19 Year Old Male. Scoliosis Progressing.

[JDM555]

John ...

Just remember it isn't a contest ... and pain meds exist for a *reason*.

I never said it was a contest and I already said I'm not in any pain, why would I keep taking pain meds when I'm not in pain? You actually think I care about who can get off pain meds quicker? Wow...

[debbei]

Well, as many of you know, when I got home, I was only on 5mg fast acting oxycodone and I showered the second day and I think I bent around too much, so it hurt my back and I needed to go back on oxycontin 20mg slow release. I took 10 days of this 20mg, and then I went down to 10mg slow release for a week. Yesterday I did 5mg @ 3PM and then another 5mg @1:15 AM. Then today, I didn't take any medication in the morning....or at night. It's almost 10PM, and I am not really in pain. Maybe my back is a little tigher/uncomfortable, but not in pain. I'm surprised, I hope I can pull it off. I will stop taking pain meds until I am in pain. I still have plenty 20mg tablets, at least 10-15. I have 3 tablets for 10mg. and I have 8-10 tablets of 5mg.

John

If you're trying to wean yourself off and you need more 5mg tablets to do that, just ask your Dr.'s office for another prescription. Weaning isn't as effective if you go back up to 10 or 20 mg in dosage. Remember, don't break the long-acting tablets in half because the medication will enter your system too quickly and you could get into trouble.

[JDM555]

If you're trying to wean yourself off and you need more 5mg tablets to do that, just ask your Dr.'s office for another prescription. Weaning isn't as effective if you go back up to 10 or 20 mg in dosage. Remember, don't break the long-acting tablets in half because the medication will enter your system too quickly and you could get into trouble.

Of course, I have 8 tablets left, so that's 4 doses left. I won't be using 10 or 20 anymore unless something goes wrong and I am in a LOT of pain. And of course no breaking in half the long-acting pills.


The thing is, even though I didn't need medication throughout the day and was fine, bed time was rough. I couldn't sleep well, so I took 5mg and that took a bit of a while to work which gave me a crappy nights sleep. It's ok, it's only the first day of school, no biggie lol.

The thing is, If it takes 2 tablets to get 5mg, can I take 1 tablet instead? I would take 1 tablet (2.5mg?) an hour before I sleep so I don't get uncomfortable when I am in bed? Would that work?
John

[jrnyc]

Hey John
i stopped taking the oxycontin cause i have lost so much weight...i just plain stopped...no side effects...but dont advise others to try that at home

i dont know how this type is coming out, so i apologize if it is small...i am at hotel computer in west hollywood CA...see dr anand tomorrow at cedars sinai hospital...will write about it when i get home....

i dont know about your dosage....but be careful...i am OK with quitting meds...have never had a reaction to anything i ever stopped taking...but other people are different...if you are slowing your doses, reducing them, you are doing the right thing, but you have to keep going in the lower direction....so you may need to call your docotr, as someone else said...

i have lost so much weight, that if i wanted surgery tomorrow, any surgeon at all would insist i gain weight first...i am around 87 pounds at 5 ft 3...shrinking from previous 5 ft 5....

you sound happy with your surgery...i am so glad for you...i hope you heal 100% are a new improved you!!

jess

[txmarinemom]

I never said it was a contest and I already said I'm not in any pain, why would I keep taking pain meds when I'm not in pain? You actually think I care about who can get off pain meds quicker? Wow...

You totally missed what I meant, but nevermind ...

[JDM555]

You totally missed what I meant, but nevermind ...

I understand what you meant, but I took it a little harsh lol. I was probably in a bad mood, it's all good. I'm in no hurry, I'll try to take 1 tablet now at 8PM and 1 tablet before bedtime to sleep good or just take 2 before sleeping. I need a good nights sleep after last night, BRUTAL.

[titaniumed]

John

Have you started school yet? If not, when?

Ed

[JDM555]

John

Have you started school yet? If not, when?

