Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

I am back

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • I am back

    I have been keeping up on everyone by the reading the posts. The pain meds make it hard enough to read, much less post. I am doing fine, as well as can be expected. have lots of support from my family. My days consisits of walking 3/4 -1 mile a day 2-3 times a day and taking a bath. It is surprising how much time that takes out of my day.

    Trying to do little things aroung the house and play games or whatever I can do with my boys. I save most of my energy for them. They have been real troopers. If th house gets a bit cluttered, so be it. If I try to read or watch TV, I fall asleep. Made my first big outing on Saturday, went to lunch with the family.

    Sleeping is still a big issue, I think I still have my days and nights messed up.

    Very proud of Lynette and Laura, sounds like you are doing great. Lets just keep doing what we are told t do and do it to the proper amount of activiity without pushing it.

    Was glad to read the blog about not rushing off the pain killers because I had a bad night tonight trying to quit the oxycotin. I am off the morning dose, but I guess I still need the night does to help me sleep.

    Keep in touch, I will do the best I can. This took over 30 minutes to write in its self, so bare with me.

    Go back to Dr. on April 29 to find out how big a correction we acheived. He is hoping to have done better that expected. I have grown 2 inches. I hear the Rockets (Housotn Basketball Team) are looking for a new center.

    Will ge in touch soon.

    Melissa
    46 Years OLd
    Preop 50 degree lumbar curve
    T10 to L5 correctoin

    P.S. If any of this is incoherent blame the oxicotin, vicotin, and valium.....Not to mention merilax, milk of magnesia, and ducolax

    Can't say how much this forum has helped me, even if I am more of a voyer than a writer. My sister has really enjoyed it too. Thanks for all the support.

  • #2
    Hey Melissa, I'm sooo happy to hear from you. Wow - sure sounds like you're doing fabulously. Boy that's a lot of walking you're getting in, I have no idea what distance I'm walking right now, but it's not as much as you're walking. I'm so happy for you. I feel exhausted most of the time and I'm very very slowly weaning off pills. I figure by May 12th - if my weaning plan works, hopefully I'll be off the pills by then. My body will let me know. As much as I hate having to take pills, I hate the pain more. Keep in touch Melissa, I've missed you.
    Lynette - 44 years old.

    Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
    Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

    Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
    Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

    Surgery April 1st 2010.

    Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
    Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

    Comment


    • #3
      I could not agree with you more about the pain pills. The thought of staying on them too long scares me. the first thing that I asked the doctor's PA before leaving the hopsital is if it is better to stay on pain killers and get in walking and activiites or wean off pain killers. He definitely wanted me to stay on pills and do my walking and strengthen back.

      My only issue is driving and running the house. I have been temporarily relieved of my duties as director of household afairs as I had both my Mother in law and husband arranged to pick up my son from school last Friday. I am pretting much useless when it comes to running the house in my mental state. I fall asleep at about 8:00, but am up and down all night......
      Although my son laughed at me because we were playing a game and I kept falling asleep.

      Everyday will be better. Hard to believe that it has been almost 3 weeks. Lots of freinds have brought dinner, it has been a big help for my husband to have one less thing to worry about when he gets home and has to get to homework and putting the boys to bed, because I am spent by that time of the day.

      Have a good day,

      My mom is taking me for a manicurea and pedicure today so that should increase mood a bit. Gettting a little cabin fever.

      Melissa

      Comment


      • #4
        Good to hear from you, Melissa.
        Glenda
        Age 66 Georgia (63 at time of surgery)
        Bi-lateral laminectomy 2006
        Kyphoscoliosis, approx 38* lumbar scoliosis, stenosis, disk herniations, lower back and hip pain, w/radiating pain, stinging and numbness in legs.
        A/P fusion (T10-S2) 5/17/10 and 5/20/10
        Dr Yoon, Emory Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital, Atlanta, GA
        Pleased with outcome

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi Melissa! Sounds like you are doing great! I think I am too except yesterday over did my walking and am trying to cut back on the percocets. My doc said to dut back on those first before the oxy. I sure do have weird muscles spasms in weird places..like under my left bottom rib and my left hamstring where butt meets the leg. Just out of the blue they will zap me like crazy! I'm using muscle relaxers for that. I'm down to 1/2 percocet every 5-6 hours a muscle relaxer ever 6-8 hours and my 2 daily oxys. At first I was so bloated when I came home, I weighed 26 pounds more than I do now!!! Now I am going everyday and am back to my origina weight. Although (not to be gross) my "going" consists of diarreaha. I wonder if that is normal or med related? I walked 20 minutes on my treadmill yesterday but that was way overdooing it for me, and had muscle spasms in my left leg something fierce! I will be posting before and after pics soon. I grew 2.5"! I am happy I had it done - even this early after the surgery, which is the worst part. Take Care and continue to heal! Keep in touch or PM me if you have specific questions!

          Laura
          Laura
          62 degrees
          49 yrs. young
          Surgery 3/31/10 with Lenke

          Before and After pics
          http://www.flickr.com/photos/13749126@N06/

          Comment


          • #6
            Congratulations!
            36 year young cardiac RN
            old curve C 29, T 70, L 50
            new curve C 7, T 23, L 20
            Surgery June 11, UCH, Dr. Cronen T2-L5, posterior
            Revision December 20 L5-S1 with pelvic fixation
            and Osteotomy to L3 at Tampa General Hospital

            Comment


            • #7
              Sounds like you're doing great. Keep up the good work.
              __________________________________________
              Debbe - 50 yrs old

              Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
              Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

              Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
              Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
              Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

              Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
              Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

              Comment


              • #8
                Good to hear from you Melissa. Sounds like you're doing well and agree with what you say about the pills. Better to build up your strength then start cutting back gradually, than the other way round. I hope you'll keep us up to date.

