I have been waiting for my 2 week check up for a full report to give you guys. I posted in another thread about my feelings of some sort of guilt, because I think I’ve had it fairly easy compared to some of you. But I’ve read a couple posts lately about people’s fears of upcoming surgery, and how hearing about horror stories of recoveries has created more fear. I want to let all of you facing surgery know that not all, or even most, of the surgeries and recoveries are bad experiences. This report is for you!
I know several of you have had some pretty difficult recoveries, and I don’t want to ever seem like I am flaunting my own experience, or demeaning yours. Each case is so different. I consider myself very lucky. I had excellent care and a wonderful, caring doc and husband. I also believe that personal attitude and realistic expectations play a large part in how you perceive your recovery. Being educated is the greatest tool you have to fight the fears, and to be prepared for the “battle”. I compare it to going into childbirth with no idea of what is happening or why. Labor is SO much easier when we are prepared.
Ok, so here it goes…first, a review of my presurgery symptoms for those of you who haven’t read about them.
-wore back brace in the late 70’s-from 15-18 years old
-Thoracic and lumbar curves both in the 70+ degree range.
-Took NSAIDS for 15 years and had epidural injections for 10 years to control the pain.
-Occasional vicodin on the worst days. I hate taking pain meds!!! (I had to be literally dragging my foot and tripping before I would take them…)
-Shrank 3” from January ’10 to August ’10
(the “aha” moment when I knew I had to schedule surgery.)
-bend films showed decrease in flexibility after shrinkage, now they hoped to decrease curves from 70’ to around 58’. Maybe I waited too long????
On January 10, 2011, I went in for over 9 hours of surgery, stayed for 7 days.
-Did not have to remove any ribs to decrease the rib cage hump. YAY!!
-Ribs no longer sit on my pelvis, so that pinched, scrunched up feeling is gone!
-Got correction of both curves in the 35’ range. I have not been that straight since before my scoliosis was discovered in ’76! It was in the 45’ range back then.
-No more pinched nerve pain-none! My back is unrecognizable. It is pretty straight and hump, lump and bump free! I actually have the figure I always dreamed of-an hourglass shaped back! See the pics I attached. Too bad I’m half a century old, now. Damn…
-My doctor said I have the bones of a young woman. All those years of staying active- working out, skiing, hiking, wakeboarding, snowmobiling, rock climbing, etc., totally paid off. I was determined to stay in shape and put surgery off as long as possible. I believe it really worked for me, since several doctors have been wanting to fuse since I was in high school, except for Dr. Moore. She is very non-invasive unless it is absolutely necessary.
My recovery has been ever-changing. Some days I feel really good, then stay up too long and over do it. Then I pay the price the next day…
The first week was pretty rough. Normal things like constipation, gas and bloating, nausea, couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. Yes, I was in considerable pain, but I expected that, and we were learning how to get it under control. For me, it improved drastically when I got off the morphine pump and onto oral pain killers. I had one really bad night where they had trouble keeping the pain under control. I was shaking, hurting, and had mentally withdrawn to a place I don’t think I’ve ever been before. My back felt like it was wet concrete, and was setting up in places that were hard as a rock. Lots of spasms. My hubby was there spending the night and I woke him up with my labored breathing. He felt that I was in the beginning stage of shock. Being a pharmacist, he and the nurse went over my meds list, and he suggested they give me a med that they give patients before certain procedures, and also for cancer treatments, to help with nausea and make you sleepy, and it also has a calming effect. I don’t remember what it was, but it melted under my tongue, and within a several minutes, I quit the shaking and felt so much better. Then I actually went to sleep. The next morning, the nurse took out the pump, and I improved drastically from then on. The pump just didn’t work well for me. I would finally go to sleep, so then I wouldn’t press the button, then would wake up in pain again. I didn’t know when I pressed it last, or if I had reached the max of doses. I just felt like I wasn’t in control or knew where I was with the doses. The oral meds did a better job of keeping a constant level of pain control. But the pump DOES work well for a lot of people, so try it if the doc orders one for you. We are all different.
