Justine!

I have had trouble logging onto the board for a while and have been wondering how you are doing!

I hope you're still around and will see this. I'll bump it several times because I really am curious about the DRS & if it was all you expected and if you've had any flares, etc.

BTW - my surgery was a success - am very glad I did it.

Talk soon I hope http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif



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gbr

JDD
2 Discograms
4 Level failed IDET
4 Confirmed torn lumbar discs, 2 full thickness
Issues now with c-spine & thoracic
Fusion of L5/S1 scheduled 3/5/03
Fusion successful - feeling better all the time

Hey there! I have not been on the computer in ages- my housemates moved it into the main room- gotta share right?

I have been thinking of you and thought of you on the eve and day of your surgery. So glad to hear that it went well. What kind of recovery process do you face now? Are you able to get up and move about already? Are you pain free? or relatively?

The DRS is fine. I don't have anything either good or bad to say about it, which i suppose is bad. I took a huge leap forward Feb 2- BEFORE I started the DRS Feb. 20 and don't feel like I have had any significant improvement since I started, but it's kinda hard to say. I still get symptoms all the way to my toes. We're up to 75/60 pull (which is quite strong) and he reduced me to 15 degrees (10 for a while and then up to 15). I don't think he's planning on adding more weight (i'm little- 120 lbs). I haven't had any muscle spasms- phew! I have completed 13 treatments. hmmmm.

I did go in for another MRI on sunday and to the amateur eye (mine) my disc looks absolutely no better. It is a huge herniation. I'm trying to get a re-visit with my surgeon (who recommended that i get the MRI and discuss it with him then, and that i shouldn't get surgery until my pain is more than my fear of surgery!) but...he is booked through May and they won't make appointments that far out. So i'm on a list. typical.

So that's that. That's me news.
Talk to you soon...
justine

Hi, Justine

The surgery went very well. I believe all in all a success. Because I'm not on any pain meds and have nothing in my system to dull the pain, my dr. said I can do anything that doesn't cause pain. If it does, don't do it again for a couple of days.

I was off the narcotics the middle of the day after surgery and have not regretted it. I have taken some Extra Strength Tylenol once since I've been home in the evening.

Because I did the whole pt thing for 4 years prior to the surgery, he doesn't feel I would benefit from any more. Just do the exercises I know to do and the stretching - again letting pain be my guide.

I've been walking everyday at least 2x/day for about 1/2 mile each (walking our golden retriever Duke) Yesterday over did it walking a whole mile in one outting so I didn't walk again.

When I get my staples out Wed. then I'll get a rx for aqua therapy (me in a swimming suit - what a joke!) I have tightness where the hardware is when I get up from a sitting position and some pain right above my right butt cheek http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif where I think they had to cut the tendon and I pulled it bad once getting off the commode.

Everyday I see improvement and all the original pain is gone. No more pain down my legs or the original pain in my low back around that level.

I'm still sleeping in the guest bed as I can't roll over in one spot yet. Have to have the whole bed so I can log roll. Oh, well, bit by bit.

So, you're not so sure about the DRS yet, huh? 13 treatments - how many are you going to get. Did you have one a day for the first 2 weeks and then taper to 3X/week. No, you couldn't have done that because we've not talked for so long. How many a week are you doing?

With the DRX, I did every day for 2 weeks, then 3 wks at 3X/wk, then 2 wks -2x/wk and then one more and then occassionally a maintenance if my legs were keeping me up at night.

At least no spasms. Any other pain or anything? Any subtle things like being able to stretch in bed without pain or rolling over with no pain or sleeping through the night one night?

Are you sorry you went through this? I'm just curious. And, what's your next step?

Sorry for all the questions - I'm glad you saw my post, though so we can visit.

Have a good weekend.



------------------
gbr

JDD
2 Discograms
4 Level failed IDET
4 Confirmed torn lumbar discs, 2 full thickness
Issues now with c-spine & thoracic
Fusion of L5/S1 scheduled 3/5/03
Fusion successful - feeling better all the time

WOW! congratulations! I am super excited for you. It must be such a relief after being in pain for so long. And it must feel great to not be on pain meds anymore. How long was your surgery? did they put metal in you? (you referred to 'hardware'), I was thinking that it would be a fusion where they take some bone and graft it between L5-S1? No?

We have a couple of dogs, but i won't even think about walking them. There just about to turn a year old and have had minimal training....outta control. Even in the house i consider them a danger to my health they way they trip me up and stress me out with their barking....their owner is getting a bit better about taking care of them.

So...I started DRS on a wednesday, so i did W,TH, Fr, and then M-F the following week, and then 3X a week for the last two weeks, and next week- that's what i've scheduled so far.

On February 2nd i got a acupressure/shiatsu/tui na massage from a friend of mine and the following day I went on a 20 minute walk with 0, yes 0, pain- and that was in the morning! throughout the afternoon i gradually got a little worse but my pain hasn't gotton to back to where it was before that. It became very managable. I'd say not going above a 6 and mostly staying in the 2-4 range (except it would be 4-6 in the mornings or after a day of pushing it.) I don't feel like i've gotton any better since i started the DRS vs. since that massage, if so, it has been very subtle. (i go for massages every 10 days now).

talk to you soon...gotta jet