IzzyFuzzy
11-21-2004, 01:32 AM
I'm back home tonight (11-20-04). Stayed overnight in hospital just once, was released 27 hours after surgery ended.
Woke up after surgery with significant return of left arm strength and I percieve less nerve pain. Dr. found several significant bone spurs which added about 1-1/2 hours to surgery. He says that they were the cause of more trouble than my bulging disks.
Now fighting surgery site pain and very raw throat. I developed some bad muscle cramps because I was not allowed to move after surgery for 25 hours. Dr. waited to put me in my collar that long. Had my lie flat on my back with sandbags on each side of my head (allowed me no more than 15 degree head elevation). This made it very difficult to swallow any water or broth, but found that I could use a sponge on a stick provided by the nurses.
Will write more later...
Thanks for helping me through!
Izzy
Woke up after surgery with significant return of left arm strength and I percieve less nerve pain. Dr. found several significant bone spurs which added about 1-1/2 hours to surgery. He says that they were the cause of more trouble than my bulging disks.
Now fighting surgery site pain and very raw throat. I developed some bad muscle cramps because I was not allowed to move after surgery for 25 hours. Dr. waited to put me in my collar that long. Had my lie flat on my back with sandbags on each side of my head (allowed me no more than 15 degree head elevation). This made it very difficult to swallow any water or broth, but found that I could use a sponge on a stick provided by the nurses.
Will write more later...
Thanks for helping me through!
Izzy
Sponsor
DonnaKay
11-21-2004, 01:52 AM
You sound so happy! I wish you continued improvement. :-D
nero
11-21-2004, 08:00 AM
You are a brave soul...you did it and it shall be worth it..good continued success.
We need an onslaught of good outcomes right about now...so keep up the good work.
nearly new..eventually. Nero :rolleyes:
We need an onslaught of good outcomes right about now...so keep up the good work.
nearly new..eventually. Nero :rolleyes:
solardust
11-21-2004, 08:40 AM
:wave: Hi Izzy,Gee's that must have been a long 25 hours for you! :eek: I know after my heart cath I had to stay flat on my back,with sand weights on my legs, it was no picinic,it was crueling,so I am happy thats behind ya :bouncing: now ya just have to take it easy, try and relax, and heal, Take care , keep in touch,and Congrats! :D Diana
IzzyFuzzy
11-23-2004, 08:32 PM
Hi again, and thanks!
Well, I posted this thread on Saturday (the day I arrived home) to let you know that I was doing well. Unfortunately, Sunday and Monday were pretty rotten. It is Tuesday now, and I am a bit better again.
My problem has mostly been muscle spasms throughout my upper back and shoulders. I expected that this would happen and voiced my concerns pre-op and post-op, but my NS assured me that it would not. Consequently (since my NS is not the same doctor who was treating my chronic pain) I was prescribed less pain medication post-op than I have been taking daily for the past two years.
I thought it was strange that the nurses kept encouraging me to use more of the IV pain meds, yet only a few hours later I was sent home with only a few Percocet and no muscle relaxers. By Sunday, I was covered with muscle spasms and actually delirious w/pain.
Since Monday, I have monitored my pain meds to the minute 24 hrs/day to avoid falling into the hole of pain again. I have been using Flexeril that I have on hand, and, while I still am having much more muscle spasms than I have had at any time since last winter, I am able to move around better today.
Also, my history of athsma and pneumonia after anesthesia went unheard at the hospital, so I have had a real hard time getting enough oxygen since I arrived home. I have been using a steam humidifier and my own nebulizer with Albuterol, and by forcing myself to cough, I have opened up my airway by bringing out some thick nasty stuff out about once or twice a day.
One tip I would like to share: When my wound dressing was changed immediately prior to release from the hospital, the doctor used a spray adhesive all over my neck to make a rather large gauze bandage. While I was still flat on my back, he slid the collar under the back of my neck and velcro'ed it together. The adhesive overspay glued the collar to my neck. The NS wants the collar to stay on 24/7 until he sees me again next Monday.
Having the collar glued to the skin of my neck has been VERY uncomfortable, especially since the glue has pulled my skin around sideways...
I am up and walking, however.
Thanks for listening! :)
Well, I posted this thread on Saturday (the day I arrived home) to let you know that I was doing well. Unfortunately, Sunday and Monday were pretty rotten. It is Tuesday now, and I am a bit better again.
My problem has mostly been muscle spasms throughout my upper back and shoulders. I expected that this would happen and voiced my concerns pre-op and post-op, but my NS assured me that it would not. Consequently (since my NS is not the same doctor who was treating my chronic pain) I was prescribed less pain medication post-op than I have been taking daily for the past two years.
