HI everyone,

I'm new to this fourm :) Im 32 and am booked in for A L5/S1 spinal fusion on the 14th June :) To be honest, I VERY VERY scared :(

I first 'hurt' my back in 2002, 10 months later I had a lamintectomy. It worked great for a time, however 18 months later the disc 'slipped' again. It healed it's self partially, and I just kept living life. I have over the past 8 years slipped it at least 8 times, with each 'slip' more and more painful than the last, and slower to heal.
July last year I slipped on ice and AGAIN injured my back, and my back refuses to get any better, until Feb this year when the pain stepped it's self up a million notches. I have scaita down both legs and am basically at my wits end. Take soooooo many different meds which I'm completely over . I just cant cope anymore :(

I have 4 kids to look care for including a 20 month old.

The reason I am posting is, I need to know what the recovery was like for YOU, like most of you, I have watched youtube/read blogs.... they make for VERY scary reading :(

or maybe I need to talk to someone else who KNOWS what I have been going thru.

thanks for any replies that may come :)

Dear Ally
 

Dear Ally-

My heart reaches out to you in your suffering, most especially as you approach a surgery which seems daunting, frightening, filled with unknown after effects, and a hope for better things to come. Your situation seems filled to the brim with care and responsibility to your family, and yet, your body has surely told you as well as your physicians there is something dramatically wrong.... something which cries out for care and potential healing. For this reason you now have a surgery date. Hold on to that date as a date filled with hope that once served by your surgeon you will be better able to watch over and care for your family, even your 20 month old.

I have been through multiple surgeries, included among the list is a discectomy/laminectomy/fusion at L5/S1 as I have written on this and other threads before. In my case the surgery was something my family and others sought as I was seriously injured in a car wreck. We had worked through the physical therapy, the injections, the oral steroids, the chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture for months as we strove to help me get better. I did not improve.

Time ultimately brought me to the point that my lower body, everything below the waist was shutting down. At last, I could not eliminate, neither fecally nor bladder. Walking became impossible. The pain level I knew at that point was likely a 10, or as my NeuroTalk friend Rae would say "maybe a 12" on that nice little 0-10 chart everyone make us complete. My surgeon, upon learning this was afoot, search our metro area for a hospital bed so he could perform URGENT surgery on me. I was SCREAMING non stop, and had a pillow to my face to muffle the sounds because I could not help myself. The nerve effects and pain had truly overcome me. Thus, I found myself face down in an operating room the doc had found available and I felt blessed.

This was an open back procedure lasting several hours and I was BLISSFULLY knocked to visit Peter Pan in Never Never Land. Many hours later, I awakened, sort of, in my hospital room crowded with well wishers. My body was drugged so heavily my wife said I was just gushing over those who had come with "hey, I love you man" type babblings. I lay on my side. The incision had been closed with glue. One arm was receiving morphine via the pump system and a couple of bags of saline and antibiotics hung on the pole, keeping me sufficiently hydrated. My legs were bound to the bed and encased in pneumatic pressure sleeves in addition to those fancy dancy white pressure stockings. They were taking no chances at the thrombosis blood clot risks here, and the pneumatic pump whirred throughout that evening, night, into the next day pumping up to squeeze my legs then release- sort of in a massaging fashion. I was catheterized. At least they had been able to release the flood of fluid which had been trapped within me.

The first night sleeping was more morphine and sedative induced, and I learned VERY quickly hospital beds are not built for anyone's comfort. They serve a utility function. That's it. The nurses were so kind in bringing me extra pillows to stuff up behind me as I slept fitfully on my side. Then, of course, they would come through the night and assist my roll to the other side so as to rotationally help me avoid the problems of static sleeping in a single position [blood flow and those sorts of concerns]. I was allowed to control my own morphine pump through that night and the next day. It helped.

One big thing I wanted to avoid was the conduct of a patient in the next room..... you know, that MOANING and CRYING out that goes with having your back manipulated from the inside. I asked for a washcloth. It became my constant companion. Wherever I went, my trusty washcloth was on my person [even though the gown was drafty :) ]. I would double up the washcloth and put it between my teeth whenever I had to roll in bed, during any of the first roll and sit exercises as I relearned how to get up from bed, and just when the pain would overcome in a flash. You see, my washcloth friend allowed me to still cry in pain, but it was muffled. I kept it to myself, having no desire to add to the groans on the floor.

The first day after surgery, I was shown the how to sit up routine. Placing my washcloth in my mouth, I managed. It went well...... AND it felt as though I was pulling my body in half. I feared harming the connections down there. My neurosurgeon assured me I had NOTHING to fear, as with titanium pedicle screws and rods, I had become structurally indestructible..... at least at L5/S1. Truly, the bone growth medium stuffed into the disc space at that level would take months to fully fuse, but with the titanium, I was not going to pull myself apart. It VERY MUCH felt like it for a few weeks after I got home, but Ta Da...... [applause appreciated]... I remained in one piece.

