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Wow, Doreen! You are looking fantastic! That incision is healing nicely.
What's up with the hip? Did Dr. Lenke give you any idea of why it sticks out (not noticeably)?
Dr. Lenke will look at it in May. I've heard that sometimes is resolves itself so we'll see what he says.
Warmly,
Doreen
44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA
Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height
Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!
Wow Doreen, your correction is wonderful.
I'm so sorry about your mother. That's an awful loss, especially when you were so close.
Mom of 14yo son diagnosed Oct 2011
Surgery 1/3/12 w Dr. Geof Cronen,
Tampa General Hospital T3 to L1
Jacob's pre surg curves: T58 & L31 12/28/11
photos & xrays in "First-Time Surgery" thread "Before & After"
49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
Pre surgery curves T70,L70
ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada
Thank you again, everyone, for your kind words. Since we've been home this week, my walking has increased significantly from 2.5 miles per day to over 4 miles per day. When I sit for a while, I get stiff and walking actually feels good. Once I start walking, I get lost in my thoughts of Mom and lose track of time and steps (I wear a pedometer). I'm absolutely exhausted at bedtime so sleeping is not an issue. I just want to be sure that too much walking won't cause issues. So far today I've walked 4.4 miles and my day isn't done yet.
I realized today how much of my days/nights preop were spent in bed because of pain vs. postop. Preop days were comprised of me laying day every afternoon at 1p until about 3p or 4p, up for dinner then back in bed by 6:30p for the night. Now, I lay down for maybe 45 minutes at some point in the afternoon to stretch out, not because of pain and go to bed around 9p to watch TV until about 10:30p. My days are much more productive now that the pain is gone.
Warmly,
Doreen
44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA
Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height
Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!
Thank you again, everyone, for your kind words. Since we've been home this week, my walking has increased significantly from 2.5 miles per day to over 4 miles per day. When I sit for a while, I get stiff and walking actually feels good. Once I start walking, I get lost in my thoughts of Mom and lose track of time and steps (I wear a pedometer). I'm absolutely exhausted at bedtime so sleeping is not an issue. I just want to be sure that too much walking won't cause issues. So far today I've walked 4.4 miles and my day isn't done yet.
I realized today how much of my days/nights preop were spent in bed because of pain vs. postop. Preop days were comprised of me laying day every afternoon at 1p until about 3p or 4p, up for dinner then back in bed by 6:30p for the night. Now, I lay down for maybe 45 minutes at some point in the afternoon to stretch out, not because of pain and go to bed around 9p to watch TV until about 10:30p. My days are much more productive now that the pain is gone.
My 3 month post op xrays, taken locally yesterday, are posted below. Can you see the little cages? The screws look huge, I wonder how long they are. I wonder what the little connector piece is above the top cage; it appears to be connected to both rods.
I was down to 1 pain pill earlier this week and tried not taking it all one day. I woke up about 1a really hurting so I took 1/2 pill since I'm trying really hard to get off the med. What a difference 1/2 a pill can make with keeping the pain at bay. So now I'm taking 1/2 pill per day at bedtime.
Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height
Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!
Today was the first time since July 2011 that I was able to go to the movies! I am shocked that I was able to relax and enjoy the movie unlike the last time preop where I was squirming in my seat because of intense pain. In fact, the theater renovated their seats since I was there last and the seats are now very comfy leather so I was able to slide very easily to the back of the seat. Wow! How exhilarating!
Warmly,
Doreen
44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA
Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height
Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!
Doreen, that is so great that you could watch a show, be comfortable and enjoy it. What show was it btw? And yes, those screws do look really big but it could also just be the angle of the x-ray. I know when I saw a side view of my skinny son's spine they looked awfully big to me too.
Son 14 y/o diagnosed January 20th. 2011 with 110* Curve Halo Traction & 1st. surgery on March 22nd. 2011 Spinal Fusion on April 19th. 2011
Dr. Krajbich @ Shriners Childrens Hospital, Portland Oregon
Doreen, that is so great that you could watch a show, be comfortable and enjoy it. What show was it btw? And yes, those screws do look really big but it could also just be the angle of the x-ray. I know when I saw a side view of my skinny son's spine they looked awfully big to me too.
Daniel Radcliff's "The Woman in Black." I really enjoyed it because it wasn't blood/gore/in-your-face horror.
Warmly,
Doreen
44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA
Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height
Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!
Doreen,
I'm glad things are improving for you. It really is great to be able to get out and go to a movie for the first time after surgery. Your x-rays look great. Who cares how long the screws are so long as they do the job. That definitely looks like a connector above the cages. I'm pretty sure I have one of those.
Take care, Sally
Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/
"In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.
Glad that things are going so well for you. The last movie I saw was last July after my first surgery was The Zoo Keeper.My husband and son took me out of rehab for a couple of hours. All I know about the movie was the title as soon as I sat down I fell asleep. Well, Marc and Jarret enjoyed it .
So much to say. Again, I am so sorry about your mom. That is really difficult, especially while you are trying to recover yourself.
At the same time, you back looks amazing! You are a big inspiration for me. Surgery in a little over two weeks. T3-4 to sacrum, so pretty much the same as you. I am having three cages, I think, and also will have the titanium/cobalt mix. Did you ever worry about metal allergies? I am slightly inclined to get my PC doc to test me this week or next, just in case.
Kelly called last week and said they are getting push-back from Anthem with the insurance coverage. I am not going to worry about it. They will either work it out, or they will delay the surgery. What else can I do?
Congratulations for being more active now than before at just three months! That is wonderful. And walking 3-4 miles a day is great, too.
I am still hoping we will meet in St. Louis at some point. Maybe my post-op appointment will be at your 6-month visit. Early May, I think.
Best to you,
Evelyn
age 48
80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.
my concern about the screws is that they not cause pain, and
that the lower ones do not need to be removed due to pain....
i hope you lose awareness of the hardware, and it becomes a part of
your body so there is no discomfort...
i am so happy for you that you are healing well and already notice how much
better you life can be after surgery...
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