4 months, still need pain meds. Getting a little old!

[Confusedmom]

Thanks, Jess. I think (hope) you are right. NSAIDs do help. I may try to get an injection, too. I'm also wondering if this could be related to the pelvic fixation. Seems like a lot of people have trouble with that. I am just hoping it's not something permanent impinging on a nerve. Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts.

Evelyn

[loves to skate]

Evelyn,
I hope your pain eventually goes away. My Doc told me to wait one year, then he told me to wait another year. I still have pain and have recently had two cortisone shots in my SI joint. My pain management Doc suggested a spinal stimulator implant, but I told him if the shots don't work, I would rather have my iliac screws removed before I have any more implants. I no longer can take NASIDS because of kidney damage, but neurontin helps with the nerve pain and I take tylenol and or Tramadol when needed. If it hurts you to walk, it could quite possibly be inflamation in your SI joints. I hope your pain subsides before you have to resort to anything more drastic. Not everyone comes out of this surgery pain free, but give it more time. You are not alone.
Sally

[Confusedmom]

Sally,

Thanks so much for responding. Does Dr. Rand think your pain is from the screws? Does it hurt more when you walk? I read some past threads on this, and it seems like this is a somewhat common problem.

I looked up your photos again. You look so graceful skating. Are you still doing it? I'd be afraid of falling! Maybe I'll get over that, though. I'm want to get back to step aerobics eventually. (Probably need to be able to walk quickly first, though!)

Thanks again,
Evelyn

[loves to skate]

Hi Evelyn,
Dr. Rand thinks that I still have pain because the nerve roots were compressed for so long probably causing permanent damage. I tend to agree with him, but I am almost convinced that a lot of my low low back pain is caused by the iliac screws. When the weather changes drastically, I get a deep ache in the iliac area as in when hurricane Sandy started to go past our area of N. Carolina. No, it does not hurt more when I walk or when I exercise. For me, I feel better if I am moving. Maybe I just forget about the pain then. I don't skate here in NC because the local rink does not cater to adults, so yes, I would be afraid of falling with young kids skating near me. Instead, I line dance and do Zumba once a week. I walk some, but not a lot and I ride my bicycle some. As you can probably tell from my signature, Dr. Rand operated again two years after my original surgery and removed some more bone he thought might be causing my pain. The surgery was a piece of cake, but not much improvement with the pain.

If you have more questions, feel free to ask.
Sally

[titaniumed]

Hi Evelyn

With recovery in 50 yr old adults taking 1-2 years for full fusion surgery, at 7 months what can a surgeon say? If its not major alarming pain, all they and we can really do is to wait some more....recover and heal some more.

With Sally mentioning about her increased pain with the hurricane passing through, I also have had some major bear traps from a weather system passing through here on the west coast. Having my home state of NJ destroyed didn’t help, but it seems that every fall around this time, I have the traps, the gripping in my thoracic spine. I’m coming up on 5 years and every October, it seems to flare up once again. All summer long, I have no pain.

I’m wondering if this might be affecting you? This seasonal change many of us feel?

Its October and November “bear trap” season again. Sigh...

Ed

[Confusedmom]

Thanks Sally & Ed,

I know I am being the hugest wimp and also extremely impatient. I should mention that I am very grateful the pain is not worse. I know many people have it much, much worse. I am being a perfectionist, I guess, because I wasn't in pain before the surgery (at least not much and not consistently). Linda is right when she says people with the least pain going in are the least happy with the outcome. I am not unhappy, just undecided. I won't be happy with the surgery unless/until I can get back to at least my pre-op comfort level. I really am starting to think it's the pelvic screw giving me issues, though. My back pain is pretty much gone except just to the left of the sacrum and sometimes in that leg when exercising. At least if that is the source, I can get the screw out eventually. In the meantime, I am working hard at PT and trying (okay, somewhat unsuccessfully) to be patient!! Thanks again.

Best,
Evelyn

[titaniumed]

Don’t work too hard at PT. Recovery is a slow climb uphill, stay off the steep slopes for now.

It does continue after the 1st year, the fine tuning and building of the soft tissues.

I almost quit skiing because of this. I had to keep pushing, slow and steady.

At 2 years I was done with my recovery.

I don’t think you can judge final outcome for awhile....it takes a long time to heal.

My traps are gone, the weather front has passed.

Ed