19 Year Old Male. Scoliosis Progressing.

[JDM555]

As someone who has not had her surgery yet, I have a question about flying.

How comfortable is it?

Now that you have to remain in your seat for a longer period of time, it that going to be painful?

just some more questions in my mind

Thanks for all of your great answers

Melissa

I bet it won't be as comfortable for some as others, but it also depends on your recovery time. I mean, I am 4 weeks out and I sat 3 hours in the theater watching Avatar and I got a little sore, but it was no biggie. No medication. I bet if I went somewhere for a couple of hours, some oxycodone fast acting @ 5mg would do the trick, I'd sleep and be 100% relaxed. But now, 10-12 hour flights, I think I'd have a hard time lol.

[mbeckoff]

Thanks

AS it is getting closer I find myself thinking about different things and how they will be after my surgery

Melissa

[JDM555]

I am still not taking any oxycodone during the day, but I can't seem to sleep without at least 1 tablet (2.5mg) at night? If I don't take it, I don't feel comfortable and sleep through the night, I keep turning and getting up and not feeling really good. But, even if I take a little 2.5mg, I can sleep fine through the night, I might wake up once or something, but at least I can still sleep. I don't know what to do? Has this happened to anyone else? I need a little help and I don't know what to do?

I don't want to take other over the counter meds unless I ask my doctor first, but I'm a little screwed here.

[jrnyc]

John..
how so are you screwed?...i mean...i dont get it...i know you cant take aspirin containing stuff or even tylenol? i think...til the doctor says so...

but do you have anything else to help you sleep...do you take sleeping pills, or would you rather stay away from that...do muscle relaxers for spasms help you sleep? would an oxycontin help you sleep but you dont want to take them anymore?

i went off oxycontin (30 mg twice a day...and i only weigh 90 pounds) and i have more energy during the day...rarely sleep well at nite, with or without pain meds...of course, i havent had surgery yet...so i dont know about how much that interferes with decent sleep...can only imagine how tough that must be...i have had other kinds of surgeries, so i can imagine a little bit...

have you discussed this with the doctor....cause i know you need to sleep for healing & rest & to go to college, etc...

here i am writing on forum at 4:50 a.m. ( east coast time)cause i havent slept much tonite!

hope you get it all sorted out...& feel better every day!

jess

[debbei]

I am still not taking any oxycodone during the day, but I can't seem to sleep without at least 1 tablet (2.5mg) at night? If I don't take it, I don't feel comfortable and sleep through the night, I keep turning and getting up and not feeling really good. But, even if I take a little 2.5mg, I can sleep fine through the night, I might wake up once or something, but at least I can still sleep. I don't know what to do? Has this happened to anyone else? I need a little help and I don't know what to do?

I don't want to take other over the counter meds unless I ask my doctor first, but I'm a little screwed here.

It's only 1.5 months since your surgery--I wouldn't worry about taking one 2.5 pill at night if you need it. But as Jess says, if you are concerned, call the Dr.'s office.

[mixasu]

I'm one month post op. After speaking to the surgeon last week, I cut my meds down to two 8 hour oxycodones. I take one in the morning and one before I go to bed. I get a shooting pain when I wake up on my left side that feel likes someone is stabbing me when I move my left arm. Idk why I only get it right when I wake up... If I get in pain during the day (very rare), the surgeon said to take one 4 hour oxycontin and one tylenol together. So I guess it's safe to take tylenol...

Hope that helps !!

[JDM555]

I really don't want to take Oxycontin again, I'm already off of that, and moved to oxycodone which is 5mg. I started cutting that when I started like I was getting "too relaxed" lol. I was feeling a little, wooooh haha. So I stopped taking during the day and it's fine, but at night, even if I'm not in "pain" I still can't sleep, it's weird.

I will take another week of 2.5mg tablets at night, but I will keep trying to sleep without them, it's hard cause when I don't take it, I get horrible sleep. I can't take tylenol cause during the hospital stay I took percocets and those had 500mg of tylenol, and taking that so much caused my liver enzymes to rise, and I don't want to keep taking tylenol or other pain meds tell I talk to my doctor. I will meet him next Monday (8th) for the Post-Op, probably get x-rays and see my scar and what not, but I will talk to him about my sleep, if I can drive, when I can return to gym, when I can fully submerge my scar in water, etc.

