my papers from the hospital say limit sitting to 40 minutes. Does that mean a day or per session?

Also, is it possible I wasn't cathed, thats what they told me a few times, but I still couldn't pee forever, as if i were?

I had the bone graph from the hip but no incision, he said he was able to get it from the one site. I think he got it from the left as its more sore.

I still have to find a family doctor as mine moved, and hopefully my old one will treat me, he is closer than my surgeon etc.

They didn't tell me or my family how many screws rods or any details except that a spacer was put in....is that weird?

Should I be taking calcium?

Okay my list goes on....dee dee dee :)

the 40 minutes usually refers to per session. I limited myself to 15 minutes at a time for the computer, and 20 minutes per hour in a rocker or recliner, and gradually increased the time weekly. If you want to know how many rods, screw, etc., ask the surgeon for a copy of the surgical report. I had 2 level fusion, and have 6 screws, 6 locking nuts, 2 cages, and 4 rods. They also usually do take the bone from the left side, and can get it without another incision. The usually put the catheter in after you are asleep, and sometimes take it out while your asleep before you go to recovery. Do not take ibuprofen or motrin for 1 year. Do take the meds as prescibed, and don't overdo things. My surgery was done in Dec., and to be honest, I am worse than before. Ask your surgeon about the calcium, I don't see where it would it hurt anything. Hope this helps. Have a speedy recovery, and hoefully your pain and discomfort will end soon!!!

Pat

my papers from the hospital say limit sitting to 40 minutes. Does that mean a day or per session?

I would spread this out to maybe 10 minutes at a time per day in the beginning.

Also, is it possible I wasn't cathed, thats what they told me a few times, but I still couldn't pee forever, as if i were?

I find it hard to believe they did not cath you during the surgery. They must have taken it out while you were sedated.

I had the bone graph from the hip but no incision, he said he was able to get it from the one site. I think he got it from the left as its more sore.

I believe they pull back the skin.

I still have to find a family doctor as mine moved, and hopefully my old one will treat me, he is closer than my surgeon etc.

I would want to be treated by my surgeon. He has more expertise in the back issues than a family doctor.

They didn't tell me or my family how many screws rods or any details except that a spacer was put in....is that weird?

I imagine they probably did; however, with the stress of the day they did not absorb it all. It is very hard on the family waiting all that time. They are just happy to hear that you came thru the surgery well.
Should I be taking calcium?

My doctor has me taking calcium with vitamin D daily to help the bone fuse. You might want to give your doctor's office a call unless your post op visit is soon then you can ask him at that time.

Okay my list goes on....dee dee dee :)

Yeah, per session for the 40 minute sitting limitation, but like Pepper said, that's probably too much in the beginning. My doctor didn't tell me either how many screws, etc. I asked him at one of my follow-ups. I keep a running list of questions for my next appt all the time. He's probably sick of seeing me come in with my little notebook, but I don't go away still wondering.

Calcium is probably good to take, but you need vitamin D, manganese, and magnesium in order to absorb it well. If you get the kind with the supplements, it'll all be in the one tablet. Just read the bottle to make sure before you buy it. Don't take too much, though. You can only absorb 600 mg at a time, and if you take too much you can get kidney stones.

I had bone grafts taken from my hip during with my first fusion. They just curved the bottom of the incision a little toward that side, so only the one incision was needed.

Wish we didn't all have reason to know all this stuff.

Emily :wave:

I still haven't even seen the incisiion, the papers said that I can take off the bandage if still on at ten days..so that would be tomorrow. its funny they have it all banadaged, but say watch for signs of infection when you can't see it...weird.

Yvette
I am so glad you are feeling better. My papers told me no sitting longer than 30 minutes you got lucky 10 minutes longer. I don't think I can sit for 30 minutes.

Sitting is probably the hardest. Went to church and had to sit in the back cuz I had to stand in the back.

They told me to check my incision for infection every day. My bandages came off at about day 7-8. I changed it everyday.

I am sure you were catherized during surgery they probably took it out before you woke up. I had mine until the next day.

I am glad the surgery is over What about you. The beach is much more fun.

Weird about the whole bandage thing, so after the steri stips things come off do you keep it rebandaged or let air get to it, i know my stitches are all disolvable.

Yep, they catherized you but must have removed it before you were coherent.

I actually put myself on a calcium/magnesium supplement about 2 weeks post fusion, because I was having leg cramps(spasms) that were horrendous and lasted for many many hours. Nothing I had here was working, including the muscle relaxers, anelgesics, hot showers.. nada.

An Alchemist told me about getting on calcium/magnesium as my body was probably extremely decifient after being on so many medications, the surgery etc.. the body was majorly off balance.

He was right! I took the calcium that day and the spasms stopped!! And I slept much better also. My body was more relaxed. Calcium is not only needed for bones, but also for proper muscle contraction/relaxation as well.
This is a substance that our bodies require that is natural and unless you are avoiding calcium due to a medical condition (i.e. - kidney stones, etc.) it will not cause you any harm.

As a norm.. for each rod = 2 screws (one top/bottom).

It is said that sitting will not harm your fusion, but is a pain issue. That is why they tell you to limit your sitting and also to keep you from getting overly stiff. (In the old days [for you youngins that would be 10 years ago].. we were confined to little or not movement to let our surgery heal. Now, it's move often, be up often.)

My doc basically said.. let pain be your guide. It will tell you know what you can and can't do, notwithstanding the BLT of course.