After two nights in the hospital, sleeping as I could on their miserable bed, I had done the in hospital physical therapy things of using a walker and going through the halls as well as navigating up and down the stair wells [accompanied by medical staff of course]. All of the tube things were gone, I was off of the morphine pump, oral pain meds, anti-spasm meds, and sleep meds were on the menu, the nurse in charge said "you can do this just as well for yourself at home, do you want to go home?" My answer was graphic in that when my family appeared thinking to visit me, I was packed up and ready to go home.

Of course, the neurosurgeon had prescribed and had me fitted for a back brace which I would wear at all times except when sleeping. It was OK. Very stiff, but became a comfort item along with my special washcloth which I brought home from the hospital. Yes, I needed my washcloth for a couple of weeks as my back rebelled against the invasion by the surgical team. It was sore..... no getting around that, but over time, it began to feel better, improvement was on the way.

At home, I followed instructions and walked whenever possible. It was winter and much snow and ice adorned the walkways and lawns outdoors in our area, so I made a racetrack pattern walking around and around in figure eights through our first floor. Puttering along. Showing my family I wanted to get back to "normal" overcome the pain which had brought me there and resume life as we knew it. About 8 weeks post surgical I resumed some work from my home, via computer and phone. Another 4 weeks later, I returned a bit to the office, and over time was able to resume my work on a pretty much full time basis.

It was still winter time, we took a much needed and long planned family vacation to Vail about 16 weeks post surgically. No I did not ski [my family did, and the snow was good, thank you.....] My wife and I spent a lot of time in the spa. They were nervous about massaging me. I insisted. They relented. I took advantage of several over the course of a few days,,,,,,, and it felt so good.

Travel came back into my work schedule, and had my story ended there, I would tell you all was wonderful. So many others have experienced a full restoration to health after surgery such as you now approach. My mother who is many years my senior recently had such surgery, and she feels GREAT. My story continued down another and different path, as my bones ultimately did not cooperate and my nerves were injured, as we now know, permanently, so.... my tale appears on other threads.

You can be among the statistical majority who are dramatically helped through your surgery. Take care of YOURSELF. You will not be able to care for your children alone for a while...... accept help from wherever your trusted circle of family and friends can provide. Pursue the physical therapy which will be prescribed post surgically in order to regain your strength.

Try not to fear the corrective surgery you face, for you can and will overcome the surgical pain to ultimately survive this and feel better. Also, know this, we who in this group do pray are now praying for your situation, for your doctors, for your family, and for you, Ally.

May you be blessed in all of this work yet to come,
Praying for you,:smileypray:
Mark56 :)

Fusion Next Month
 

After almost 2 years of pain I finally "pulled the trigger" and scheduled my surgery. July 16th, Was told it will be 8 hours. Fusion of L5-S1 and "decompression" of L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5. Dr. says this should stop the facet joint pain in my back and relieve the left foot drop and numbness & tingling in both legs.

Dr. says 3-6 days in hospital and then up to 30 days in a rehabilitation hospital!! Has that happened to anyone else?? I haven't seen that on this blog yet. I guess I have really good insurance :)

I injured my back in Sept of 2008 getting up from a chair, something popped. Of course that wasn't the injury, it was a history of 25 years in construction and about 40 pounds overweight. Since then I have had too many facet joint injections, none worked more than 36 hours. Facet rhizotomy, when they electrically burn the nerve roots, that gave me 2 days of relief.

I can't walk more than a few 100 feet without having to sit down. I can;t stand for moore than a few minutes. I stopped working in Feb of 2009 and just went on permanent disability in April 2010. By the way, i am only 49!

I too have been looking a search engines for info on the surgery and saw only horro stories. I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE!!

Hey MJ- Your profile sounds pretty serious and involved, and I hope for you there is much relief found through your surgery. No, I did not stay in hospital as long as you did and my surgery was not as invasive, but I felt it was successful. I was gratified to have the BACK PAIN under control, and was surprised later to learn the nerve was whacked out in my case. This nerve thing for me was an exception to the rule, so hopefully you will find full relief and get back to your feet as they take you through rehab. Take a look at the biography of Orlando Bloom- I watched it sometime ago and was amazed at that fellow and all he has done after back surgery- a factor discussed in the bio and he displays his LONG scar during the program. True, he is years younger than us, but he came back from a fall three stories climbing into a friend's house.

Follow your Doc's advice on your activities, progress, and healing. No doubt much therapy will be prescribed. Do it faithfully for a full healing picture. Keep your Doc informed on your progress. You can check with your insurance as to the amount, if any, you will have to bear after the bills start coming in so as to avoid surprise. Most have a customer service number to help folks like you and me.

Praying for complete success and healing for you, :smileypray:
Mark56 :)

Hey Mark,

Ally here!!

Well had my surgery on the 14th, lasted 5 hours, they found my spine had become VERY VERY loose, and had fallen over it's self, so hence the massive pain I was in.