I thought it was strange that the nurses kept encouraging me to use more of the IV pain meds, yet only a few hours later I was sent home with only a few Percocet and no muscle relaxers. By Sunday, I was covered with muscle spasms and actually delirious w/pain.
Since Monday, I have monitored my pain meds to the minute 24 hrs/day to avoid falling into the hole of pain again. I have been using Flexeril that I have on hand, and, while I still am having much more muscle spasms than I have had at any time since last winter, I am able to move around better today.
Also, my history of athsma and pneumonia after anesthesia went unheard at the hospital, so I have had a real hard time getting enough oxygen since I arrived home. I have been using a steam humidifier and my own nebulizer with Albuterol, and by forcing myself to cough, I have opened up my airway by bringing out some thick nasty stuff out about once or twice a day.
One tip I would like to share: When my wound dressing was changed immediately prior to release from the hospital, the doctor used a spray adhesive all over my neck to make a rather large gauze bandage. While I was still flat on my back, he slid the collar under the back of my neck and velcro'ed it together. The adhesive overspay glued the collar to my neck. The NS wants the collar to stay on 24/7 until he sees me again next Monday.
Having the collar glued to the skin of my neck has been VERY uncomfortable, especially since the glue has pulled my skin around sideways...
I am up and walking, however.
Thanks for listening! :)
dennisgb
11-24-2004, 11:03 AM
Izzy,
Glad to hear your doing better.
The collar is bad enough, having it glued to your neck... :confused:
Here in the states, they usually give us a thing to blow in that causes you to cough and get that icky stuff from the antestesia to come up, because it causes problems (pneumonia), for many people...your not alone on this.
I'm surprised your surgeon said you would not have problems with muscle spasms. This is what most of us are dealing with. I still have them 18 weeks later.
Keep the spirits up, it will be worth it.
Dennis
Glad to hear your doing better.
The collar is bad enough, having it glued to your neck... :confused:
Here in the states, they usually give us a thing to blow in that causes you to cough and get that icky stuff from the antestesia to come up, because it causes problems (pneumonia), for many people...your not alone on this.
I'm surprised your surgeon said you would not have problems with muscle spasms. This is what most of us are dealing with. I still have them 18 weeks later.
Keep the spirits up, it will be worth it.
Dennis
tintx
11-24-2004, 10:15 PM
Hello, Izzy,
Glad to hear it's getting better after getting worse. I just came home this evening. Had 1 level fusion yesterday afternoon at C4-5, with autograft. J dearest is out getting my steroid, vicodin and robaxin as I write this. Poor dear, he has had to endure about two days of my mood swings, which I think were due before to work, worry and stress, then today due to my low tolerance for hospitals and a bad reaction to some pain pills they gave me. I feel better now, though I just called J while he was at the pharmacy and told him he wouldn't have to pick up a priest for an exorcism after all, ha-ha. It's good to be home.
Sorry that the hospital/dr was unconcerned about your respiratory issues. I told my anesthesiologist, when I met him before surgery, that I'd had a cold for 3 weeks, so he listened to my lungs, declared acute bronchitis, said the surgery would be fine, but ordered a breathing treatment before I went under. I had three treatment post op, too. The resp therapist talked about how important it is to get the stuff out of the lower lobes since anesthesia causes drainage into them. Glad to hear you're working on that, maybe guafinesin (spelling?) would help, I use that and lots of liquids, when I have a cold, and I got some albuterol since the surgery. On a regular basis though, Advair has worked wonders for me!
I get pretty cranky with surgery, etc., and I guess my philosophy is to be demanding. If I need meds, I'm going to bug someone until I get them. If what I've got isn't good enough, they'll be hearing from me. I've really no patience with the opiate misers, it's BS when you've got legitimate pain, no? I haven't had any painkillers prior to surgery besides ibuprofen and flexeril, and I've endured enough. Are you picking up on my militant attitude?!
I haven't had many spasms, a little in the crescent of my left shoulder blade, but I think I'm going to start Robaxin prophylactically. My hip is the sorest, but walking does seem to help it, and it will probably keep me from overdoing it anyway. I don't do "bed" very well!
Sounds like your collar is uncomfortable, did you have any instrumentation? I have a plate, so am wearing a soft collar in the house, hard if I go out.
Thanks for your posts, fuzzy! And continued good luck with your recovery. :wave:
Tintx
Glad to hear it's getting better after getting worse. I just came home this evening. Had 1 level fusion yesterday afternoon at C4-5, with autograft. J dearest is out getting my steroid, vicodin and robaxin as I write this. Poor dear, he has had to endure about two days of my mood swings, which I think were due before to work, worry and stress, then today due to my low tolerance for hospitals and a bad reaction to some pain pills they gave me. I feel better now, though I just called J while he was at the pharmacy and told him he wouldn't have to pick up a priest for an exorcism after all, ha-ha. It's good to be home.
