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I need to know it anyone has experienced this and for how long< please!

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  • I need to know it anyone has experienced this and for how long< please!

    Hi, everyone. I am starting to get very concerned about how difficult it is for me to walk. I am 13 weeks post op. I usually start out pretty well. Then when I get busier I start leaning forward when I walk and CONSTANTLY have to force myself up straight. This causes significant tightness in my shoulders. I also tend to walk swaying side to side at times while sticking my l foot out to the side. HAS ANYONE EVER BEEN THROUGH THIS AND WILL IT EVER GET BETTER WITHOUT FURTHER SURGERY! Please tell me I need to know this. I am starting to get extremely concerned and I believe my Dr was too when I saw him 2 weeks ago. He ordered me more therapy and suggested stretches and exercises. He said he wants to see me in 3 months when he would normally wait 6 months. Do you all think I should be concerned that I have a sagital imbalance? Or is it too soon in my recovery an I need to be more patient? I am fused T2-L5. Please, please let me know if you have experienced this and have improved. I otherwise feel very well and can accomplish anything I want to. However, I do not want to be stuck with this handicap the rest of my life. I am a young lady and should not walk like I am 80! Thank you for any input. I need a lot. Thank you!!!!!
    Janet
    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

  • #2
    Janet

    I have not had any sagittal issues. I remember having had a "slight" feeling of leaning forward when I was 3 months, and it eventually worked itself out. Give the therapy a try, your still healing and are still early....It takes a long time to fully heal from one of these...Concentrate on walking erect ALL the time. Your muscles need to be re-trained and built up again.

    There are some of us who do have to have this issue repaired. Sharon is having Dr Menmuir work on her in October. I do know that surgeons are not too keen about revision surgeries too early......

    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
      Thanks Ed. I appreciate such a quick response. I do try to constantly stand/walk erect, unfortunately it causes sooo much tension in my shoulders. I just have to keep plugging along and I hope my Dr is not thinking I will need a revision as well as myself. I have used all my sick time and will take a long time to accumulate more unfortunately. My boss does have empathy for me and is surprised I returned to work so soon. I told her I am a tough one but feeling down on myself at the moment.
      Thanks again!
      Janet
      Last edited by jsully; 09-13-2010, 08:52 PM. Reason: wine induced typing
      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


      • #4
        Reason: wine induced typing
        Your intact sense of humor will take you far, young lady! Doesn't even seem to have needed stitching and mending!
        Thanks for the chuckle.

        (Erm, no connection to your thread question, I am sure...?
        I also tend to walk swaying side to side at times
        JK )

        Wish I could help w/your inquiry but as a preoperative noob, naturally not.
        Hope you get lots of reassurance, though.

        One thing is clear, though. It's too early to know for sure you're dealing w/bad news - right? So why NOT work on assuming the best? It can't hurt, while assuming the worst - CAN!

        If it IS going to work it's way out, well, you won't have wasted time being miserable for nothing. OTOH if G forbid it IS a problem, you've already been doing your damndest to make sure you stay healthy and happy in every way you can. Results - you're as ready as possible for hell OR high water!
        You have a choice of which "AS IF" to accept as a working hypothesis.

        I'm a fine one to talk, but "preparatory anxiety" really doesn't work.

        (And that wine IMO is a fine idea).
        Not all diagnosed (still having tests and consults) but so far:
        Ehler-Danlos (hyper-mobility) syndrome, 69 - somehow,
        main curve L Cobb 60, compensating T curve ~ 30
        Flat back, marked lumbar kyphosis (grade?) Spondilolisthesis - everyone gives this a different grade too. Cervical stenosis op'd 3-07, minimally invasive

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks for the laugh. You are right. This forum helps in many ways. Also, hurts in many ways by possibly rising necessary suspicions.
          Thanks,
          Janet
          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


          • #6
            I think of you, JennyRN, and JenM as the "June J's" since you three all had June surgeries . All of you have really been through "the ringer" with your surgeries....infection, on-going neck/shoulder pain, and now your concerns about saggital balance. I think about you 3 all the time and hope that things improve for all of you SOON.

            I know it's hard, but try not to freak yourself out too much. Have you actually seen a lateral x-Ray yet and looked at the plumb line with your surgeon? I hope your concerns are muscle issues that will work themselves out.
            Kathy
            46 yrs at surgery, now 50
            71 degree thoracolumbar curve corrected to 34 degrees
            8/2/2010 surgery with Dr. Lenke

            posterior T9 to sacrum with pelvic fixation

            4 osteotomies and 1 cage
            http://s1066.photobucket.com/albums/...athK_08022010/

            Comment


            • #7
              I did look at the lateral X-Ray. I was standing up super straight for the picture. I am wondering if I should have stood more natural.
              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


              • #8
                Just wanted to say Good Luck

                Sorry to hear of your issues. I loved the wine induced joke!!!!!
                It's sorry hard to deal with the anxiety when you see and or feel it daily.
                Try to stay out of your head and push the negative thoughts away as they arrive! I can't believe how hard it was to push my concerns out of the way. But eventually I got it through a cocktail mix of healthy things. Don't let the anxiety control you. It helped so much to have a packed calendar so that I wouldn't need to obcess because I had a distraction or distractions. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Janet,
                  There is nothing you can do at this moment but concentrate on your recovery. If revision (lets hope not) is in your future, it will not be done until your fusion is complete. You are still early, things that seem like they might be forever, eventually do go away. Next time you get an xray taken, this is how I was always told to stand. Knees locked, arms out in front folded. Before my revision when I wasn't able to stand up straight, if I was told to lock my knees I would pitch forward.
                  I know your anxiety, you want answers now. Keep us updated on your progress...
                  May 2008 Fusion T4 - S1, Pre-op Curves T45, L70 (age 48). Unsuccessful surgery.

