[fmiyakaw]

Greetings, all,

For those of you contemplating surgery or waiting for a scheduled surgery, I want to share my post-op progress.

As I wrote in another post, I had surgery with Dr. F in Dallas, 3 weeks ago today. (I had 4 large bilateral cysts, two at S3 and two at S4.) Yesterday I drove to Dallas for my post-op visit. He and his nurse were enormously pleased with my progress. My surgical site is almost completely healed. I am up to walking over a mile a day (still broken into 2 walks, but I'll take it!), and I'm walking with little to no pain. Most of my challenges since surgery have been dealing with unexpected after effects: I had a rash on my chest (I now know that I'm allergic to Dilaudid); I've had terrible inflammation where my IV was (my nerves are super sensitive); and I had epic constipation (no bowel movement for 9 days! Don't let that happen to you!) that resulted in equally epic hemorrhoids. But all of those issues are slowly resolving themselves. I'm not at 100% in terms of energy, but I hadn't been at 100% for months and months. 80% feels great!

Sitting is still a bit complicated because of the hemorrhoids, but when I do sit, I no longer feel like I'm sitting on a rock. I have no more shooting pains down my legs, just a bit of occasional numbness in my thighs, which Dr. F predicts will lesson over time. My entire perineal are is still numb from surgery, but that, too, is slowly getting better. Dr. F tells me to expect a small spike in pain around 3 months post-op (and I'll report back).

I went to my acupuncturist last Saturday. He worked on points to speed healing, increase my energy, and alleviate my post-surgical symptoms. That visit helped tremendously.

And here's one strange thing that may be specific to me: in the months before surgery I lost my ability to tolerate coffee int he morning. My husband makes espresso for us every morning, and it began to nauseate me back in spring. I tried drip coffee for a while, and was able to tolerate it less and less. By 2 weeks before surgery, I was down to tea in the morning. Coffee was out of the question. But by a few days after surgery, I was back to my morning espresso. Nausea is gone! It's the little things. (:

So as I sit here typing this, my pain level is at 0. ZERO! I'm only taking tramadol for pain and with it I'm at zero pain for much of the day. For the first time in a long time I feel very hopeful about a pain-free future. I wish this for all of you, too.


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[Bridges]

Thanks, Fmiyakaw, for the positive report!
I know you can reassure many patients with your accurate and detailed descriptions, (although some may feel they are too detailed!)
I have encouraged patients to closely monitor their diet prior to surgery, as the medications are known to cause severe constipation.
I expect you will have recurring pain in some areas, as a result of tissue or nerve damage. It will heal. Always give your body the best of everything: nutrition, exercise, rest, water, etc. Avoid stress, tobacco, over-work, excess alcohol consumption.
Prior to my surgery I walked, but only with the aid of two canes or walking (trekking) poles. Post surgery, I continued with the poles, and finally was able to walk again unaided. That seems so long ago, and like yesterday.
Welcome to the club! And, thanks again for sharing.

"Bridges"