Ed

Yup, I started yesterday. I am doing part time now, I am taking 2 classes at my university and 3 at my community college. Community starts next week. Yesterday, I had my first 1 hour 15 minute class for math and it wasn't too bad, but I still hurt sitting on hard plastic desks for over an hour. Today was a lab, 1:30-4:15PM, thank GOD I finished the work early and left at 2:45PM because those seats are killer too, why can't they make comfortable chairs for students, it's already painful to listen to teachers talk amiright? lol

Tomorrow is just the 1 hour 15 minute math again which is no biggie. Next week is the long/boring stuff I'm worried about.

Monday: 6:00-9:15PM
Tuesday/Thur Night: 6:00-8:25PM
Friday: 10:45-2:15PM

They are looooong and boring and I know my back is going to kill me. I only talked to my T/Th night class and he is another math class. He said he completely understands I might come late, leave early, yatta yatta, I can miss a day if I am not feeling well and he will email me what they covered, so that is very nice of him. I'm worried about the other two 3 hour + classes, BRUTAL!

[debbei]

Yup, I started yesterday. I am doing part time now, I am taking 2 classes at my university and 3 at my community college. Community starts next week. Yesterday, I had my first 1 hour 15 minute class for math and it wasn't too bad, but I still hurt sitting on hard plastic desks for over an hour. Today was a lab, 1:30-4:15PM, thank GOD I finished the work early and left at 2:45PM because those seats are killer too, why can't they make comfortable chairs for students, it's already painful to listen to teachers talk amiright? lol

Tomorrow is just the 1 hour 15 minute math again which is no biggie. Next week is the long/boring stuff I'm worried about.

Monday: 6:00-9:15PM
Tuesday/Thur Night: 6:00-8:25PM
Friday: 10:45-2:15PM

They are looooong and boring and I know my back is going to kill me. I only talked to my T/Th night class and he is another math class. He said he completely understands I might come late, leave early, yatta yatta, I can miss a day if I am not feeling well and he will email me what they covered, so that is very nice of him. I'm worried about the other two 3 hour + classes, BRUTAL!

For the first 3 months post-surgery, I carried this little pillow is a bag with me EVERYWHERE that I put behind me back so that I didn't have to lean against anything hard. This really helped me. THe pillow wasn't very large, maybe 10" x 8" or something like that. It was a decorative pillow that I had around the house, and it worked perfectly for my purposes, and fit easily into a canvas bag. I remember even using it on the train and on the subway when I went for my 6week checkup.

Would something like that help you against the hard backs of the chairs?

[sccrm08]

I am 2.5 years post op and I still have pillows I take to lean up against. I don't need them everywhere now a days but they are so comfy. I took a one inch memoryfoam mattress pad and cut it down to the size I wanted and covered with fabric. I have one in each of our cars and each of my kids cars. Its great If we end up somewhere I can't sit (bleachers, hard chairs at restaurants ect...) I just go grab my pillow and I am set. I have even used it at work when I lay on the floor if my back is to bad it just fits under the back and gives enough cushon so I can rest a few minutes.

[titaniumed]

John

Its funny how ergonomically astute we scolis are. It truly is annoying that these things really are simple. I mean, how hard can chair design be? I feel that sitting on a piece of furniture should be comfortable, its not really asking too much.

One of these days, I'm going to design a high tech hospital bed. I remember complaining to my surgeon about my hospital bed in recovery. I was quite upset about it. It was probably a $50,000 bed, that had many things wrong with it. I would have to scrape up big bucks for a patent attorney first.

Sorry, just venting....

It seems that you are doing just fine, and setting recovery records. Just remember, that you are not fused, and should not be lifting anything more than a few lbs. I hope you have a case with rollers to drag behind you for your items. You could stuff a piece of foam in there for the chairs.

