out and float....A standard bath tub will not work for this.

            The old style standard bath tub shape should be deleted. It has little ergonomic value and is almost impossible to get comfortable.....mine has a sloping back which is very comfortable and its very deep.

            An easy way to cut back on meds is to stretch the time out between doses......If you go 6 hours, try 7 hours. Keep notes on everything.....Slow moves are easier....

            Hang in there

            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


            • #7
              Ed, we have a hospital in Huntsville and one in Bracebridge, both towns are about 15 minutes away from us. They certainly would not be able to deal with this kind of surgery but otherwise are ok.
              You were very brave going cold turkey, I think I will go for the extra hour between pills.
              Made up a new Med. schedule for this week.
              Brockville is a nice spot, my son and my husband are going fishing there for a few days next month.
              You sure get to travel around don't you.
              It is a great way to spend your time.
              Marianne
              rotoscoliosis, subluxation and spinal stenosis
              Surgery April 15, 2015 at age 67
              T11-L5
              Decompression with multiple discectomies
              Concord cages @ L2-3, L3-4, L4-5
              Osteotomies and local bone grafting
              Revision Feb.22, 2018
              Replaced rods
              Took out L5 disk to free up nerves
              Used BPM to help with fusing
              Fused T10-S1 with screws in pelvis

              Comment


              • #8
                For three weeks, you seem to be doing well. Sitting was a problem for me too. I found a firm seat (no softness) with an upright back, with maybe a slim cushion at the small of my back, was most comfortable. A dining chair for example. It improved gradually. Walking is easier if your pain is under control. I realise how lucky I was with my surgeon and later, my GP, who gave me what I needed to control the pain and when I was cutting back, didn't mind faxing scripts for smaller and smaller doses to our local pharmacy for pick up. I wasted a lot of medication, coming down off my "horse dose!" The high dose of medication meant I slept a lot, another good thing in those early weeks.

                You are doing extremely well for having the constipation under control. Most of us battle with it for weeks. You will be amazed at how everything just gradually improves over the next few weeks. Good luck for a nice, smooth recovery!
                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


                • #9
                  Marianne,
                  The first few months are such a rough road for all of us. Keep in mind that there is a "light at the end of the tunnel". Getting the bowels under control was really difficult for me. We need the strong pain medication, but the effects are awful. Sitting was difficult for me for a long time. I always sat many pillows beneath me and behind me for a long time. This surgery takes a ton of patience! Best of luck with a smooth recovery.
                  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


                  • #10
                    Thanks everone for your tips and encouragement, no one knows better then those who have been through this themselves. I appreciate you taking the time.
                    Marianne
                    rotoscoliosis, subluxation and spinal stenosis
                    Surgery April 15, 2015 at age 67
                    T11-L5
                    Decompression with multiple discectomies
                    Concord cages @ L2-3, L3-4, L4-5
                    Osteotomies and local bone grafting
                    Revision Feb.22, 2018
                    Replaced rods
                    Took out L5 disk to free up nerves
                    Used BPM to help with fusing
                    Fused T10-S1 with screws in pelvis

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi I just want to tell you it will get better. Rest is key. Of course early on the body doesn't give you a choice. Small walks at first many times a day. You will build up strength. Even after 6 years , I still can't sit well. At home I am better but it is hard when I am away from home. I did get a temprapeadic bed and that helps . I also think there is a bit of PTSD with this much surgery. Take care of you. Jackie
                      T10-pelvis fusion 12/08
                      C5,6,7 fusion 9/10
                      T2--T10 fusion 2/11
                      C 4-5 fusion 11/14
                      Right scapulectomy 6/15
                      Right pectoralis major muscle transfer to scapula
                      To replace the action of Serratus Anterior muscle 3/16
                      Broken neck 9/28/2018
                      Emergency surgery posterior fusion C4- T3
                      Repeated 11/2018 because rods pulled apart added T2 fusion
                      Removal of partial right thoracic hardware 1/2020
                      Removal and replacement of C4-T10 hardware with C7 and T 1
                      Osteotomy

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        You will get thru this surgery. It will take time but you will get thru it. You will not be the same person when you get thru it. You will be proud of your self for having the surgery and getting thru it.

