5 week post-op question!??

[berta@aloha.net]

I remember recently, someone posted a question about swelling, a sort of bump a couple of inches along the posterior incision. I can't remember who it was or what answers they got, but now I have it! It's right above the sway of my lower back and sort of spongy and swollen, but not bad. It feels funniest when my brace is on since it rubs it slightly. I called my surgeon's nurse and she asked me questions and said it could be a bit of built of fluid and to keep an eye on it. Any ideas out there or similar experiences?

[amber24]

Hi Berta, it was me I had to be re-admitted 3 weeks after surgery due to a BIG mass collection of blood on both sides of my spine. They drew fluid from my back and made sure it wasn't an infection. Well, my surgeon thinks my back is still trying to get rid of the fluid. He told me to use ice and it's helped. I really notice the bump mostly when I wear my brace and mine feels spongy and swollen too. Hang in there

[berta@aloha.net]

Hi Amber,
Thanks for your response. Oh great, I hope I don't end up having to go back to my surgeon since he is a 5 hr. flight away! How did they get the fluid/blood out? Where on your incision was your bump, and how big did it get before you went in? I have a couple of spots lower on my incision and at the base of my spine, and they rub my brace too. I wonder if I ice, they will go away on their own!? I also wonder if sitting aggrevates them more?
Any other feedback you have, let me know. How is your swelling now? How far post-op are you now?
Thanks!

[amber24]

Hi Berta,
You're welcome for the response. My surgeon inserted a needle in my back and got the fluid out that way. My bump is located on my incision in the middle of back where my spine is located. When someone looks at my back they can't see the bump, but they can feel it. It only got a couple inches long and that's when my surgeon recommended using ice. The ice has helped in bringing down the swelling. The only spot I still have swelling is around my waist. I am currently 10 weeks post-op and I have my 3 month appt. on May 24. Have you seen your surgeon for your one month appt.?

Hope this has helped! Amber

[berta@aloha.net]

Hi Amber,
So is the swelling that'a around your waist at your incision? Is the original swelling bump gone where they drained out the fluid? Do you remember if your surgeon says the swelling can go away on it's own, with ice?
Sorry for so many questions! Yes, I had my one month appt. right before I flew home to Hawaii, but did not have the swelling on the incision yet. I feel sort of isolated out here in the middle of the ocean. I hope I don't have to fly to get this taken care of! It was very uncomfortable to fly for that long.
Thanks for your feedback!

[amber24]

Hi Berta, my incision goes about to my waistline. Yes, after they drained the fluid from my back and using ice in the hospital, it really helped the original swelling bump. My surgeon said the swelling will take time to come down, but using ice will help the process. The first time I had the fluid on both sides of my spine, it really hurt and I even went into the ER because of it being that bad!! This bump now really doesn't bother me that much. I understand you feeling isolated and that has to be hard. Do you have easy access to get in touch with the PA? I hope so Stay strong!!

Amber

[MOTCA]

My daghter had some swelling on the top part of her incision. It was basically an accumulation of blood. He said the body would eventually take care of it, but it would take a long time and so he punctured it and pushed out the blood/fluid. She didn't feel it, but I witnessed it. (Gross!) Thank goodness it was nothing to worry about.

[suzyjay]

I am 3 months post op and fused T4 to L4. I have swelling in my lower back & part of my upper back , sometimes, when I lay down it feels like I am laying on a bump. Does anyone still have swelling after three months?

Sue

[berta@aloha.net]

I am 6 weeks post-op today and fused from T5 to sacrum. I always feel like I'm laying on rocks! It amazes me when some say they don't even feel their hardware. I know that I'll get used to it, but I can't imagine not feeling it at all. Everytime I even slightly move any back muscles, I feel a sort of tug on the hardware and definitely feel the lumpyness when I lay down.
I still have swelling in sort of lumps along my incision is a couple of places at my lower back. I've been icing them and it does help some, but comes back and I feel them rub under my brace. Like some of you, I can't easily go back to my surgeon to get the fluid/blood drained out since I'm a 5 hr. flight away, so I'm hoping my body eventually takes care of it!!
What I really worry about is..."did I pull something out of wack.... did a screw shift or pull out.... did I mess something up!!??" Did or do any of you get those fears!?