Hang in there, it does get better.
Ed

[jrnyc]

congratulations on getting back to school..i taught younger kids for years...i know how those chairs are...& they havent changed school chairs in 100 years...or at least since i went to elementary school!

i just got back from L.A....it was 70 degrees when i left! it is 16 degrees in CT right now...& it snowed 4 inches today before i flew back!! ugh!!

saw dr anand...very interesting..i think it is the surgery that is coming...little incisions on the side, a few days later, one longer incision on the back....clean out the discs...use spacers, no cages...little blood loss, no muscle cutting....we will see...cause the jury is not completely in on this yet...but i think it is coming...just think...if, heaven forbid, you need fusion to pelvis in 20 years...just think how much better they will get at this stuff...by then, they'll probably have magic!! flexible metal that cant break, bending metal that holds, who knows what! we can dream...

jess

[JDM555]

John

Its funny how ergonomically astute we scolis are. It truly is annoying that these things really are simple. I mean, how hard can chair design be? I feel that sitting on a piece of furniture should be comfortable, its not really asking too much.

One of these days, I'm going to design a high tech hospital bed. I remember complaining to my surgeon about my hospital bed in recovery. I was quite upset about it. It was probably a $50,000 bed, that had many things wrong with it. I would have to scrape up big bucks for a patent attorney first.

Sorry, just venting....

It seems that you are doing just fine, and setting recovery records. Just remember, that you are not fused, and should not be lifting anything more than a few lbs. I hope you have a case with rollers to drag behind you for your items. You could stuff a piece of foam in there for the chairs.

Hang in there, it does get better.
Ed

OH MY! I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS PISSED ABOUT THIS CRAP! The desks are BULL! Whoever designed the desks is a MORON. The angle of the back support is like an " l " when it should be more like a " / " to support your back or something. I can't lay back without having a HUGE amount of pressure on my incision. It is like the HARDEST plastic too, I mean add some freakin' cushion to help the students or something, BRUTAL. I can't even lay back, I have to be seated straight up with no back support for over an hour.

Don't get me started on the hospital beds, that was a POS, $50,000? Righhhhttt.

saw dr anand...very interesting..i think it is the surgery that is coming...little incisions on the side, a few days later, one longer incision on the back....clean out the discs...use spacers, no cages...little blood loss, no muscle cutting....we will see...cause the jury is not completely in on this yet...but i think it is coming...just think...if, heaven forbid, you need fusion to pelvis in 20 years...just think how much better they will get at this stuff...by then, they'll probably have magic!! flexible metal that cant break, bending metal that holds, who knows what! we can dream...

jess

I'm glad you went to Dr. Anand and got good news! I think the side incisions are great and I wanted to do that actually, but I decided posterior in the end. I'm sure everything will work out and I hope you get the surgery to get rid of your daily pain. My surgery fixed my lower back pain like 85-90%, it's crazy, I no longer have that nasty pain in the lumber area from sitting or standing over 5 minutes and I'm only 4 weeks post op.

[JDM555]

Little Update: It's been about 3-5 days since I completey stopped taking 5mg slow release during the day.

First day, I tried sleeping with no pain meds at night, didn't work out, I had to take 2 tablets (5mg oxycodone) to help me sleep.

Second day, I took one tablet at 8PM and one tablet at 12AM to help me sleep.

Third day, I took one tablet only before sleeping.

Fourth day, I also took one tablet (2.5mg?) before sleeping.

Now, last night, I decided to not take anything and sleep. It was a little hard, but I slept from 3-8AM and then 9:30-11:30AM. Wasn't really that great, but I will catch a little nap this afternoon.

I still don't take any pain medication during the day, from morning till night. If I could, I would take Advil/Aspirin/Etc., but I need doctors approval and I don't want to increase my liver enzymes.

But overall, I feel a lot better. I can walk without any problems, I seem to be as flexible as before (lol, I don't do yoga, but I can tell I'm still flexible). I am starting to eat a lot more since I'm off the pain meds, I have BM's pretty much daily and I go to school fine, riding the light rail for 30 minutes and walking over a mile between campus/classes/etc.

[jrnyc]

Wow! i am so impressed...really! and so fast! that is an amazingly quick recovery! congratulations...i am so glad that you have no pain to speak of! you must be really healthy, cause i bet you set a record for people who had this surgery under the age of 20!!! even considering your youth, i think your healing process is remarkable!

may you enjoy many many years with your new improved back!
do you think that you will set off the metal detectors at the airport?

jess