Lumbar Fusion Surgery Wednesday

[LEX]

Update BIO.

 

[Bio]

Update BIO.

Hey all...I got home late yesterday afternoon. My doctor said the surgery went great and that hopefully time will confirm the success! There was a bit of confusion with my medication...Not even eight hours after my surgery, some nurse turned off my Dilauded pump for three hours...YES I WAS IN PAIN! LOL!! My doctors assistant showed up took care of the issue. Believe me, it took some time to get that pain level down!

Anyway, the physical therapist, nurses, etc were all shocked how strong and able bodied I was for just having gone through that. PT got me up the day after surgery and that was the last time anyone helped me move, get up, get down, walk, anything. After that, I was allowed to walk whenever I wanted and without the walker. They all kept commenting on how tough I was. I wasn't trying to act tough, I was just trying to adapt and do what they wanted me to do.

My back feels pretty good. The pain stems more from the incision and pelvic area which is still a bit swollen and the other strong pain is coming from the really tight muscles in my hip, butt and thigh area...Especially hip!

I was given a large corset to wear for sitting, standing, or walking. I don't have to wear it when I'm sleeping. The next day my doctor gave me a different one to wear that he ordered. It looks more like a larger weight belt...It helps...I like it.

Anyway, I'm glad it's over and I'm looking forward to the recovery. I walked through my neighborhood and around the block today. I'm hoping that each day brings me closer to a better quality of life!

Thanks for all the support I've gotten from a lot of you!!

 

[thebrick]

Bio, glad that went well! You ARE tough. Good to hear all this (except the pain meds mix-up!)

 

[The Dude]

Damn Bro... you are tough! I don't remember how long it was before I was moving around. I had 4 vertebrae in my neck fused. I had tremendous nerve damage and weakness. All of that is improved, but I have constant pain and I can no longer turn my head more than a few degrees. I am able to train again, but things are very different and I was fired from my job (the injury happened at work) and I'm now on Pain Management. I just focus on the fact that Im much better than I was.
I don't say this to dim your hopes, but I know alot of people with similar experiences. I wish you the absolute best and feel free to PM me if you have questions. I posted pics of what I looked like the day I was able to return to the gym and then like 3-4 months later I was back to looking pretty damn good.
just stick with it and stay positive

 

[Jefe]

I was given a large corset to wear

Pics or it didn't happen!

Glad it went well! I hope you heal quickly.

 

[rfire]

Im glad to hear that everything went well! TAKE YOUR TIME recovering... I only say this because I know so many friends that have tried to rush their recovery to get back to normal life only to injure themselves again... Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders though...

 

[kubes]

Bio congratulations you are an inspiration brother. Glad to hear the surgery went well! I wish you a speedy recovery


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[Bio]

Damn Bro... you are tough! I don't remember how long it was before I was moving around. I had 4 vertebrae in my neck fused. I had tremendous nerve damage and weakness. All of that is improved, but I have constant pain and I can no longer turn my head more than a few degrees. I am able to train again, but things are very different and I was fired from my job (the injury happened at work) and I'm now on Pain Management. I just focus on the fact that Im much better than I was.
I don't say this to dim your hopes, but I know alot of people with similar experiences. I wish you the absolute best and feel free to PM me if you have questions. I posted pics of what I looked like the day I was able to return to the gym and then like 3-4 months later I was back to looking pretty damn good.
just stick with it and stay positive

4 levels is huge! I bet you were in a lot of pain. Anything over two levels changes all the dynamics!! My doctors originally told me that due to issues on every level of my neck, that the only way to really fix it would be to fuse the entire thing, but they all said they wouldn't do that due to my age. They told me I would never move my head again! So, I'm good with the two level fusion they're going to do once I heal from the lumbar fusion!

Anyway, I'm in a good place mentally and I'll be back when the time is right!

Pics or it didn't happen!

Glad it went well! I hope you heal quickly.

That cracked me up! Imagine the To and From on that email...TO: MR PICKLES, FROM: MR CORSET.

I'll take a picture of it...Not on me..LOL! I only wore it for a day, and then a rep from a company that my doctor uses stopped by and gave me another one that looks more like a large weight lifting belt...Here's a link to it...Horizon 631 LSO I don't worry about any instability in my core area when I'm out for a walk.

Im glad to hear that everything went well! TAKE YOUR TIME recovering... I only say this because I know so many friends that have tried to rush their recovery to get back to normal life only to injure themselves again... Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders though...

If I were 25, there might be an issue of me rushing things but at 45 and nearly 30 years of back pain, I am going to go by the book...I am not in any hurry at all. I know I'll get back to the gym and I know I'll get the weight back. My lifting style has revolved around my "injuries" for a decade, so I'm not going to feel like I'm losing anything there. I'm at a point in my life where I just appreciate being in the gym period!!

 

[LEX]

Here you go BIO found this on old phone.

This is a stand alone device, meaning normally no posterior instrumentation is required, huge advantage in increased recovery time.

 

[Bio]

Here you go BIO found this on old phone.

