Hi guys! Here I am, reporting in. Have been on an epic road trip, and am not quite home yet... haven't checked the forum for a few weeks due to internet problems.
I will try to write a little (ha ha-- not possible). Cathy-- first of all, everyone is SO different in how they can deal with the pain of this surgery. I cannot begin to fathom how you were able to do without pain meds so quickly. Our length of fusion is similar and I also had a few "extras". I did not stop all pain meds for 5 months. Again, each of us is different. As someone mentioned, there is the dependency issue, but you should be monitored with your pain meds also. My brother has had serious dependency/addictive issues, so that caused me to worry a little about that and be cautious. Some people even resort to cough syrup when they cannot get other "high" triggers. He has been on everything, but has mental (schizophrenia and bi-polar) and emotional problems that are under control with medication.
My medicines were monitored with my scoli nurse and then later with my PCP and then weaned off with a clear program. I now have an Rx for "as needed" which is very seldom. No problem at all. My PCP says if you are someone who is concerned about becoming addicted, then you are probably not someone who will become addicted. And you need a written Rx and there aren't refills allowed for any of those drugs. How can you mess that up? Your doc would put the kabosh on it.
My scoli nurse explained to me that the purpose of the pain meds were to keep you feeling well enough to function, but not enough so that you weren't in total control of your faculties. There's a fine line where you want to tread-- you won't be totally out of pain, but it will be tolerable. At least that is how I handled it. Does that make sense? And if you are on a med that makes you weepy or out of it, maybe it is the wrong med for you and you need to let your doctor know what is happening.
As I said at the beginning of this, I am on my vacation and the TV is blaring (hubby) and I may not be making a lot of sense. When I get home I want to start a new thread related to this vacation. We will have been on an epic road trip for almost a month and traveled over 7,000 miles. My back has done a fantastic job.
Cathy-- everything takes time. If you would have asked me 8 years ago if I would ever go on a 7,000 mile road trip, I would have cried or laughed or both. I would have been about your amount along then. Take care and know that you will continue to improve each day and each year.
Ed and Melissa-- yes, I am here. (Big smile...)
I will try to write a little (ha ha-- not possible). Cathy-- first of all, everyone is SO different in how they can deal with the pain of this surgery. I cannot begin to fathom how you were able to do without pain meds so quickly. Our length of fusion is similar and I also had a few "extras". I did not stop all pain meds for 5 months. Again, each of us is different. As someone mentioned, there is the dependency issue, but you should be monitored with your pain meds also. My brother has had serious dependency/addictive issues, so that caused me to worry a little about that and be cautious. Some people even resort to cough syrup when they cannot get other "high" triggers. He has been on everything, but has mental (schizophrenia and bi-polar) and emotional problems that are under control with medication.
My medicines were monitored with my scoli nurse and then later with my PCP and then weaned off with a clear program. I now have an Rx for "as needed" which is very seldom. No problem at all. My PCP says if you are someone who is concerned about becoming addicted, then you are probably not someone who will become addicted. And you need a written Rx and there aren't refills allowed for any of those drugs. How can you mess that up? Your doc would put the kabosh on it.
My scoli nurse explained to me that the purpose of the pain meds were to keep you feeling well enough to function, but not enough so that you weren't in total control of your faculties. There's a fine line where you want to tread-- you won't be totally out of pain, but it will be tolerable. At least that is how I handled it. Does that make sense? And if you are on a med that makes you weepy or out of it, maybe it is the wrong med for you and you need to let your doctor know what is happening.
As I said at the beginning of this, I am on my vacation and the TV is blaring (hubby) and I may not be making a lot of sense. When I get home I want to start a new thread related to this vacation. We will have been on an epic road trip for almost a month and traveled over 7,000 miles. My back has done a fantastic job.
Cathy-- everything takes time. If you would have asked me 8 years ago if I would ever go on a 7,000 mile road trip, I would have cried or laughed or both. I would have been about your amount along then. Take care and know that you will continue to improve each day and each year.
Ed and Melissa-- yes, I am here. (Big smile...)
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