[jrnyc]

John...do you have any sleeping meds...like low dose ambien..or are you worried about starting yet another medication? i know how rough it can be not to get any sleep!

jess

[JDM555]

John...do you have any sleeping meds...like low dose ambien..or are you worried about starting yet another medication? i know how rough it can be not to get any sleep!

jess

I don't really want to start taking sleeping medication. I just want to finish all meds and be able to be comfortable and sleep. I hate having to take meds just so I can sleep. I will talk to my doctor on Monday and ask him what I can do or take, if he says taking low dose ambien or other sleeping pills, I'll do it.
John

[titaniumed]

John

What did your Doctor say?

Ed

[Jimbo]

ahhhhheehh, I am gettin really nauseas off oxy 5mg. I also get these damn headaches behind my eyes, man it is worse than the friggen surgery pain. I am off the things now and am taking 60 codeine/1000 paracetamol. Seems to be working.

[JDM555]

John

What did your Doctor say?

Ed

Hey Ed, I haven't been on the forums lately, very busy with school. But my 6 week check up at my doctors office was good. He said that the wound was recovering nicely and the x-rays looked great. I just have to come back in another 6 weeks or so then at 6 months and all that good stuff. I just can't wait till I get to 6 months so I can go to the gym, I miss it so much.
John

ahhhhheehh, I am gettin really nauseas off oxy 5mg. I also get these damn headaches behind my eyes, man it is worse than the friggen surgery pain. I am off the things now and am taking 60 codeine/1000 paracetamol. Seems to be working.

Off of 5mg? I started getting off oxycontin when I took a 5mg and soon after...I got too relaxed if you know what I mean lol. It was like I was high as a kite and my body had that tinglying sensation haha. So I figured my body didn't need it anymore, so I put the medication away and started taking 1 to sleep (2.5) and then I started weaning off and feeling better and I haven't touched pain meds for the past 3-4 weeks, feels good.


I feel loads better, can't even compare to how I felt before surgery, I feel back to normal unless I bend or twist or sit in weird positions, but feels good. I actually started running, it feels weird at first and my back definitely hurt, but I did run, or I leap up the stairs now, so it's going well I guess. I wanna start swimming.

Doctor said no therapy was needed.
John

[Jimbo]

Yea, I still pop a 5mg oxy some nights before bed as I wake up at 4am with significant pain.

The other day I went for a swim, or more a float, and it felt damn weird. I could feel the bars in my back so much more, and the pressure pushing on my thoracic was making it a little difficult to breath. There were also all these nutty little kids around leaping into the pool and I was concerned one might jump on my back.

I tried to do a little run the other day, and #$%# it hurt! So I continued my shuffle

The worst thing I have done is lift a load of washing I asssumed was around one kilo but was more like six. I was in agony for a couple of days.

Stay well dude

[JDM555]

Yea, I still pop a 5mg oxy some nights before bed as I wake up at 4am with significant pain.

The other day I went for a swim, or more a float, and it felt damn weird. I could feel the bars in my back so much more, and the pressure pushing on my thoracic was making it a little difficult to breath. There were also all these nutty little kids around leaping into the pool and I was concerned one might jump on my back.

I tried to do a little run the other day, and #$%# it hurt! So I continued my shuffle

The worst thing I have done is lift a load of washing I asssumed was around one kilo but was more like six. I was in agony for a couple of days.

Stay well dude

Yeah, I needed some oxy to sleep at night or else I would toss and turn and be uncomfortable for hours and not get a good nights sleep whatsoever. I'd wake up like 6 times a night, I needed anything to take to help me sleep. It was 5mg, then I did 2.5mg, it's barely anything but I guess it helps.

I haven't gone in any pools so far, it's too damn cold lol. Maybe if we go on vacation I will hang out in the pool, doctor said no swimming, I can barely float like you said lol. I bet it would feel weird at first. And LOL @ nutty little kids jumping around and you getting nervous they will jump on you. Kids are great huh? Lol

I didn't chose to run when I did, I was walking to the lightrail and it came early and I was nearby and I had to run to catch it without waiting another 15 minutes (I was hungry lol) so I took off, the gear definitely pounded up and down pretty hard and when I got on the train, I definitely felt a weird, pain in my lower back. It went away after half an hour or so, but it definitely did hurt my lowerback lol. Like someone said, it feels like the rods are pounding when you run. Hopefully this will go away after many months.
John

Don't lift anything, I lifted a couple of things and definitely felt my lower back, I feel like an old grandpa lol.

[debbei]

I tried to do a little run the other day, and #$%# it hurt! So I continued my shuffle

Hey Jimbo,

maybe it's just me, but I think it's too early for you to start running. Maybe check that one out with your surgeon's office?