Susan's surgery at UCSF with Dr. Hu on 19 and 22 March, 2013

[susancook]

Yes, listen to your body! It will let you know what you need. It's crazy to go off meds too soon. I stopped all meds around 7 weeks Only because I kept getting vertigo, severe constipation and my blood pressure was all over the place. I had to decide which was worse, the pain or the debilitating side effects. I just couldn't live with erratic blood pressure and vertigo so I decided to tough out the pain. There were days in months three and four where I nearly couldn't stand with the pain. I probably should have tried another pain medication but decided to tough it out. It was brutal. I do NOT recommend going off pain meds too soon. I noticed a big decrease in pain issues during the fifth and sixth months so take your time. You'll get there.

Each night when I lay down during the first months, I felt like I was gently cracking open a fragile fusion at one spot in my back. It hurt like crazy and made me weep at night. But then one night, March 10th to be exact, I did not feel that tiny "pop/crack" and searing pain when I carefully logged rolled into bed as usual. It never happened again and I think on March 10th, that was when the final vertebrae fused. That was five months and one week after my surgery. Growing new bone just takes time.

You're right, I don't know how anyone can prepare for this surgery. I remember all your posts on the board asking questions and your hesitation in getting surgery. The hardest part is now behind you! You're doing great! Love your sense of humor.

Thanks for your thoughtful post. I guess that I am still unsure how to decrease meds, but I will wait and talk further with the pain management MD in Portland.
Susan....I looked at your preop MRI, that was pretty scary. So glad that you had that fixed!

[titaniumed]

Yes, listen to your body! It will let you know what you need. It's crazy to go off meds too soon. I stopped all meds around 7 weeks Only because I kept getting vertigo, severe constipation and my blood pressure was all over the place. I had to decide which was worse, the pain or the debilitating side effects. I just couldn't live with erratic blood pressure and vertigo so I decided to tough out the pain. There were days in months three and four where I nearly couldn't stand with the pain. I probably should have tried another pain medication but decided to tough it out. It was brutal. I do NOT recommend going off pain meds too soon. I noticed a big decrease in pain issues during the fifth and sixth months so take your time. You'll get there.

Same story here only I was 6 weeks. I also took 5 hot baths per day for 3 full months for pain without meds.

It seems many ask about weaning right around 4-6 weeks post.....I could set my clock off some posts around here......

If you guys are asking, your thinking about it. Weaning should be a goal....

Ed

[susancook]

Same story here only I was 6 weeks. I also took 5 hot baths per day for 3 full months for pain without meds.

It seems many ask about weaning right around 4-6 weeks post.....I could set my clock off some posts around here......

If you guys are asking, your thinking about it. Weaning should be a goal....

Ed

I see Dr. Hu tomorrow and will ask her about pain med reduction and her thoughts.
Right now my neck is killing me. Ouch!
Susan

[susancook]

6 week visit with Dr. Hu

Had a great 6 week visit with Dr. Hu and the ortho resident. She said that I was ahead of where she thought that I would be. I had 16 questions that she patiently answered. I have really cool pictures of before and after surgery which I will try to post when we return home and I can download my phone.

She measured my kyphosis before and after surgery and said that it was 90 degrees to 62 degrees. The reason that the after is so high is because my bone was osteoporotic (normal bone density on hip, so she did not expect that) and she was unable to fix the upper end. That was her only regret in the surgery.

Also, great question to ask postop: what was the biggest surprise for you in my surgery?

I told her about my neck pain and scapular and trapezius pain. She said that everything was so stretched out with the preop coronal balance shift and scoliosis, that maybe some of it is just my body getting used to the postop dynamics of trying to keep me upright. I asked her how the surgery might affect my future cervical degeneration, and she suggested PT and seeing how things shake out/adjust over time.

I also talked to her about waking up in the recovery room still intubated (ironically, i had told her at the preop visit that i was worried about waking up intubated and she said not to worry that it rarely happens) and I couldn't get anyone's attention to extubate me inspite of making big hand signals and beating on the side rails to get someone to come over to my bed. If i had been more clever, i would have held my breath and set off some alarms, but it did not occur to me at that time. When someone finally came over, it seemed like 15 minutes or so went by, I used sign language to tell them what I wanted. Nobody knew sign language. Then they gave me a card to point to the letters of what I was trying to tell them. I didn't have my glasses so I could not see the letters. Finally, someone took it out....I remember the guy saying, "this is going to be uncomfortable, so try to relax". Relax....I was felt so clostrophobic, I didn't care how much it hurt. Actually, it did not hurt. I cannot describe how relieved I was to get it out. Dr. Hu apologized for what happened. I said that I just want to know what to do so it will not happen again....then I told her that it won't happen again, because this was my last and only surgery!