                        Melissa
                        Melissa

                        Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                        April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          My experience @ 6 weeks

                          Well Marianne, my surgery was a week after yours and boy... what an experience that was...I spent a week at the hospital. Didn't rush the discharge until I felt that I would be ok at the house. The first two weeks were tough but looking back now I feel that it could always be worse. I didn't dealt with constipation; got a colon cleanse two days prior to the surgery and I think that was my saving grace. I was able to spend 8 days without going since I wasn't eating much. The walker I used it for around 15 days and then I dropped it. The toilet chair I am still using it, not for the height but because of a manner to stand up easier. Without the brace I can take care of my bathroom issues for the most part, but with the brace is another story... Thank god for my husband!

                          I don't take any super heavy meds, or so I thought. I decided to stop cold turkey and it hasn't been fun. For sleeping I only take an over the counter sleeping aid and that takes me through the night. My major complaints relate to a lot of sensitivity around my lower back and hips, but other than that no other back pains... I can't even believe it!

                          Hang in there; always think you are not alone. Today is actually the first day that I've decided to sit after the surgery and spend some time in the computer...I am hopeful that it gets better for all of us!

                          Loretta
                          39 years old, 2 children, suffering from scoliosis since the age of 12.
                          Lumbar curve 55 degrees, 4 herniated disks and 2 small fractures - after surgery only 20 degree curve - Fusion T10-L4
                          Surgery on 4/21/15 with Dr. Gjolaj @ (UM) Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            It will get better! Sounds like you are doing well for right now and that you are recovering totally normally. Be careful about the walker. I know of many doctors who won't let their patients use one because it makes you lean forward and look down. It's very scary to walk on your own, but you can absolutely do it!

                            I understand why people are scared of taking pain meds for a long time, but pain control is crucial right now. You can't be in agony and trying to heal at the same time. There is such a push in the general medical community to get off the meds, but you and your dr know what you can handle. I felt a lot of pressure and guilt to get off meds and know others have felt the same. Pain control is part of taking care of yourself right now.

                            The sitting improves with time. There are lots of plateaus and then big leaps of improvement. You have to wait out those times in between. That was the best thing I was told that got me through the first couple of months.

                            You're doing it! You're healing! Congratulations!
                            T4-Sacrum fusion, with pelvic fixation in January 2015, Dr. Lonner in NYC
                            10 osteotomies, rotation from 25 to 2
                            Diagnosed at age 11 with double curve, 36 and 45 degrees, Braced for 2.5 years
                            At time of surgery, curves were 45 and 65 degrees
                            Chronic back pain, worsening, since age 11
                            Tried every pain management procedure, acupuncture, chiropractor, physical therapy ever created
                            Mom of 2 cuties!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Three month check up.

                              Hi everyone, I had my three month check up and all is well. My surgeon told me I am fusing nicely and cleared me for Physio therapy. I am starting next week. He ordered leg strengthening and core exercises. Hopefully it will strengthen my left leg, I seem to be putting all my weight on my right side. My left thigh is still numb and has that bad sunburn feeling at times.
                              I am still using a walker which I would like to get rid of but can not go to far with a cane.
                              I know some of you swim, at what time were you able to start ? I used to do aquasize and would love to go back to the pool.
                              I have been cutting down on the oxycodone and feel better about that.
                              Loretta I don't know how you stopped cold turkey!
                              I have been very dizzy when getting up and laying down lately, hope that will pass.
                              My family has been wonderful and a lot of help throughout this whole time. I don't know how Ed and some of you could have gone through this on your own.
                              Marianne
                              Marianne
                              rotoscoliosis, subluxation and spinal stenosis
                              Surgery April 15, 2015 at age 67
                              T11-L5
                              Decompression with multiple discectomies
                              Concord cages @ L2-3, L3-4, L4-5
                              Osteotomies and local bone grafting
                              Revision Feb.22, 2018
                              Replaced rods
                              Took out L5 disk to free up nerves
                              Used BPM to help with fusing
                              Fused T10-S1 with screws in pelvis

                              Comment

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