Second week was pretty darn good. I started eating normal foods again, but smaller portions. My constipation was under control. I did lots of walking around the house, and short outings out to town to get mail or groceries or small errands. I was able to sit at the computer and type or search. I could stay up long enough to watch a movie in the evening. My pain level was amazingly low, compared to what I was expecting. Not really bad pain, just uncomfortable and sore. I asked at my 2 week appt. if I could start cutting back on the oxycontin or oxycodone. She said no, not yet. She wants me to feel well enough to continue to build up my walking, and to sleep and heal. She felt that if I cut back this early, my pain would be enough to maybe set me back. Ok, fine! But I still plan on cutting doses ASAP….
Now I’m ending my third week, and different aches and pains have started kicking in. Especially hip pain-maybe due to the pelvic fixation? And I feel a kind of burning, pulling sensation from where I believe the top of the rods are. Not bad, just uncomfortable. I do know that I stay up for too long of periods of time. I hate laying in bed! Thank God for the laptop, and that I love reading and writing.. I find that I can’t lay in bed or sit up in a chair, either one, for too long. I have to keep rotating positions. Walking is when I feel the best. There is a definite link to doing too much and being more sore and achey. My inlaws took us to dinner a few nights ago. We went to a nice resort with great food. But those types of restaurants take a long time to make it through all the courses, so we were out there too long for me this early in recovery. Keep it simple when you first start going out and having a dinner out on the town!
I am going to watch the time and switch from laying to standing more often… Luckily, laying on my back isn’t too bad. The incision itself is numb, so that doesn’t hurt at all. I have several of those microbead “cushie” pillows that work great for propping. They are much easier to move around under my legs and knees than a bulky pillow. They work great under my head, as do those “u” shaped travel neck pillows when on the laptop or watching a movie.
So, in looking back, I am very pleased with how I’m feeling and what I’ve accomplished so far. I am very glad I did it. The waiting and wondering is truly the worst part. It does seem weird to think that I am actually on the other side after all these years of playing the waiting game. Time to move on with phase 2 of my life!!!!
After surgery.jpgBefore surgery.jpg
I know several of you have had some pretty difficult recoveries, and I don’t want to ever seem like I am flaunting my own experience, or demeaning yours. Each case is so different. I consider myself very lucky. I had excellent care and a wonderful, caring doc and husband. I also believe that personal attitude and realistic expectations play a large part in how you perceive your recovery. Being educated is the greatest tool you have to fight the fears, and to be prepared for the “battle”. I compare it to going into childbirth with no idea of what is happening or why. Labor is SO much easier when we are prepared.
Ok, so here it goes…first, a review of my presurgery symptoms for those of you who haven’t read about them.
-wore back brace in the late 70’s-from 15-18 years old
-Thoracic and lumbar curves both in the 70+ degree range.
-Took NSAIDS for 15 years and had epidural injections for 10 years to control the pain.
-Occasional vicodin on the worst days. I hate taking pain meds!!! (I had to be literally dragging my foot and tripping before I would take them…)
-Shrank 3” from January ’10 to August ’10
(the “aha” moment when I knew I had to schedule surgery.)
-bend films showed decrease in flexibility after shrinkage, now they hoped to decrease curves from 70’ to around 58’. Maybe I waited too long????
On January 10, 2011, I went in for over 9 hours of surgery, stayed for 7 days.
-Did not have to remove any ribs to decrease the rib cage hump. YAY!!
-Ribs no longer sit on my pelvis, so that pinched, scrunched up feeling is gone!
-Got correction of both curves in the 35’ range. I have not been that straight since before my scoliosis was discovered in ’76! It was in the 45’ range back then.
