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  • fusion process

    Just throwing a question out there to everyone who has had their surgery.....

    Do you feel that through your recovery you went through stages where you felt as though your fusion was going through the process of fusing more, and if so did it feel different? Maybe sore for a few days or tight. It's a strange question, I'm not even sure if this will make sense to anyone

    I ask because I wonder if this has anything to do with being sore sometimes...just curious. They say there are no stupid questions. This just may be one lol!
    Susan

    Diagnosed at 10, Boston brace from 11-13 yrs old.
    50* Lumbar w/ 5 centimeter shift to the left and slight rib hump...
    Surgery Date: April 15 and April 22, 2009
    X-LIF approach for disc repair L5,L4,L3,L2
    Posterior Approach for fusions L5-T5
    Dr. Fox @ Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
    Nice and straight now!!!!!

  • #2
    Originally posted by asccbodypro View Post
    Just throwing a question out there to everyone who has had their surgery.....

    Do you feel that through your recovery you went through stages where you felt as though your fusion was going through the process of fusing more, and if so did it feel different? Maybe sore for a few days or tight. It's a strange question, I'm not even sure if this will make sense to anyone

    I ask because I wonder if this has anything to do with being sore sometimes...just curious. They say there are no stupid questions. This just may be one lol!
    asccbodypro... Not me.
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

    Comment


    • #3
      I call that my healing pain. Some days I itch a lot and my husband scratching doesn't seem to stop the itch. Other days it quits itching as soon as he starts scratching, but I don't tell him that, it feels way too good. I do have good days, and some not so good. Somes days I need to take a nap, so I do! I figure it'll be at least sixt months before I have all the toxins out of my system and the fracture at T3 healed (surgery Mar 09). I try to be kind to myself, not expect too much, too soon. I'm newly retired so don't have a lot of big plans to go anywhere or do anything. Since I can't lift, cleaning the closets is just going to have to wait. And Dr Floyd said I can ride on the Harley, just not very far. Maybe a two-three hour ride. I have to keep reminding my husband that's total, not one way!
      Hugs,
      Les
      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


      • #4
        Hi Susan,
        I did and do have a strange feeling in the fusion area on my left side from time to time, and yes, it feels kind of sore sometimes. Maybe it is the muscles moving over the bone. When you walk, you can feel the muscles in your back moving a little. I can feel the fusion on my left side, the convex side of my scoliosis, if I press it with my hand.
        Sally
        Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
        Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
        Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
        Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
        New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
        Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

        "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

        Comment


        • #5
          Susan,

          I'm at 9 months today. For quite a number of months, if I moved a certain way, I could feel stress in the spine area--and I just knew that I shouldn't move that way. For months, even laying on my side gave me that feeling.

          For the last month or two, I wake up in the morning and am able to stretch my back in a way I can't exactly explain (my PT thinks it's by moving my ribs and shoulders) and it doesn't feel like it's putting any excessive or uncomfortable stress on my spine. In my lay opinion, I feel that somehow it's because fusion is taking place.

          As far as the tighness, for me I know it's all muscle spasms and is related to me over-doing it at times. Trouble is when I feel really good I forget and overdo. I still haven't learned that lesson. I guess I get carried away with myself.
          __________________________________________
          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


          • #6
            Hi Susan,

            I haven't been here for a while, to my regret. Didn't realize how much I missed this.

            We all explain our pain in different ways, so it's hard to give an answer. But, I used to explain that for the first several months it felt like I had 2 2X6's in there. Then 2 2X4's, and so on. My surgeries were in May '05, most of the time now I don't even notice them. I'm T-1 to L-5. Winter time is a different story.


            If I'm not mistaken, you're about 4 months post? Give yourself time, I know how hard it is to have that kind of worry, questions and nothing to compare it to. Things do get better. And never forget that your Dr. is phone call away!!!

            Regards,
            Shari
            Last edited by Shari; 09-14-2009, 10:54 PM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi Susan,

              I am 5 1/2 & 4 1/2 months out from my surgeries and just had a follow-up appointment yesterday where I was encouraged to see fusing starting in the lumbar area...Yea! I am not aware of that feeling of fusion. At this point I am not on pain medicine except for the occasional Aleve and extra strength Tylenol... Before my surgery, when I read posts on here of so many people who were living 'pain-free' post-surgery, I could hardly believe it to be true. It just didn't seem possible. However, I am living proof that it can be true!

              The main discomfort I have now is due to muscle tightness as Debbe reported, just in my upper back and neck area. Until about a month ago I could not really control my back or abdominal muscles at all. My brain was moving them but in reality nothing was happening. I was elated when one day as I got out of bed as I stood up I tensed my stomach muscles and I could feel things working again - at the same time the back muscles along my spine were also flexing! It was just so great I nearly cried. I have now been cleared to start physical therapy - who knew I would be so excited!

              The one area I have some occassional mild pain issues is the area above my c-section incision from the anterior surgery the skin/tissue hurts, not deep pain from the spine. Compaired to the pain at first it's almost a non-issue, but considering everything they did there, I understand why it might still hurt at times. It goes away as mysteriously as it comes so I don't worry too much.

              I definitely attribute any other discomfort to over-doing it, which I tend to do nearly every day. I think maybe we expect too much from ourselves at times. I am working on my stamina because we are planning another ballroom dance class beginning in October!
              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

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