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Just had surgery 8/11

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  • Just had surgery 8/11

    Hello to everyone.
    I've been registered on here for awhile. My surgery was scheduled last March so I had a long wait. I didn't post but I read each and every post just to feel informed. Much of it helped.

    I had a spinal fusion from T-10 to Sancrum. it was a six hour, posterior surgery. I am 54 years old.

    the surgery went really well. The hospital staff were amazed at how well I began recuperating. they said I was two days ahead of the game. I attribute this to not taking any pain meds prior to surgery and to being in good shape (I swim and take spinning classes). I came home after five days in hospital.

    The recovery so far is very challenging. I'm trying to move positions (bed, couch, chair, walk) several times but it can be hard.

    My question to everyone is how to balance the pain meds and yet not get constipated. I had difficulty in hospital - they gave me a concotion of coffee, prune juice, butter and milk of magnesium - it worked there but not at home. any suggestions? Do you HAVE to cut down on pain med to get bowels going?

    I have found this to be an incredibly helpful forum. I'd be happy to answer any questions to any newbies about to have surgery.

  • #2
    Welcome Zoee,

    Maintaining your bowel movements is very important. I experienced morphine constipation, and..... well put it this way, you want to avoid it.

    I quit cold turkey due to this issue. I was at 6 weeks. That was tough and I wouldn't recommend it. Keep records of medication intake, along with meals, etc. Colace just wasn't enough for me, and at 2 weeks it seemed to do nothing.

    Communication with your nurses and Doctor is very important. The best way is through e-mail. Do not cut any pills unless you ask. Talk to them about this issue.

    I had a bottle of Magnesium Citrate oral solution just in case. That will bust the dam in about 3 hours. This was the recommendation from my hospital, they don't like x-lax.

    I also had pedialyte in my fridge, to add electrolytes.

    A foam topper for the bed, 2-3 inches thick, helped considerably with sleeping.

    You are in the hardest part of recovery right now. The first 3-4 weeks are the hardest. Hang in there.No falls!!!
    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


    • #3
      I took a lot of pain meds and solved my constipation problem with Miralax...it worked great for me. Drink lots of water.
      Chris
      A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
      Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
      Post-op curve: 12 degrees
      Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

      Comment


      • #4
        Eat lots of fruit and fiber. Drink lots of fluids. Eat prunes or drink prune juice. Keep up the meds. The first month is the toughest. Sounds like you're doing pretty good, all in all. Take one day at a time!
        Lesley
        Les, Biker Babe, age 56 (at time of first surgery)
        Fused T2 to S2, posterior only, 8 Apr 08
        T3 fracture repair and revision, Mar 09
        Broke left lower rod and pelvic screws removal, Dec 09
        Scheduled to remove all hardware, replaced everything instead due to non-fusion, Nov 10
        Remove top 2" of rods and screws, Feb 14
        Pre surgery degrees: L40, T45
        Post surgery degrees: L8, T10

        Happy, joyous and pain-free!
        Surgeon: C Timothy Floyd, MD, Boise Orthopedic Clinic

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi Zoee -- I know these couple of weeks are not fun, but you'll soon get to a point where you will feel better and better each day, I ate a lot of fruit (I actually was craving it), it seemed to help.
          Dolores A
          June 4, 2009 Anterior L3 - S1
          June 8, 2009 Posterior T4 - Pelvis
          Mark Agulnick, MD FAAOS
          NY Spine & Scoliosis Center

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi Zoee:

            I had almost the same surgery as you about 2 months ago and we are almost the same age. I took a stool softner, Metamucil, and milk of magnesia at night and that worked. But if I forgot to take all of those at night, I paid for it the next day. I am still on some narcotics but not as many and I have been able to drop the milk of magnesia out of the routine now.

            Hang in there. This is a slow process but overall it gets better every day and soon that becomes a lot better than when you just got home.
            Paula

            June 15, 2009 Posterior Fusion T4-L5
            Thorasic: 48° --> 8°
            Lumbar: 65° --> 8°
            Age: 58
            Dr. Von Rueden Austin, Texas

            Comment


            • #7
              It sounds like you are doing really well for this early after surgery. Hope your whole recovery goes well. I tried everything but it was finally Miralax that worked for me too. Good luck. 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


              • #8
                I was recommended peri-colace, 1/2 stool softner 1/2 laxitive. I'll let you know how it works. In the hospital I had suppustory, and that did it for me.
                (daughter blooging for mommy)
                Sandy

                Thoracic curve was 55 degrees, now 30
                Lumbar curve was 68 degrees, now 26
                Rib rotation was 17 degrees, now 0
                Degenerated discs and sacral arthritic spurs, plus significant spondylosis
                Fused 8/13/09 at age 43 from T-9 to pelvis with iliac screws anchoring hardware to the pelvis, plus osteomies by Drs. Anthony Moreno and Geoff Cronen, Tampa, FL

                Comment


                • #9
                  I have the same problem!

                  My surgery was 8/14/09... 11 days ago. Posterior spinal fusion from T3-T11, bilateral titanium rods and pedicle screws.

                  Anyway, I was in the hospital for 5 days post op and only had ONE BM with the help of a laxative they give me. I have been taking stool softeners 3x a day while eating prunes and drinking prune juice with milk of magnesia since I got home, but still couldn't go. So 5 days after that BM I had in the hospital, I decided to try an enema. My mom had to do it for me. IT WORKED SOOOO WELL. I felt great after. She did it while I was on my side, then I log-rolled onto my back and onto my other side. I waited a minute and then rushed to the toilet. I was nervous about it but it was a dream.

                  I was just getting to the point where I was feeling so full I didn't want to eat anymore. My distended belly was hurting my back!

                  Enemas may be a last resort, but they sure do work.

                  Good Luck,

                  m i r a h
                  m i r a h

                  24 years old

                  Pre-op Thoracic Curve 53 degrees (dextroconvex)
                  Pre-op Lumbar Curve: 33-37 degrees

                  Surgery: August 14, 2009
                  Posterior Spinal Fusion from T3-T11

                  Surgeon: David M. Montgomery, MD
                  William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak MI

                  Post-op Thoracic Curve: 16 degrees
                  Post-op Lumbar: "non-structural and will correct itself over time"

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Zoee and Mirah,
                    You guys were just before and after me by days. I'm doing fine in the bowel dept. I take 2 Peri-colace (1/2 stool softener, 1/2 laxative) at about 10 pm, 2 hours after my pain meds. Don't take them at the same time! Drink lots and lots of water all day. Keep it by your bedside too. I also eat a couple dried plums (prunes) a day, they are surprisingly yummy! I had a 4 day span when I first got home, but since have been regular about 10 am daily. I think the schedule works since I'm up walking and moving a lot mid morning and that gets the digestive tract churning.

                    If you have a lot of constipation you might be better switching meds. I hear some are more binding than others.
                    Sandy

                    Thoracic curve was 55 degrees, now 30
                    Lumbar curve was 68 degrees, now 26
                    Rib rotation was 17 degrees, now 0
                    Degenerated discs and sacral arthritic spurs, plus significant spondylosis
                    Fused 8/13/09 at age 43 from T-9 to pelvis with iliac screws anchoring hardware to the pelvis, plus osteomies by Drs. Anthony Moreno and Geoff Cronen, Tampa, FL

                    Comment

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