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  • #16
    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...)
    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

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    • #17
      Susie Bee,
      It is good to hear from you. You are such an asset to the forum.
      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/

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      • #18
        Susie, Glad that all is well.

        Please let us know about your road trip

        Melissa
        Melissa

        Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

        April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

        Comment


        • #19
          Changing spelling of a title

          Cathy,

          I have edited and modified almost all of my posts since I am a fast, but inaccurate typist [guess that sleeping through typing class in high school wasn't such a good idea....].

          To EDIT A TITLE,
          first hit, "edit post"
          second hit "Go Advanced"....then you can edit the title.

          Hope that this helps with your editing dilemma. Most of all, I hope that you can figure out how to decrease your pain.

          Susan
          Adult Onset Degen Scoliosis @65, 25* T & 36* L w/ 11.2 cm coronal balance; T kyphosis 90*; Sev disc degen T & L stenosis

          2013: T3- S1 Fusion w/ ALIF L4-S1/XLIF L2-4, PSF T4-S1 2 surgeries
          2014: Hernia @ ALIF repaired; Emergency screw removal SCI T4,5 sec to PJK
          2015: Rev Broken Bil T & L rods and no fusion: 2 revision surgeries; hardware P. Acnes infection
          2016: Ant/Lat Lumbar diskectomy w/ 4 cages + BMP + harvested bone
          2018: Removal L4,5 screw
          2021: Removal T1 screw & rod

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