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Good luck, Gardenia on your upcoming surgery on Nov. 27th!!!!
Gardenia,
Thinking of you and praying for a great outcome. God bless you. 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.
Saying prayers for you, Gardenia, perhaps as you are going through the surgery. God does look after us!
Discovered scoliosis when 15 years old.
Wore Milwaulkee Brace for 1.5 years.
Top curve 85 degrees, bottom curve 60 degrees
Surgery completed August 23, 2011 (during an earthquake, can you believe that?)
Dr. Charles Edwards, II
The Spine Center at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, MD
Before and after xrays: http://www.valley-designs.com/myspine
Following your blog which your daughter is updating. So far so good.
Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
Osteotomies and Laminectomies
Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free
If you haven't been following Gardenia's caringbridge site about her surgery, she was released a little short of two weeks. She experienced a dural tear in surgery and was confined to bedrest for 72 hrs.
Gardenia--
Glad you came through OK. I'm sure it doesn't feel that way right now. I certainly had pain before--then I found out about real pain after surgery. I know what you are saying. It sometimes takes a while to find what works the best. For me it was morphine that finally eased things in those first few days. Don't cut back to early. Stay on what you need because you need to stay ahead of the pain those first few weeks or it's just too hard to heal. You have lots of healing to do! It will get better! Best of luck to you. Janet
Janet
61 years old--57 for surgery
Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.
All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.
Gardenia, loved to read the blog that you and your daughter wrote. I have a severe spinal stenosis at L4, so reading your daughter's description of the why of the dural tear made sense, and now isn't so scary for me. Hope that you are doing well now and on the mend. You need some sunny Baja weather to really make you feel well.
Hugs,
Susan
Adult Onset Degen Scoliosis @65, 25* T & 36* L w/ 11.2 cm coronal balance; T kyphosis 90*; Sev disc degen T & L stenosis
2013: T3- S1 Fusion w/ ALIF L4-S1/XLIF L2-4, PSF T4-S1 2 surgeries
2014: Hernia @ ALIF repaired; Emergency screw removal SCI T4,5 sec to PJK
2015: Rev Broken Bil T & L rods and no fusion: 2 revision surgeries; hardware P. Acnes infection
2016: Ant/Lat Lumbar diskectomy w/ 4 cages + BMP + harvested bone
2018: Removal L4,5 screw
2021: Removal T1 screw & rod
Susan,
It is the purpose of this blog and of caringbridge.... if we the patients do not recount out personal experiences, that leaves the doctors giving you a bunch of 'might', 'will', etc that are not acceptable.
2 weeks +3 days = still on a regular Norcoe routine. I tried to cut down up and down but I will keep this untile my pain level is OK
I know and have read in this blog that many patients have been rapidly cut off of the codeine. Dr B's nurse and my niece who is a head pharmacist for 35 years at Lucille Packard's Hospital both assured me that one cannot get addicted if one has pain. It is only those cases that people seek codeine for pleasure.
I've been on Vicoden for years - 5mg of codeine and 500 mg of Tylenol. Norcoe is the same 5 / 375mg Tylenol.
Also, Ambien has to be taken. When I could not sleep and stayed away until 4 4:30am it was a bummer. The next day I was tired, depressed, no energy. One night of ambien and my head totally cleared, next day I was functioning as a real person.
I had to fight Dr B for letting me do this and I won. I've been on Ambien 8-10 years. I know sometimes I get up do things that I can't remember. Mostly safe stuff like painting a cabinet with acrylic paint or getting on the computer to write emails. Last night my husband was so tired he gave me a whole 10mg. a Mistake!!!!
My GP agreed that giving me a 10mg was cheaper to break 1/2. Depending on my day which I know well, I have been taking 1/2 to 1/3. He was very good at trusting me to manage my drugs.
I am sitting straight. Walking is not too far. But it will all come back one day. 3 days ago, I questionned why, today I don't.
I am seeing Dr B on Jan 14th and hopefully he will allow me to go home, visit in many months ahead and take my cat home.
I am here for anyone who need me, on this blog if appropriate and benefit all, or personally. I am answering my phone depending if it is behind me or somewhere in the bed. No shower yet but OK as of yesterday.
Gardenia
Baja California, Mexico & El Centro, Ca
pre-surgery 75° and 89° - post ?
