NeuroTalk Support Groups - L4-S1 Fusion Success Story

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- - L4-S1 Fusion Success Story (https://www.neurotalk.org/spinal-disorders-and-back-pain/15857-l4-s1-fusion-success-story.html)

Seann,

Thanks for the story. I am new to the site and am 1 year post-op from my first surgery (discectomy) and thought I was doing well until a couple of weeks ago. Did you ever figure out why the first surgery didn't work? Was the disc too badly damaged from the start?

I actually had the discectomy when I was 5 months pregnant with my 3rd child last year. My other children are 4 and 3. It appears my disc is now collapsing and I am suddenly back in the same pain I had before, just on the other side. I am not preapared to do this all over again especially with a 6 month old...I wouldn't be able to pick him up for months!

What is the recovery from this really like. I feel like I missed out on so much last year and just want to be able to take care of my children.

Thanks

Just checking in =)

Hey everyone,

Week 6 post-op, and still doing ok!!

Have had abit of nerve pain down my right leg, but that to me is ok. Hopefully will go away as I get more into my recovery.

Still off the meds *wahoo* :D:D

see my surgeon mid next month :)

Take care everyone!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ally (Post 678961)

YEA Ally :yahoo::Dancing-Chilli:
Mark56

Hi Mike,
I stumbled upon this website, really think it was a God wink, and it gave me the courage to go ahead and have the surgery. I am 6wks from the surgery and doing all they have told me. The old pain is gone except for occasional siatica which does involve pain in my foot. Sometimes it is absent and other times when it hurts I have to listen to my body and cut short my walk and try again later. I had this happen 2 x before surgery where it was much worse. I was very active before always in the gym and in very good physical shape. I recieved home PT and was instructed to do isometrics and leg strenghthening excercises to which I am faithful. I am pretty good about listening to my body as I did too much too soon and paid for it the next day... I am a young 50 and want to know if this pain in my foot and ankle will eventually subside as my body heals inside out. Thanks for your blog and anyone who can give me advice would be helpful, Mary

hi all - i'm just checking in with an update & some info on my post op condition. i'm 28 and have spina bifida.

i found this site really helpfull with everyone's stories & responses before i had my op, so i want to pass on my info just incase it helps anyone else.

i had severe back pain (is there any other kind!!) for 3 years & couldnt do anything, including work. i am a very active person & love my sports, so i found it extremely tough. i knew i had to take the risk/chance of the surgery (after exhausting all the usual routes) because i couldnt go on like i was.

so i had my op on june 4th - posterior l5-s1 fusion. i was in the hosp for 1 week, the experience wasnt very nice (not that i though i was going for a picnic) but it had to be done.

it is now 8 weeks since the op & i am soooo glad that i had it done.
dont get me wrong, i am still at the early stages of recovery & still cant do much at the moment, but the original pain which you get used to for so long, is finally gone!

i know it will prob be another 6 months before i really know how i'm going to be physically, but the future is alot brighter than it was before the op!!!

so i'm just starting physio now, and going for small walks (5-10mins) every other day. i can sit up for a couple of hours a day without it getting too sore later on.

It is soooo frustraing not being able to do anything too strenuous because i'm just dying to go swimming or play some football/golf - but i know i have to be patient & it give my back its best chance of a full recovery.

so for anyone reading this who's thinking about having surgery, i would say not to fear it, & keep a positive mentality, i would have no hesitations making the same decision again.

and to all those who've had surgery, i hope its going as well as can be for you.

see ya!!

3 weeks outfrom L5-S1fusion and 3 laminectomies

Had surgery on July 16th. Please check out my blog: *edit*
{you can contact via member profile}

Matt

Wanting support for spinal fusion

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwimike (Post 81241)

Firstly i just wanted to post this to encourage all those out there that are thinking of having spinal surgery because there are good success stories out there. Before i went through mine i had read alot on the internet about peoples horror stories and it almost put me off having it. but the constant thoughts of suicide were annoying me and i didn't want those things in my head anymore and i thought it surely can't get any worse than it is now. So i had a L4-S1 posterolateral fusion with instrumentation and now 3 months later i am pain free. Please be encouraged , these guys can get it right, sure there are horror stories out there and i know that those people to can be fixed, just hang in there (thats you Pam :wink: ). And to those who are thinking about it please go for it, because you don't want to carry on as you are with pain and always think to yourself, "i wonder if the surgery would have fixed it ?" , i waited 10 years before i finally had the courage to go through with it and i wish i had done it years ago.

This was briefly my situation somedays my pain was bearable , other days I could hardly bend over or climb stairs, (the day I was to have the op in hospital I felt great , always the way though isn’t it! , but I still went through with it)

Heres a few tips if you do decide to go through with it.

1. Firstly ask around about surgeons, find a good one ,ring around as many medical places as you can and ask “who’s the best spinal surgeon?” I managed to speak with a patient of one surgeon who raved about her op and how good this guy was (she had the same problems as me and had the 2 level fusion done to fix it and never regretted it) so I went with him in the end.

2. If you have the op TAKE IT EASY !!!!, no running, jumping , lifting for at least the first 3 months, this was hard for me as i am an active person, but fight the urge!, the best thing you can do is walk, just a little to start with , then go further and further each day.Listen to your body, it will let you know if you over do it (i had this happen twice) I have only just started light running after 3 months but will continue to not do much up until month 6. There is still lots of healing going on inside you, even though you may feel great, TAKE IT EASY PLEASE! , i can not stress that enough. This is major surgery and your body needs lots of time to heal , don't stress it out by thinking that you feel great after 2 months and can do whatever you like. I laid out on the couch for the first 3 weeks and just watched movies, the only thing i did was my walk each day and i believe this aided big time in a successful recovery.

Well that's all for now, if anyone has any questions, please ask me!! and please all those who still have issues from things that have gone wrong , hang in there! and all those considering this type of surgery , as long as you have exhausted all other options (ie physio, chiropractic, orthopaedic methods just as i did as surgery is the last option) then go for it and i wish you the best!

Cheers
Mike :)

PS Don't expect to end up so your as good as you were when you were 18 cause i'm def. not! , but i'm active again without pain and i'm happy with no more suicide thoughts at all.My goal is to beable to play soccer again, i am aiming to play my first game on the 1 year anniversary of my operation.

Mike,

You are now three years postop and how are you doing? I am scheduled for a spinal fusion 9/13/10 and need all the good news about spinal fusions I can get. Where are you now and where were you 9 months postop?

Any help you can give would be appreciated./PatL

http://dl.glitter-graphics.net/pub/6...i085p8my3i.gif
Welcome to NT and good luck with your fusion surgery! I hope it's helps a great deal with your pain.:hug:

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatL (Post 688165)

:)

Mike,

You are now three years postop and how are you doing? I am scheduled for a spinal fusion 9/13/10 and need all the good news about spinal fusions I can get. Where are you now and where were you 9 months postop?

Any help you can give would be appreciated./PatL

Hi Mike,

I would be keen to know as well. I have been trying with conservative treatments for 18 months but am over it and have a discectomy scheduled for end of September, if this does not solve it I'' be heading for L5 S1 fusion also....life is too short to sit on the bench!

:)

Hey guys. 6 months post op l4 - s1 and doing good. At times zero pain but it is a long recovery process. This is major surgery. Best thing to do is to walk, walk and walk. It's great to hear other good results too. At first, all I heard was horror stories. It is amazing what a good surgeon can do. Blows my mind when I see my x-rays with all the hardware in there. I am dealing with other health issues right now but my back is not on the list.

Good luck to you all.
Peace