[suzyjay]

When I first experienced swelling I thought that something inside moved, that is the first thing I think of when I feel a new or odd feeling or pain. I mentioned it my doctor's assistant she wasn't concerned but she told me to slowly get myself off the pain meds. I have reduced the meds and that was about the time the swelling increased and now there is constant swell above my butt in low back, it's painful but it is uncomfortable mostly when I am walking around I can feel the pressure/weight. The pain meds I reduced have a mixture of tylenol in them. I was wondering if the tylenol was keeping down the swelling since it increased when I reduced the dosage.

Sue

[brynnski]

Dear Berta,

I spoke with my son, who is coming tomorrow to be with me during my surgery next week (Tuesday.) He had a fusion at age 14. He is now 31. He spent most of his childhood on the Big Island. He said to tell you that, looking back on his surgery, the time he was most concerned that his recovery wasn't going well was the time just before his real healing began. Shortly after his darkest days he started to feel much, much better. I'm hoping that will be the case for you too. I know that it's hard not being near your surgeon though! You are in my prayers.

Take care,

Brynn

[Shari]

Hi Berta,

I felt my hardware for many months afterwards. I felt like I boards up my back for many months, but they seemed to get smaller and smaller.

I am just about 2 years post op, and I basically feel nothing. I still am aware of the hardware, but it doesn't seem to bother most times. As time goes on, I keep amazing myself by doing things that I thought I would never be able to do. It just takes time. We all heal differently. I was so depressed because I wanted immediate results, and it took me quite a long time to accept my individual healing process!!!

Shari

[berta@aloha.net]

Brynn,
I've sent you a couple of personal emails with photos of my before and after, and then one asking if you ever got it? Let me know if you did or not. (so I can re-send if you didn't!) I can't believe your surgery is so soon!! Good luck with everything. I know you will do great. It's mind over matter and getting all the feedback from this forum helps so so much, knowing that what you are feeling is normal. (email me on my personal!)

Sue, thanks for posting about your swelling, it really helps to know I'm going thru a sort of "normal" process. (not sure if everyone has the swelling?) I get that same feeling of pressure and when I ice it, it goes down, but comes back. The pain meds I have (norco or vicodine) has a tylenol base too, which I'm still on and not sure if it affects the swelling. I sort of thought that tylenol did not have any anti-inflamatory, but not sure if the other part does or not.
Shari, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that really feels my hardware. And I'm glad to hear that eventually I'll get use to it! It's such a weird feeling when I shower or my body temperature changes, it's like my back muscles tighten around it or something!

[sccrm08]

Berta,

I would love to see your before and after pictures, could you e-mail them to me?

Also I had C4 to C6 fused a year ago and I can feel the metal plate they placed on the front of my spine any time I laugh hard, yawn or move my neck to high or low. I'm hoping I don't feel the hardware in my back as much.

Patty

[berta@aloha.net]

Brynn,
I re-sent you my photos, to your personal email address, and using "reply to", I asked you if you got them! Let me know if you did!? I doubled checked your address when I re-sent the photos too, so it would be so weird if you didn't get them again since I'm getting your emails! Hope you take some before photos before tomorrow. It was Suzy that got me to do it, and even though I didn't really want to LOOK at them, it was good to do it and now having the after ones sure shows the difference. I don't think I really was facing how bad I was, and to tell you the truth, the before photo doesn't even show how bad the rotation side on the lower left really was! You sure can see why I had lost a couple of inches of height though. Please send me photos too! Hope I hear from you before tomorrow, the big day! I'm sending all my best to you. love, berta

Lynn, yes, I'll send them to your personal email. Did you get my email with "answers" yesterday? I'd love a photo of you too, and you also should take some before. Like Suzy, just take a "naked" back, above butt to neck or head, and then one bending over. Hope to hear back from you!