Sorry that the hospital/dr was unconcerned about your respiratory issues. I told my anesthesiologist, when I met him before surgery, that I'd had a cold for 3 weeks, so he listened to my lungs, declared acute bronchitis, said the surgery would be fine, but ordered a breathing treatment before I went under. I had three treatment post op, too. The resp therapist talked about how important it is to get the stuff out of the lower lobes since anesthesia causes drainage into them. Glad to hear you're working on that, maybe guafinesin (spelling?) would help, I use that and lots of liquids, when I have a cold, and I got some albuterol since the surgery. On a regular basis though, Advair has worked wonders for me!
I get pretty cranky with surgery, etc., and I guess my philosophy is to be demanding. If I need meds, I'm going to bug someone until I get them. If what I've got isn't good enough, they'll be hearing from me. I've really no patience with the opiate misers, it's BS when you've got legitimate pain, no? I haven't had any painkillers prior to surgery besides ibuprofen and flexeril, and I've endured enough. Are you picking up on my militant attitude?!
I haven't had many spasms, a little in the crescent of my left shoulder blade, but I think I'm going to start Robaxin prophylactically. My hip is the sorest, but walking does seem to help it, and it will probably keep me from overdoing it anyway. I don't do "bed" very well!
Sounds like your collar is uncomfortable, did you have any instrumentation? I have a plate, so am wearing a soft collar in the house, hard if I go out.
Thanks for your posts, fuzzy! And continued good luck with your recovery. :wave:
Tintx
IzzyFuzzy
11-25-2004, 07:11 PM
Happy Thanksgiving!
As I write today, I'm feeling much better - I guess I was just cranky the last time I wrote. I have been breathing better lately so have not been paying as much attention to that aspect, although I do think I still have some junk down low in my lungs. My mother got me an appointment with a very good respiratory specialist next week, so If I am developing pneumonia we'll get it figured out soon.
The Guiafenisen is a GREAT idea. I push it on my children whenever they have troubles like this, but for some reason it didn't occur to me to use it on myself! (A doctor once told me that my allergies/athsma were caused by a "defective gene" and I passed it on to my kids :rolleyes: Not one to beat around the bush, that doctor!!)
Shortly after I last wrote, I lied down in bed and (literally) peeled off the front of my Phila******a collar and my wife placed a new liner on it and cleaned up my neck. The stickyness has been much easier to deal with since.
So, anyway, things are getting better after all.
One question...what causes napjerks? Those annoying body jerks that snap you wide awake when you are trying to doze? I have had several over the last few days that actually made both arms and legs fly way out and even knock stuff off of my bedside table! They scare me sometimes how violent they can be :eek:
Thanks again folks and hang in there Tintx!
As I write today, I'm feeling much better - I guess I was just cranky the last time I wrote. I have been breathing better lately so have not been paying as much attention to that aspect, although I do think I still have some junk down low in my lungs. My mother got me an appointment with a very good respiratory specialist next week, so If I am developing pneumonia we'll get it figured out soon.
The Guiafenisen is a GREAT idea. I push it on my children whenever they have troubles like this, but for some reason it didn't occur to me to use it on myself! (A doctor once told me that my allergies/athsma were caused by a "defective gene" and I passed it on to my kids :rolleyes: Not one to beat around the bush, that doctor!!)
Shortly after I last wrote, I lied down in bed and (literally) peeled off the front of my Phila******a collar and my wife placed a new liner on it and cleaned up my neck. The stickyness has been much easier to deal with since.
So, anyway, things are getting better after all.
One question...what causes napjerks? Those annoying body jerks that snap you wide awake when you are trying to doze? I have had several over the last few days that actually made both arms and legs fly way out and even knock stuff off of my bedside table! They scare me sometimes how violent they can be :eek:
Thanks again folks and hang in there Tintx!
Duckdog
11-26-2004, 10:47 AM
I had the same jerks when I would doze off, and your right... they do scare the hell out of ya!.. Mine kind of just went away after a month or two. They gave me Flexeril and it did not do crap for me. I use Norflex now and 2.5 MG valium at times to ease the muscle spasms now. I never take them together and use the valium for quicker results, say if I ride four wheeler or something like that and get sore. In fact, I have found that it is better to take something before I get involved in something that I suspect may flare things up.
You have a long road ahead, but it will slowly get better. The last thing they told me at the N.S. office was that ANY new activity, no matter how trivial, will bring on some discomfort. I always keep that in mind and it helps me reason why I might hurt on any given day.
You have a long road ahead, but it will slowly get better. The last thing they told me at the N.S. office was that ANY new activity, no matter how trivial, will bring on some discomfort. I always keep that in mind and it helps me reason why I might hurt on any given day.