Final Fusion Questions

[Scoliatic]

Fellow humans, I am going to have final fusion this summer and am nervous about it and wish to know more about it from people who have survived the operation.
How long were people in the hospital recovering?
How long did they just lay on the couch or bed doing nothing at home?
What is it like to have your vertebrae fused?
Can you feel the difference afterwards?
Did recovery hurt more than other surgery's?
How did you deal with the pain?
Did it shift your center of balance so you had to relearn how to walk? (Happened to me when I first got my rods)
How was recovery?

Those are all of my questions. As you can see I am very curios and want to be prepared. I will make sure to buy myself a nice ling video game to play while I recover and will try to be ready for the long recovery.

[jackieg412]

You are so much younger than most of us that some things can be different. Yes get your legs and abdominal muscles strong.
Hospital stay is usually 5-7 days. Sometimes rehab, but you may not because of your parents being there for you.
There isn't laying around all day. You must get up and walk and increase that everyday.
Pain can be managed first with medication and then with things like heat packs and meditation.
I have gone through my last 3 surgeries on Tylenol and gabapentin. Not easy but it can be done. The advantage seems to be no effects from narcotics. It is tough at first but then so much easier.
You will be tired a lot and that is when you rest.
Good luck and it will get better

[LindaRacine]

Fellow humans, I am going to have final fusion this summer and am nervous about it and wish to know more about it from people who have survived the operation.
How long were people in the hospital recovering?
How long did they just lay on the couch or bed doing nothing at home?
What is it like to have your vertebrae fused?
Can you feel the difference afterwards?
Did recovery hurt more than other surgery's?
How did you deal with the pain?
Did it shift your center of balance so you had to relearn how to walk? (Happened to me when I first got my rods)
How was recovery?

Those are all of my questions. As you can see I am very curios and want to be prepared. I will make sure to buy myself a nice ling video game to play while I recover and will try to be ready for the long recovery.

I was in the hospital for 12 days for my original surgeries and 5 days for my revision surgery. It will depend on your age, what procedures will be done, and what complications (if any) you have.

I spent a great deal of time in bed for the first six weeks after my first surgeries. After my revision surgeries, I was encouraged not to spend any time in bed except for when I was sleeping. I spent my time alternating between standing, sitting, and taking short walks. Laying in bed will very likely lead to a longer rehab.

No one can tell you what it's like to have fused vertebrae. You'll likely feel some stiffness. That might be temporary, or it might be permanent. You may or may not feel a loss in flexibility.

Not sure what you mean by pain compared to other surgeries. Are you asking about other spine surgeries or other types of surgery?

Not sure I did anything to deal with pain beyond taking medication or changing position. I just got through it.

While my center of balance may have changed, I didn't have to learn how to walk.

Recovery sucked for about a month, but got easier as time went by.

--Linda

[titaniumed]

Fellow humans, I am going to have final fusion this summer and am nervous about it and wish to know more about it from people who have survived the operation.
How long were people in the hospital recovering?
How long did they just lay on the couch or bed doing nothing at home?
What is it like to have your vertebrae fused?
Can you feel the difference afterwards?
Did recovery hurt more than other surgery's?
How did you deal with the pain?
Did it shift your center of balance so you had to relearn how to walk? (Happened to me when I first got my rods)
How was recovery?

Those are all of my questions. As you can see I am very curios and want to be prepared. I will make sure to buy myself a nice ling video game to play while I recover and will try to be ready for the long recovery.

10 days in the hospital.

Couch? ouch... (Smiley face) I did a LOT of walking....many short walks, no long walks. No laying around all day.

What is it like to have your vertebrae fused? Seems simple, but a really tough question. Stiff but mostly in the spine area. Look at my twisting photos in my signature, you can see me twisting around pretty far.

One thing we feel after surgeries with big curves is that we stand taller. I really noticed this. What's really interesting is that you are now taller than a lot of people you know. The stunned looks on their faces tells it all since they now have to look up at you. What happened to you? Just say surgery. You know, surgery. (smiley face)

They actually do shin extension surgeries to increase height. They are expensive, and we get that height increase for free!

Recovery was a challenge, for highest pain ever, my kidney stone was the most pain I have ever felt.

For pain you take meds

I had no problems walking at all. Standing was probably my most comfortable position, so I stood a lot.

You will adapt and get better. Young people do better on surgeries.

Ed