                  March 18, 2010 (age 50). Revision with L3 Osteotomy, Replacement of hardware T11 - S1 , addition of bilateral pelvic fixation. Correction of sagittal imbalance and kyphosis.

                  January 24, 2012 (age 52) Revision to repair pseudoarthrosis and 2 broken rods at L3/L4.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I have the same thing at 13 wks.!

                    HI jsully, I have the very same thing and I am at 13 weeks. I see one of the surgeons this Friday. But the thing is I can start out alright walking then after I walk for a little bit it starts! I start to bend forward and I also have the one foot that sticks out to the side. And when I try to pull myself up and back , my shoulders tighten up. All this causes pain for me. Oh and I sway side to side also. And it seems my pelvic bone sticks out in front too far when I pull myself up and back. I keep telling myself this is normal and its muscle tissue. But my Drs.
                    (surgeons)won't let me start physical therapy till I am 6 mo. out. Its hard to not be anxious when I read about others that walk alright. But I will just have to see what happens. I wonder if it's sagittal imbalance, how big of surgery it is to correct it.? I don't know if I can take another surgery. "naptown78" had revision surgery for sagittal imbalance. Keep us posted on your progress and I will try to do the same. babyboomer16
                    Linda Brozik~~60 yrs. old at time of Lenke's first surgery. 62 now!
                    Surgery 2006 L3/4 L4/5 double fusion/ instumentation/ With 2 cages
                    This started adult onset scoliosis
                    July 1st, 2010/ surgery ~~fused T10 to pelvis (long rods/ screws)
                    Oct.20th 2010, extended rods to T4 / did osteotomy at L3
                    Oct. 29th 2012 Dr. Lenke St. Louis Mo. T4 to sacrum osteotomy anterior cage L3/4 titanium rods
                    May 30th 2013 revision
                    May 8th cervicle surgery 2016
                    May 31st Dr. Gupta revision 2017

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by babyboomer16 View Post
                      HI jsully, I have the very same thing and I am at 13 weeks. I see one of the surgeons this Friday. But the thing is I can start out alright walking then after I walk for a little bit it starts! I start to bend forward and I also have the one foot that sticks out to the side. And when I try to pull myself up and back , my shoulders tighten up. All this causes pain for me. Oh and I sway side to side also. And it seems my pelvic bone sticks out in front too far when I pull myself up and back. I keep telling myself this is normal and its muscle tissue. But my Drs.
                      (surgeons)won't let me start physical therapy till I am 6 mo. out. Its hard to not be anxious when I read about others that walk alright. But I will just have to see what happens. I wonder if it's sagittal imbalance, how big of surgery it is to correct it.? I don't know if I can take another surgery. "naptown78" had revision surgery for sagittal imbalance. Keep us posted on your progress and I will try to do the same. babyboomer16
                      babyboomer, this is EXACTLY to a T the exact SAME thing I am experiencing. At least I am not the only one. We are about the same distance "along". Hopefully our bodies are STILL adjusting. I have been doing PT since 6 weeks post and it helps some. What are your fusion levels??? I am T2-L5. I am very interested to know.
                      Janet
                      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


                      • #12
                        I also find myself leaning forward as the day goes on or if I've been on my feet for any length of time. I've noticed that if I walk with my hands on my hips, that helps me stand up straighter. I don't think I've noticed my feet doing anything different, but my mother has always told me I waddle like a duck when I walk...just like my Dad did!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          In the early days, people wpuld sometimes tell me that i was leaning forward and i noticed it was always in the afternoon. I just put it down to, the muscles being tired. As the muscles get stronger, you should see an improvement. (Just my opinion)
                          Vali
                          44 years young! now 45
                          Surgery - June 1st, 2009
                          Dr David Hall - Adelaide Spine Clinic
                          St. Andrews Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia
                          Pre-op curve - 58 degree lumbar
                          Post -op - 5 degrees
                          T11 - S1 Posterior
                          L4/5 - L5/S1 Anterior Fusion

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Today shoulders are feeling better. Now my lower back below my fusion has been hurting for about 3 days. Most likely this is the disk I "saved" and didn't get fused. Right now I feel like I can't win. Work is going good today except for the low back pain. Thanks everyone.
                            Janet
                            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


                            • #15
                              Glad your shoulders are feeling better.

                              Re your lower back. Have you tried cushions to alter the way you sit in your chair at work? It's probably a daft question - you probably did this from day 1but I remember pre-op, the way I sat in a chair determined my lower back pain. If I positioned the cushions so that they firmly (very important) held me in a very upright position, I could save myself a lot of grief. Throw out any cushions that are soft, their purpose isn't to softly cushion you, they are to firmly support you.

                              Good luck. Things will get better.
                              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

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