I am a NEW person I tell you, I'm recovering SO SO well! Took pain meds for approx 10 days, now I just feel 'tight'. The op was the BEST decision for me and I'm so glad I had it. My leg has completely disappeared. Am so thankful. I can now sit down WHOOP WHOOP lol.

I'm on cloud nine =)

Ally

So THRILLED for You
 

Hi Ally-

How could I be more thrilled than to know you gained the benefit you sought through the surgery. :yahoo::yahoo: Yep, that length of OR time is about what I had the first time through. Seemed long to the crowd in the waiting room, but then once I emerged from recovery to a private room, the crowd followed. They really were free with kidding me about my loopy morphine drip personality; you know, the "hey man, I love you man," drugged state.:winky:

10 days post op and getting off of your meds, I am glad for you. I am feeling a little better from my implant surgery this week, and may try to wean down a bit today. Doc told me to take the stuff to stay ahead of the pain and not let it get ahead of me, the surgical pain that is.

In the next few weeks, you doc will likely prescribe some physical therapy to help you healing along. Oh, and you may have been issued a back brace to wear as your body goes through the process of completing the fusion; if so, try to use it as they prescribed so you get maximum benefit.

Praises for you and your surgical team!!
Glad to hear improvement is on the way!!
Prayers :smileypray: and :grouphug:z,
Mark56 P.J. [P.J. being the name for my new implant]:)

great to hear you are doing well =)

I'm just getting better and better each day, did some light housework today, don't think it's done anything bad, will know tomorrow!

I see my specialist tomorrow , and my surgon in a month, so hope to start re-had very soon, hubby bought in the treadmill in from the garage (twas covered in webs) LOL, so I can start walking , as it's winter here in New Zealand.

No, I was not given a brace, but it seems to be typical in New Zealand. My surgeon, was one of our main hospital's consultants, but I went thru his private clinic as it was an accident originally all those years ago, It was paid for by the government, I did/ and have not paid a cent towards my surgery/MRI's/xrays, docs/childcare which they are paying for during the day as I can not 100% care for them just yet.

SO very lucky , especially when I read about so many Americans having MASSIVE medical bills/no insurance. Makes me sad.

Fusion
 

Glad to see that this surgery has worked for you. I am experiencing severe and constant sciatica pain in my right lower back radiating down my buttocks, front of thigh and into my groin. It will intermittently change to my left side. The burning at times will go down to my heal. I have had steroid injections, foraminal injections (having my 2 one next week) without much help. The dr. says I need a fusion, and would be out 4 months. I just don't want to have to go through this. Was this the type of pain you had. (my fusion would be the same levels)

Pre-Fusion Pain
 

Hi Herndod-

The pain I had pre fusion back in 2006 was as you described and had been ongoing sice a car wreck in which I was injured in early 2005. The thing that seemed to confound the surgeons was that my pain was primarily Right leg and back but would, as you said, sometimes seem to migrate to the left, and ther were times when both legs had radicular symptoms. This puzzled the folks who saw my MRIs and I heard many comments to the effect that, well, since my MRI showed only left leg should be impacted they could do nothing. I had 16 epidural steroid injections in the OR where they could use the fluoroscope to zero in on the site to inject safely. Had one course of oral steroid I was told should zap it. None of that therapy seemed to help.

I had finally found a surgeon who could see through my agony that something mechanical was wrong in there and he suggested he could help. About the time we were thinking of setting a date for surgery, my lower half of my body stopped functioning. Nothing worked, bowel, bladder, nothing, and I was screaming, and I do mean screaming, non-stop from the low back pain. I used a pillow to muffle my screams because THAT really put my family through the wringer seeing me like that.

Upon hearing of my change in symptoms, my doc got me in on an urgent basis for the L5/S1 discectomy/laminectomy/fusion and installed titanium rods and pedicle screws. The surgical pain hurt like a son of a gun, but at last that pain which made me scream was handled. WHEW!! I will forever feel gratitude for my neurosurgeon who helped my back. Thereafter, and due to the lingering damage to my nerve, I experienced numbness in both feet and up to my left knee, above the left knee I continued to experience burning and spasms and stayed that way until the SCS surgery I had two weeks ago tomorrow. But then that is another story on another thread.

The recovery from the L5/S1 surgery took months through just waiting and walking at home, then actual physical therapy where my physical strength was restored. During that period, there were many pain spikes, and I was maintained on much medication.

My mantra is that one can recover from lumbar surgery and especially so if their problems are addressed early enough. I just had to wait too long.

My prayers are with you for proper and speedy care,:smileypray:
Mark56 :)

RE: L4--s1 surgery success experience
 

Thanks Kiwi Mike for this posting of your success story and the encouragement you gave to others. :) I have had that surgery or almost the exact same surgery and now my son who is young middle aged is facing the same thing. I think your post was needed to help me to encourage him to go ahead and have the surgery if they (the surgeons) deem it the best route to go; also, was yours doen by a Neurosurgeon or an Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon? Gramawynn