This is a stand alone device, meaning normally no posterior instrumentation is required, huge advantage in increased recovery time.

Exactly. I'm sure I'll have some films done next Tuesday. That's when my first follow up appointment is.

I went out and picked up some prescriptions yesterday afternoon. It was my first time behind the wheel but I felt pretty good. It's a bit uncomfortable and I'm not supposed to sit for more than 30 minutes at a time, so I made it quick. Since it's raining here, I'm getting ready to head down to the gym to walk on the treadmill there. I feel much better walking around. Those various muscles in the glutes still get pretty tight and painful.

 

[kubes]

Exactly. I'm sure I'll have some films done next Tuesday. That's when my first follow up appointment is.



I went out and picked up some prescriptions yesterday afternoon. It was my first time behind the wheel but I felt pretty good. It's a bit uncomfortable and I'm not supposed to sit for more than 30 minutes at a time, so I made it quick. Since it's raining here, I'm getting ready to head down to the gym to walk on the treadmill there. I feel much better walking around. Those various muscles in the glutes still get pretty tight and painful.

Brother that's sounding pretty good if you are getting out to do things that fast! How long did the doc say you needed to wait before getting back on the treadmill? I would think at the 90 day mark you could start doing some light weights?


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[buck]

i found walking as a very good way to hasten recovery.

 

[Aliendogstar]

This Wed, Dec 3rd, I'm having L4-5 and L5-s1 fused. My spine surgeon will be using the SynFix LR System. Once I recover from this surgery, I'm having 2 levels of my neck fused...C5-6 and C6-7. I'm really looking forward to this surgery. I get painful pins and needles in my chest, back, and shoulders from time to time. More regularly, I get neck, back, and arm pain, along with terrible tension headaches that can easily turn into a migraine. So, along with the other medical issue I had prior to this, the last couple of years have been a bit tough! LOL!! I'm looking forward to getting a much better quality of life back!!

Thanks again to Lex who helped me steer the conversations with my doctor regarding hardware and procedure. I also want to thank IronMiner2 who had the same surgery in September and has really help me with what to expect.

I've got say, the worst part of all, started today...Clear liquid diet today and tomorrow...With nothing after midnight tomorrow and my surgery isn't until 1pm on Wednesday. I'm already starving and dealing with a headache! LOL!!

Is this going to severely limit your movement? I'm asking because I don't know.

 

[Gravyv]

Good luck with your recovery. I'm curious have you ever talked to your doctors about spinal cord simulator or was your condition not fit for it?

I was scheduled for a lower back fusion this month, but I ended up cancelling after talking to the pain specialist. I ended up getting another cortisone shot to help in the meantime, and he suggested I look into a simulator instead.

 

[LEX]

Good luck with your recovery. I'm curious have you ever talked to your doctors about spinal cord simulator or was your condition not fit for it?

I was scheduled for a lower back fusion this month, but I ended up cancelling after talking to the pain specialist. I ended up getting another cortisone shot to help in the meantime, and he suggested I look into a simulator instead.

Yea He did cause he gets major $ for implanting test leads and doing the test for placement of the implant leads. Stims are usually for those with failed back surgery at the end of their rope with pain. If you have structural issues like collapsed disk space that is crushing a nerve you have to have that fixed somehow. Stims work on some people ok, others nothing, some for a while then fail. Its hit or miss. Its not an alternative to fixing a structural issue. You want to cry in your car? talk to one of those patients for 3 minutes, that have been thought that and now the last hope the stim fails.

(IMO only )don't get me started on Pain Mgt. Dr's. I'm sure there are a few out there that will act in your best interested somewhere on Earth -maybe. I haven't met one. It's all about $$.

 

[dragonfire101]

Hope all is well bio. Ill prob be getting lumbar fusion next few years. Just holding off long as I can.

 

[Bio]

Brother that's sounding pretty good if you are getting out to do things that fast! How long did the doc say you needed to wait before getting back on the treadmill? I would think at the 90 day mark you could start doing some light weights?

Hey Kubes, I walk around my neighborhood. They get you up the day after surgery and encourage you to walk. I went to the gym Friday night, which is less than a week out of the hospital, and walked on the treadmill...I had to because it was raining pretty heavy where I'm at. I have to walk daily, even several times a day, because it feels so much better. Being immobile causes the glute and hamstring muscles to tighten up to a point where it becomes extremely painful...Especially the glutes, since those are the muscles closest to the where the fusion was done. Remember, I surgery was strictly anterior.

i found walking as a very good way to hasten recovery.

Me too Buck! I look forward to walking every day! Like I said above, it helps keep the muscles loose. Since I can't stretch, this is the only way to get blood in in there. I also hold onto something and do squats on my tippie toes which keeps my back and sacrum straight / flat.

Is this going to severely limit your movement? I'm asking because I don't know.

Not too bad. They estimate ten degrees per disc. So, for me that will be twenty degrees lost. Considering the pain I've suffered through for decades, it was just something that I'll deal with.

