Hi again;

I had the surgery on Friday night the 12th after a couple of reschedules. I came home yesterday the 16th. Wow, apparently the surgery went well and they really straightened my spine. The doctor put me on flexeril due to muscle spasms in my back (horribly painful) and hydrocodone. I really want off the pain meds but am not sure that is going to happen this week! I am getting around okay with the help of the brace and my youngest son has been helping me a lot. Thank God for children! Today, I get to shower, I can't wait. I'll keep you posted. For now, I want to go lay down.

Abby

Abby

Wow ,you were in and out fast!, i was in for 7 days, but i did have a reaction to the morphine, thats why, no op. problems, but anyway that’s fantastic , glad to hear it went well!. Just remember, rest,rest and more rest! , don’t over do it and be careful, don’t worry about the flexibility at all, that will return, i used to be able to touch my toes pre-op, it’s a bit more of a stretch and effort now but I can still touch them! , but that takes time and it will return

All the best mate!

Seann

Glad to hear yours went well mate and thanks for sharing , its good to get the msg out that there is more than one success story and hopefully if Abby’s goes well, that will make three of us to spread the news and remove that horrible fear of things going wrong when your in that pre-op stage.

Take care!
Mike

Wow 7 days would have driven me to the funny farm. I had a reaction to something as they wheeled me into surgery. All I remember is that the anesthesioligist was keeping an eye on a rash on my legs. And I was horribly nauseated when I woke up. They almost released me on Monday, decided against it and were glad because my BP dropped pretty dramatically Monday night, as did my oxygen, my potassium, pulse, and my temp went up. I guess I scared the nurse pretty good. Today I drove myself to the mall so I could walk. That's a no no, but I live alone and if I wait for someone to take me, I'll never get better. This has been depressing. My son can't always be here and I'm not one to ask for help although I have had many offers, I can't bring myself to accept. Instead I've been trying my damndest, and crying a lot. It's really hard. I wouldn't do it again.

ABBY ARE YOU CRAZY!!!!...what are you doing driving, seriously mate!, you should be resting and walking , why go to the mall, whats wrong with the footpath outside your house, i just use to walk up and down my driveway till i was starting to get sore, then i would go back and lie down straight away. Have you read nothing i wrote about buddy ??...rest rest walk a little and then more rest! , then repeat the next day but walk a little further until you are walking 2 kilometers by week 6. I didn't drive for 6 weeks. DON"T BE PROUD ASK FOR HELP! , dont risk everything you have been through by being proud and then doing damage to your back , please!! , be humble and ask!. Do you want to have another op because you stuffed this one up, or worse it can't be fixed and you become one of these horror stories ?

I only say all this because i want you to have an awesome recovery and i reckon alot of peoples on-going problems post-op are because people expect to much of their body to soon before its actually healed properly, you have basically put your body through a head on car crash damage wise and it takes a long time to come back from that. I hope you act on this and please ask for help.

I wish you the best Abby and stay in touch

Cheers
Mike

Mike:

First thanks for posting your success. People that read these forums need to realize that there are successful outcomes and the people who are here are the ones looking for answers. The successes are living their lives and not sitting at the computer looking for answers.

My question is what did you need the surgery? Were you injured? Many people who have these operations can't return to such active lifestyles because the cause for their surgery is disease driven.

Thanks, Username

Yeah i don't really know what you are trying to say with that first bit as it doesn't make sense, so i won't comment on that till you clarify what you are trying to say. The only reason i am posting is because as a pre-op person i to was scared and looking for answers on here to what my outcome might be and all i found was horror stories, hence i am posting a success story to give others hope and not be afraid to what could be a life changing operation as it was for me. Yes my problem was a degenerative bone problem, not an injury, proberly passed on through the genes to me by my parents. The bone has broken away and was falling apart so my surgeon said. So he put the rods in and fused it all together with the bone from my hip, hence no more pain or nerve issues, the rest of my spine seemed fine he said, just this one area where it was all black and dead.

Hope that helps

Cheers

Hey Kathy, i hope it all turns out well for you mate!

All the best!

I was only one word off, but you got. I meant why did you need the surgery was it due to injury or disease?

No need to answer it 2x!

Thanks,

Gimpy

Hello Abby,

I want to encourage you to walk a bunch. In 2002 I had the rods, screw and hip shaving for L5-S1. I spent eight days in the hospital and had to have a transfusion on the last day just to get out. (I had a major shoulder surgery just 10 days before the back surgery and was wearing a protective shoulder brace into the hospital).

After the back surgery, I went home and was in pain and action gingerly for a day and a half. Finally, I said to hell with it and pushed thru the pain that day, walking up and down stairs to my computer etc.

By the end of the day, all the sore surgical muscles had been unstiffened and I was able to function. I went back to work after two days out of the hospital. In order to get my doctor to release me, I had to promise to walk two miles per day. He removed my staples and I was on my way.

Good luck

Hi all;

First I need to point out, that my doctor has allowed me to drive. This is due to the fact that I am only taking 1/2 of one hydrocodone at night to help me sleep. The rest of the day, due to horrible responses to pain meds, I take Tylenol. This is part of the problem I have had, it doesn't cut the pain.

I am up to walking a full hour per day, 2 miles is what I am managing so far. The pain is slowly dissapating. Getting up seems to be the roughest part and that too, is getting easier each day.

My son has helped a lot, coming over daily to do thing that I still can't do, like raking leaves and vacuuming. Other than that, it's me and 3 cats. That has made it a bit more difficult too.

I did manage to stop by the office yesterday and get a few things done for my staff and am hoping for a work release on Monday. I still get tired easily and have been rather emotional, I think from pain and fatigue.

Also, I did have an injury. Apparently my children should have been born via C-section? The first was a very difficult labor and delivery (22 hours of hard labor) and I had horrible pain the first year after he was born. Then it subsided. My second child was born without a hitch! Apparently the way had been cleared by the first?

It really started bothering me in 1998 and due to degeneration and has gotten progressively worse.

The reality? I would do it all over again if not doing it, meant not having my boys. I adore them and they are worth any amount of pain I may have had, or may now be suffering.