Dr. Bridwell Nov 27, 2012 @Barnes Jewish @62yrs
T11 to Sacrum Dural leak at L2 & L3 ccmail4g@gmail.com
Gardenia,
I am praying that things get easier. Rest and take things slowly. I had a totally different experience with Ambien, in fact it caused me to be really sick the last two weeks that I have been on it. The doctor thought it was my gallbladder, but once he stopped the sleep aide I have slowly gotten better and the test showed all was good. I have just topped it off that I am not supposed to sleep much. :-)
Tamena
Gardenia,
I'm sorry you had so much pain, but think you will soon be feeling better. The first few weeks are definitely the hardest. I wouldn't even think about cutting back on pain meds so soon. Dr. Lenke wanted me to stay on them as long as necessary so that I would not have too much pain to walk. I also had a rough time sleeping. It all gets better! Keep your good attitude and remember that it gets better!
Karen
Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
Rib Hump-GONE!
Age-60 at the time of surgery
Now 66
Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
Retired Kdgn. Teacher
See photobucket link for:
Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right. http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/
Mechanically OK, physically Better, Mood alwas Good - Thanks my friends
It is all uphill now. Feel like a human been. Getting in and out of bed and to the bathroom (toilet and brushing teeth) is all down path. Thanks for the advice of not cutting back.
After my visit with Bernie, I went back round the clock on Norcoe (codeine and 375 Tylenol) later afternoon got a second med approved for muscle relaxant. With those two and my normal arsenal (stool softener and 7.5 mg of Ambien) I am in doing normal. I can't say 0 pain, some discomfort but it is all back to tolerable - NO REGRETS. I will post xrays photos on the caringbridge site.
2 weeks +2 days
I think someone had a surgery with Dr Bridwell last Tuesday (woman) anyone know how she is doing? some photo here:
Gardenia
Baja California, Mexico & El Centro, Ca
pre-surgery 75° and 89° - post ?
Dr. Bridwell Nov 27, 2012 @Barnes Jewish @62yrs
T11 to Sacrum Dural leak at L2 & L3 ccmail4g@gmail.com
Are you off injectables and IV meds, on oral meds only?
Hang in there, every day does get better....
Ed
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
Out of the hospital last Sunday after almost 2 weeks. The dural tear added to the stay (72 hours for bed rest) and it contributed blocked gas and collapsed non functioning intestine. Most painful thing than anything: GAS Pains worst than labor.
Since back at the apt, I only take Vicoden and muscle relaxant. Today Friday, I took my first laxative because stool softener is not doing anything. Eating like a pig so looking slim and trim is not gonna be.
No PAIN but sleeping in chunks. Seems like there are a double bumper along the sides of the rods that keeps my back from laying flat.
Can't find anything to do for long that will hold my attention.
Thanks ED.....
Gardenia
Baja California, Mexico & El Centro, Ca
pre-surgery 75° and 89° - post ?
Dr. Bridwell Nov 27, 2012 @Barnes Jewish @62yrs
T11 to Sacrum Dural leak at L2 & L3 ccmail4g@gmail.com
Gardenia, you sound like you're doing great. Stay on the pain meds so the pain doesn't get out of hand. I had to stop my major pain meds around week 7 because of severe adverse affects. Take full advantage of using pain medication for three months. It will help you greatly.
I spent most of the first four weeks laying on my back on a layer of feather pillows because my mattress was too hard. My back was never comfortable during that time and it felt like I was literally lying on railroad tracks but the discomfort lessens as time passes. Pain medication helped a lot.
One of my sons built a custom wood ramp over which we layered a lot of padding and feather pillows. I seemed to breathe better when I was elevated like that, with a big pillow under my knees for comfort. After about three weeks, we lowered the ramp a bit. If I could do it over, I would have insisted on renting a hospital bed, even if it took up the entire living room.
1973 Age 15 diagnosed with scoliosis but told too old for surgery.
2001 age 43 told too old for surgery, did physical therapy & traction.
2001 to 2008 Intermittent use of home traction machine and TENS unit.
2009 traction no longer effective - physical therapy.
2011 More physical therapy. 2012 Collapsing scoliosis - MRI before surgery
At age 53, surgery on October 2nd, 2012 with Dr Hey
Fusion with titanium rods and bolts from T1 to pelvis. Post op x-ray
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