Hope all is well bio. Ill prob be getting lumbar fusion next few years. Just holding off long as I can.

Thanks Dragon! Believe me, it wasn't a decision I made lightly. Don't just read the reviews online, go out and talk to people and ask around. Make sure you see two or three surgeons and that each of them is a very conservative surgeon. The process from start to finish may take a year or more...Mine took longer because my neck is an issue as well. The insurance company will want to make sure you tried more conservative routes like chiropractic, acupuncture, and physical therapy, all within a recent time frame. After that they'll recommend cortisone. Cortisone only lasted between 2 to 3 weeks for me, and of course, they'll want current MRI's and any other scans they deem necessary.

 

[Bio]

Yea He did cause he gets major $ for implanting test leads and doing the test for placement of the implant leads. Stims are usually for those with failed back surgery at the end of their rope with pain. If you have structural issues like collapsed disk space that is crushing a nerve you have to have that fixed somehow. Stims work on some people ok, others nothing, some for a while then fail. Its hit or miss. Its not an alternative to fixing a structural issue. You want to cry in your car? talk to one of those patients for 3 minutes, that have been thought that and now the last hope the stim fails.

(IMO only )don't get me started on Pain Mgt. Dr's. I'm sure there are a few out there that will act in your best interested somewhere on Earth -maybe. I haven't met one. It's all about $$.

It's funny Lex...If you find that you need to be on higher end narcotics due to pain, most GP's won't prescribe them and make you go to a Pain Management doc. In fact, I'm getting ready to switch my Pain doc. I don't like her attitude. She was getting pissy a while back because I was taking less than what she prescribed. I told her, "I've had intermittent back pain since 17 and chronic back pain since I was 22. Now at 45, I've seen what these meds due to people! I told her that if I really tried to kill the pain, I would end up a junkie. I told her that I take enough to get me through my day and then enough to help me get through the night." She couldn't wrap her head around that. I know it's because she's never been in chronic pain...I asked her! Anyway, after my neck surgery, hopefully I won't require pain management services any longer!

 

[LEX]

It's funny Lex...If you find that you need to be on higher end narcotics due to pain, most GP's won't prescribe them and make you go to a Pain Management doc. In fact, I'm getting ready to switch my Pain doc. I don't like her attitude. She was getting pissy a while back because I was taking less than what she prescribed. I told her, "I've had intermittent back pain since 17 and chronic back pain since I was 22. Now at 45, I've seen what these meds due to people! I told her that if I really tried to kill the pain, I would end up a junkie. I told her that I take enough to get me through my day and then enough to help me get through the night." She couldn't wrap her head around that. I know it's because she's never been in chronic pain...I asked her! Anyway, after my neck surgery, hopefully I won't require pain management services any longer!

I have just seen to many people run through that same path and then on the business side with these guys I have seen behind the curtain and I'm not cool with the wizard.

You got it figured out, little as possible with the meds, get the surgery when you absolutely need it , rehab get off meds. asap.

 

[dragonfire101]

Hey Kubes, I walk around my neighborhood. They get you up the day after surgery and encourage you to walk. I went to the gym Friday night, which is less than a week out of the hospital, and walked on the treadmill...I had to because it was raining pretty heavy where I'm at. I have to walk daily, even several times a day, because it feels so much better. Being immobile causes the glute and hamstring muscles to tighten up to a point where it becomes extremely painful...Especially the glutes, since those are the muscles closest to the where the fusion was done. Remember, I surgery was strictly anterior.




Me too Buck! I look forward to walking every day! Like I said above, it helps keep the muscles loose. Since I can't stretch, this is the only way to get blood in in there. I also hold onto something and do squats on my tippie toes which keeps my back and sacrum straight / flat.




Not too bad. They estimate ten degrees per disc. So, for me that will be twenty degrees lost. Considering the pain I've suffered through for decades, it was just something that I'll deal with.




Thanks Dragon! Believe me, it wasn't a decision I made lightly. Don't just read the reviews online, go out and talk to people and ask around. Make sure you see two or three surgeons and that each of them is a very conservative surgeon. The process from start to finish may take a year or more...Mine took longer because my neck is an issue as well. The insurance company will want to make sure you tried more conservative routes like chiropractic, acupuncture, and physical therapy, all within a recent time frame. After that they'll recommend cortisone. Cortisone only lasted between 2 to 3 weeks for me, and of course, they'll want current MRI's and any other scans they deem necessary.

I have good insurance they will pay for whatever including disc replacement. I have all the alternative care over last 10 yrs for back and 5 for neck. Right now I been having radio-frequency ablation done on lower back and neck which last me about 4-6 months compared cortisone. I need fusion at l4-l5 or disc replacement but based on info i seen i dont think there too effective long term in lower back from what I read and seen and talking to about 5 surgeons, but for the neck yes. I also need get discectomy or disc replacement for neck at c5-c6.

I do qualify for Spinal Kinetics M6 Disc Cervical Replacement clinical study they will be conducting, but need tell them soon.