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Christine - I didn't notice before that we had the same vertebrae fused! Like you, I felt like surgery was my only choice, since nothing else had worked to alleviate the pain. I also have had some anxiety post-operatively, not necessarily regrets, but thoughts like "there is no going back, I sure hope I made the right decision!" It's like buyer's remorse, only much bigger in scale!
I think you and Justin bring up important points about narcotics; I can look back on the days following being off oxycodone, and those were some depressing times! I felt so down and sorry for myself, and so I read posts on this forum, and was able to tell myself that these were likely withdrawal symptoms. The next week, I felt ridiculous for some of the things I had felt and said, and recognized them as definite withdrawal symptoms!
When I saw my doctor at 2 weeks post-op, and he started talking about a drug-weaning plan, it really upset me. I thought about how easy it is to speak from that side about how much better off I'd be not taking narcotics. But, it turns out he was right. At some point, you have to acknowledge that discomfort is a part of recovery, and the sooner your body is drug-free, the better most everything else will get. Of course, I know there are exceptions to this, as seen on this forum - please don't take me wrong! It's just that in my situation, I had a lot of anxiety about coming off painkillers, but it turned out to be the best thing for me.
I think you and Justin bring up important points about narcotics; I can look back on the days following being off oxycodone, and those were some depressing times! I felt so down and sorry for myself, and so I read posts on this forum, and was able to tell myself that these were likely withdrawal symptoms. The next week, I felt ridiculous for some of the things I had felt and said, and recognized them as definite withdrawal symptoms!
When I saw my doctor at 2 weeks post-op, and he started talking about a drug-weaning plan, it really upset me. I thought about how easy it is to speak from that side about how much better off I'd be not taking narcotics. But, it turns out he was right. At some point, you have to acknowledge that discomfort is a part of recovery, and the sooner your body is drug-free, the better most everything else will get. Of course, I know there are exceptions to this, as seen on this forum - please don't take me wrong! It's just that in my situation, I had a lot of anxiety about coming off painkillers, but it turned out to be the best thing for me.
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