I can't believe I'm writing this, but I am a week post-op from my THIRD spine surgery in three years!
I had a herniated disc at the apex of my 50 degree curve. They tried to do a non-invasive discectomy. It never healed and so a year later (and many surgeons later) I finally found a surgeon who deals with scoliosis and herniated discs. He fused me at the L 2-3 using a new hardware called the ASPEN. Everything seemed great for the first 3-4 months, with vast improvement, and reduced pain in my leg (where all my pain had been due to the pinched nerve).
Long story short, I never got past a certain point and at 8 months post op, they were concerned, and so I got another CT scan. Apparently the cage they used to grow the bone migrated back out right into the nerve that goes down my leg.
So last week they went in and removed the cage, and also removed the ASPEN because the bone was fused and didn't need it anymore. So here I am, stuck on my back on the couch for the third time in three years.
Thankfully, because I had had improvement between my surgeries, I was able to get in decent shape and my recovery seems a lot easier than last time. So that's one good thing. The other good thing is God willing, I'll make a complete recovery this time because there will be nothing hindering the nerve from healing.
Just thinking about all of you out there, and how these things are so hard and life changing, and how I feel better knowing there is someone who probably knows exactly what I'm going through right now. Any similar stories? It's so frustrating to go back to square one, esp. because I had gotten so far in the recovery process for example, I was completely off the meds, which make me sick, and now of course I'm taking something every four hours!
I know complications happen, but you never think when the dr. is going over them with you, you'll be the one who it happens to. But it sure did, and now i'm home with itchy stitches all over again!
I had a herniated disc at the apex of my 50 degree curve. They tried to do a non-invasive discectomy. It never healed and so a year later (and many surgeons later) I finally found a surgeon who deals with scoliosis and herniated discs. He fused me at the L 2-3 using a new hardware called the ASPEN. Everything seemed great for the first 3-4 months, with vast improvement, and reduced pain in my leg (where all my pain had been due to the pinched nerve).
Long story short, I never got past a certain point and at 8 months post op, they were concerned, and so I got another CT scan. Apparently the cage they used to grow the bone migrated back out right into the nerve that goes down my leg.
So last week they went in and removed the cage, and also removed the ASPEN because the bone was fused and didn't need it anymore. So here I am, stuck on my back on the couch for the third time in three years.
Thankfully, because I had had improvement between my surgeries, I was able to get in decent shape and my recovery seems a lot easier than last time. So that's one good thing. The other good thing is God willing, I'll make a complete recovery this time because there will be nothing hindering the nerve from healing.
Just thinking about all of you out there, and how these things are so hard and life changing, and how I feel better knowing there is someone who probably knows exactly what I'm going through right now. Any similar stories? It's so frustrating to go back to square one, esp. because I had gotten so far in the recovery process for example, I was completely off the meds, which make me sick, and now of course I'm taking something every four hours!
I know complications happen, but you never think when the dr. is going over them with you, you'll be the one who it happens to. But it sure did, and now i'm home with itchy stitches all over again!
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