She gave me 20 minutes of off brace time 3 times a day and prescribed more PT, especially for my neck.

So, it was a awesome visit and I am off to Washington and Oregon tomorrow. Yahoo!
Susan

[golfnut]

Congratulations! It's so reassuring to hear from our surgeons that everything is going well and here you are ahead of schedule!
That's awesome!

[Irina]

I am happy for you and have a safe trip home!

[loves to skate]

Susan,
Great news for you so that you can get back to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I am so glad things have gone so well for you. I hope that when you recover from the surgical pain that you will no longer have the horrible back pain and sciatica that you had.
Love and prayers,
Sally

[mabeckoff]

Susan,

I am glad that you are doing so well . I pray that this will continue for you

Melissa

[susancook]

Bummer....since Sunday I have had left sided buttocks sciatic pain. Never had left sided pain before. I am disappointed. I knew that it was too good to be true that I was doing so well. No falls, no twists, and I am wearing my brace. Crap.
Susan

[susancook]

Is there a problem with a retained suture? Feels like a suture knot at the bottom of my XLIF incision. No reddness or tenderness.
Susan

[JenniferG]

How is your sciatic pain, Susan? Fingers crossed it has gone.

I've read on this forum of other patients who had sutures under the skin. Perhaps a search might pull up something?

[susancook]

How is your sciatic pain, Susan? Fingers crossed it has gone.

I've read on this forum of other patients who had sutures under the skin. Perhaps a search might pull up something?

Sciatic pain is mild but continues in spite of my increased Lyrica. Why did this pain start almost 2 months after surgery? I want all of my pain to go away! I had a really bad day as I went hiking yesterday and then went to a semi-formal benefit. I died about half way through. When people asked me why I wore a brace, I told them that I heard that it was a really tough crowd and that it was a flack jacket. What goes with a plastic brace? pearls, I decided. I looked OK, but rode to the event in my husband's 20 year old Miata and by the time we arrived, I hurt and was nauseated. I told him, no more Miata.
I am becoming increasingly impatient with healing. I think that I forgot how much pain I was in before surgery. Susan

[JenniferG]

You're doing way more than I did at the same time. You're about 6 weeks post op, right? I was only leaving the house for my walk at 6 weeks so I'm in awe of what you're doing. Perhaps it's too much? I hope the sciatica is something simple like that, and easily fixed. I really hope that it resolves - it's the worst.

[tae_tap]

Sciatic pain is mild but continues in spite of my increased Lyrica. Why did this pain start almost 2 months after surgery? I want all of my pain to go away! I had a really bad day as I went hiking yesterday and then went to a semi-formal benefit. I died about half way through. When people asked me why I wore a brace, I told them that I heard that it was a really tough crowd and that it was a flack jacket. What goes with a plastic brace? pearls, I decided. I looked OK, but rode to the event in my husband's 20 year old Miata and by the time we arrived, I hurt and was nauseated. I told him, no more Miata.
I am becoming increasingly impatient with healing. I think that I forgot how much pain I was in before surgery. Susan

Susan,

Baby steps! You have shocked your body for it is still healing and will be for the next year or so. I can not believe you are hiking two months out, I am 6 months and would not be able to go very far. Just take things slow, for it is next to impossible to jump in at the speed you were running prior to surgery. Just take some time to let your body calm down from all the activities you have been doing lately and then be cautious of the speed you go for the next few months. Your body will tell you when you are doing too much. Use a Jacuzzi or soak in hot baths, it will help some.

Tamena

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Susan,

It sounds like you are really doing too much at this point. Believe, I TRULY understand how hard it is to be patient with this recovery, but as others have said, it is a one-year plus proposition. Please let your body have the healing time it needs. You don't want to go through this again, I guarantee it!

Walking some is good, but too much walking is bad. There was someone here a few years ago whose surgeon told her to work up to walking 10-15 miles per day, which she did pretty early on. It came to light later that she had harmed her fusion (I forget what happened but the excess walking was directly cited by another surgeon as I recall).

Daily moderate walks plus maybe some easy pool exercise is all you need right now! Let your body heal---it is not a race to recovery and there is absolutely no way to speed it up!

Fondly yours,