                Good to hear that all our latest round of patients are doing well.
                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
                  Glad to hear your doing well Melissa!!! I too am struggling with sleeping...seems the meds are wreaking havoc on my sleep cycle as well!

                  I hope your able to come off the pain meds better than I, definitely take it slow....I made the mistake of trying to come off them too quickly and paid a steep price by being miserable for several days as a result. Pay attention to what your body tells you and cut back slowly.

                  Take care and keep up the good work!

                  Rich
                  Pre-Surgery Lumbar 65 degrees
                  A/P Fusion T10-Pelvis by Dr. Christopher Good
                  Virginia Spine Institute, Reston, VA 3/17/10, 3/18/10
                  Post-Surgery Lumbar 19 degrees, and 2" in height

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Good to hear from everyone. Helped with my setback yesterday. Lots of pain, only made one walk and spent most of day in bed. I did re-read the Wolpert book about 2 steps forward and one step back. Also, called doctor for reasurance that it is better to take meds and do activiity than sit around bed to avoid pain. Today will be a better day!

                    Fortunate enough to have full time help until my husband trusts me to stay alone, have cleaned out pantry, freezer, fridge and gottten alot of "projects" done,not total waiste of time.

                    Back to try to get more sleep. Stay in touch.

                    Melissa

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Laura:

                      I totally understand what you mean by the percacet haze. If I am up and talking to someone, I seem fine, but if I lay down to try to watch TV or read the paper, I am out like a light, which is why I called the doctor. I hate the out of cotrol feeling.

                      Just something I guess we have to get through until the pain subsides enough to wean off the meds and still get the rehab done.

                      Good Luck!

                      I am up about 7 pounds since I left hospital, but my proplem is from the other spesctrum. I have tried everything from myralax to milk of magnesia, to duccolax. Also, I think staying up all night may not be the best thing in the world for me, I need to keep my hands out of the cearal box. I have found an affinitiy for lucky charms.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        So glad to hear that all of you recent surgical patients are doing OK.

                        I am getting alternately happy and nervous , glad and scared. My surgery is 2 weeks from today. I just talked with my surgeon today and he said that the night of the surgery I will be up and able to eat dinner,not a steak meal but dinner.Is that pushing it? I am sure that I will be posting a lot during the next 2 weeks as you guys as the only ones who understand what I am feeling.

                        Hope everyone continues to make progress forward

                        Melissa

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Hi Melissa, I hope your doc is right however I can tell you the last thing I wanted to do after surgery was eat....I didnt regain any type of appetite for several days after surgery.

                          As for surgery itself keep a positive attitude and all will be fine...it's gonna be rough the first few days but you'll recover quickly!

                          Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!

                          Rich
                          Pre-Surgery Lumbar 65 degrees
                          A/P Fusion T10-Pelvis by Dr. Christopher Good
                          Virginia Spine Institute, Reston, VA 3/17/10, 3/18/10
                          Post-Surgery Lumbar 19 degrees, and 2" in height

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Melissa -

                            You must be anxious for your surgery huh?

                            I read your post about eating the night before the surgery... The day before my surgery I was told to eat soft foods only and in the evening liquids, and of course nothing after midnight. I had to get up at 2.30am so we could leave our house at 3.30 to be in Baltimore by 5.30! (I don't sleep well the first night in any new bed so I wanted to stay home rather than get a hotel for the night before the big day)

                            That day before I was excited and nervous and really didn't have an appetite so that was a good thing. It's a rare (and unfortunate) thing when I don't feel like eating!

                            Just so you don't load up the night before you should be fine.
                            Take care
                            Julie - 51 yrs old

                            Dx'd 1973 - 43* thoracic curve / rotation
                            Wore Milwaukee brace 1973 - 1979
                            Pre-surgery: 63* thoracic / 52* lumbar curves


                            Surgeries: P - March 16, 2009 - Fused T3-S2 with pelvic fixation
                            A -April 14, 2009 - Fused L5-S1
                            Achieved +70% Correction
                            Dr. Khaled Kebaish, (and team) Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore


                            Standing x-ray
                            New Spine 03/19/2009
                            New Spine Lateral 03/19/2009

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Night before my surgery, I was told to eat very light for the day due to oncoming constipation issues and to take a laxative. Three weeks out, I still have the problem, so I don't know if it was worth it.

                              I did have my sister call dr about meds yesterday. I was falling asleep during conversations and playing games with my kids. I was taking an oxycodone at night, valium and vicodin and during the day. He suggested dropping the oxycodin, and going to two vicodin if I need it. He did say to stay with the valium religiously as this is the muscle relaxer that will keep muscle spasms at bay. Will see what happens in next few days. main concern is taking showers and functioning on my own. My goal is this weekend.

                              Still walking and moving around the house, does not hurt any worse and seems to loosen muscles some.

                              Best of luck to all on a speedy recovery. Any words of wisdom are more than welcome.

                              Melissa

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X