-No more pinched nerve pain-none! My back is unrecognizable. It is pretty straight and hump, lump and bump free! I actually have the figure I always dreamed of-an hourglass shaped back! See the pics I attached. Too bad I’m half a century old, now. Damn…
-My doctor said I have the bones of a young woman. All those years of staying active- working out, skiing, hiking, wakeboarding, snowmobiling, rock climbing, etc., totally paid off. I was determined to stay in shape and put surgery off as long as possible. I believe it really worked for me, since several doctors have been wanting to fuse since I was in high school, except for Dr. Moore. She is very non-invasive unless it is absolutely necessary.
My recovery has been ever-changing. Some days I feel really good, then stay up too long and over do it. Then I pay the price the next day…
The first week was pretty rough. Normal things like constipation, gas and bloating, nausea, couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. Yes, I was in considerable pain, but I expected that, and we were learning how to get it under control. For me, it improved drastically when I got off the morphine pump and onto oral pain killers. I had one really bad night where they had trouble keeping the pain under control. I was shaking, hurting, and had mentally withdrawn to a place I don’t think I’ve ever been before. My back felt like it was wet concrete, and was setting up in places that were hard as a rock. Lots of spasms. My hubby was there spending the night and I woke him up with my labored breathing. He felt that I was in the beginning stage of shock. Being a pharmacist, he and the nurse went over my meds list, and he suggested they give me a med that they give patients before certain procedures, and also for cancer treatments, to help with nausea and make you sleepy, and it also has a calming effect. I don’t remember what it was, but it melted under my tongue, and within a several minutes, I quit the shaking and felt so much better. Then I actually went to sleep. The next morning, the nurse took out the pump, and I improved drastically from then on. The pump just didn’t work well for me. I would finally go to sleep, so then I wouldn’t press the button, then would wake up in pain again. I didn’t know when I pressed it last, or if I had reached the max of doses. I just felt like I wasn’t in control or knew where I was with the doses. The oral meds did a better job of keeping a constant level of pain control. But the pump DOES work well for a lot of people, so try it if the doc orders one for you. We are all different.
Second week was pretty darn good. I started eating normal foods again, but smaller portions. My constipation was under control. I did lots of walking around the house, and short outings out to town to get mail or groceries or small errands. I was able to sit at the computer and type or search. I could stay up long enough to watch a movie in the evening. My pain level was amazingly low, compared to what I was expecting. Not really bad pain, just uncomfortable and sore. I asked at my 2 week appt. if I could start cutting back on the oxycontin or oxycodone. She said no, not yet. She wants me to feel well enough to continue to build up my walking, and to sleep and heal. She felt that if I cut back this early, my pain would be enough to maybe set me back. Ok, fine! But I still plan on cutting doses ASAP….
Now I’m ending my third week, and different aches and pains have started kicking in. Especially hip pain-maybe due to the pelvic fixation? And I feel a kind of burning, pulling sensation from where I believe the top of the rods are. Not bad, just uncomfortable. I do know that I stay up for too long of periods of time. I hate laying in bed! Thank God for the laptop, and that I love reading and writing.. I find that I can’t lay in bed or sit up in a chair, either one, for too long. I have to keep rotating positions. Walking is when I feel the best. There is a definite link to doing too much and being more sore and achey. My inlaws took us to dinner a few nights ago. We went to a nice resort with great food. But those types of restaurants take a long time to make it through all the courses, so we were out there too long for me this early in recovery. Keep it simple when you first start going out and having a dinner out on the town!
I am going to watch the time and switch from laying to standing more often… Luckily, laying on my back isn’t too bad. The incision itself is numb, so that doesn’t hurt at all. I have several of those microbead “cushie” pillows that work great for propping. They are much easier to move around under my legs and knees than a bulky pillow. They work great under my head, as do those “u” shaped travel neck pillows when on the laptop or watching a movie.
So, in looking back, I am very pleased with how I’m feeling and what I’ve accomplished so far. I am very glad I did it. The waiting and wondering is truly the worst part. It does seem weird to think that I am actually on the other side after all these years of playing the waiting game. Time to move on with phase 2 of my life!!!!
After surgery.jpgBefore surgery.jpg
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