Hang in there. Tammy:wave:

Hi Guys,
Yvette, 10 days already, wow, I bet it seems like a longer time than that to you. It does sound like your doing ok, I remember all those questions too, I grilled my doc every time he came into my room, I was in there 11 days so I had ALL kinds of time to think of things, hehe. By the time I went home I think I knew more than the doc did. Every fusion I had I found different questions that needed addressed. But it sounds like your recovery is right on track so don't worry too much, I know thats easy to say.

I'm sorry I'm not really on here like I have been, I just can't get it together in my head yet, but i'm back here lurking and once in a while a post hits me and I have to reply. I feel so out of the loop since I have missed so many posts, not knowing how things are with each of you. I'll be back to myself soon.

Oh, my doc told me to take centrum senior for the extra bone stuff.

God Bless

Carol

Hi yvette,
I'm four days post and they took the staples out of my front incsion today. they take out the back on the 27th.I started taking the calcium after reading about it here.I'm a little concern about a BM.I have only had one and i can't seem to make it happen

Vette,

My wrap was on for the first 10 days, then they pulled the staples out and put the sterile strips on. I was then allowed to get the incision wet and the strips fell off on there own.

There are other signs of infection that you can look for besides seeing, like fever, chills, vomiting ect. I'm sure your gonna do great and be fine.

If you really want to know before your appt., about the rods and screws, call your surgeons office. I called my surgeons secretary and she told me. They had told me in the hospital, but I was to out of it to remember. Definately a question I wanted to know the answer to though.

Take care

hurry and get some dulcolax, because even though they were giving me stuff in the hosptial like colace it didn't help, and lets just say I cried when I finally went.

Isn't it strange how you can (well me personally) can only remember a few seconds of thngs from the hospital, I only remember a few seconds of the ride home, remember it was painful.

My mom said in recovery when waking up I was talking about the fentalyn killing people, and the nurse said she didn't know of anything like this ever happening....the other nurse said she did. I ofcourse (don't remember this conversation) was talking about my mom's surgery last summer when they overdosed her and she almost died. She had the leaking fentalyn patch, and people have died....but anyway I was in there talking up a storm about it, don't remember any of it. Except they kept telling me I was not cathed at all, which still makes no sense to me.

Hi yvette,
I'm four days post and they took the staples out of my front incsion today. they take out the back on the 27th.I started taking the calcium after reading about it here.I'm a little concern about a BM.I have only had one and i can't seem to make it happen

They put me on colace in the hospital each day, it did not work, then they added senokot. I suceeded.

Once at home I went on fibercon. 2 tablets per day and it does the trick.

Don't let this get out of sequence to much or you will have some mighty extreme pain.

Take care.

yeah they had been giving me colace and pepcid and then at home I took some fiber con, which usually works, nothing. Then a customer who was a nurse told the h to get me dulcolax, I didn't want anything that would give me the runs ya know.

Whew glad that's over.

The day after my surgery they made me get out of bed and sit in a freaken chair for an hour or longer..Yvette how many level's did you have fused ? I only had one level (so far) and they used 4 screws . Them suckers are about 3" long to. My buddy looked at my films and said no wonder your in pain :dizzy: .

My Dr. told me he was going to get bone from my hip to..I ask him later which one and he said he got enough out of my old bone ? But I still had the pain in the left side..I wish they pulled that catheter out of me before I awoke..It wasn't pleasant let me tell you..Before my 3rd surgery the nurse told me that they were going to put in the catheter and I said your not touching that unless I'm knocked out ,,they were going to try to do it but I got a little mad and they changed there mind..I'm sure they were ruff with it while I was out..I didn't feel a thing going in...But woo hoo comming out was a different story.

they fused one level, I guess :) my only problem was L5-S1 so do they attatch it to L4 see I don't even know what the hell they did, they did say they put in a spacer and did get my bone from hip without an additional surgery.

I hate those damn cathers and believe it is inhumane to give them to anyone awake. This is whats confusing, the anesthesiologist, told me in the operating room that they would do it when I was asleep, then after my surgery they told me several times i wasn't cathed at all????? That still makes no sense, but who cares I guess...either way I still couldn't pee for a few days.

Ya know they never had me sit up, and they never waited for me to have a bm either before sending me hope. They didn't even help me with my food, they'd push it over my bed and i couldn't reach it unless I had family there, I would grab something and eat laying down....to bad I didn't loose any weight.

Yvett ,
I'm pretty sure you had a catheter ,they don't like golden showers when there operating :D And you probably have 4 screws 2 rods and a spacer like me ,they put the screws through your vertebra's( L4 and S1 )

Wait till you see your xrays , your gonna flip out. The screws are like 3" long and looks like a woodscrew. Sounds like the hospital here close to home..Very mean nurses,, think we owe them the world..I got into a agrument with one nurse where I had my surgery , I ask for my pain meds and she said I'll be right there..15 minutes later and still outside my window talking to other nurses I buzzed her again ,she came in and got mouthy with me , telling me to have patience.. Wow wrong thing to do to me , I was boiling mad , I gave her a few choice words and demanded to speak to her boss , the next day I told her head nurse I don't respect being treated the way I was and that I decided to use this hospital and never again will , I told her patience should be first priority..She said well nurse so n so was busy..I told her she was outside my window talking to nurse so n so for 15 minuted and couldn't step in my door to hand my meds ? I'll never go there again ,But I was treated better after I snitched her out..lol

Yes those screws and rods do look scary on the x-rays. My hubby took one look, looked at the doctor, and said DA-- its a good thing those aren't in my back. He was speechless the remainder of the visit and could not remember one thing my surgeon said. Some help he was!! I think it gave him a new perspective.

Hey Yvette, I think hubby should go with you to your first post op visit so he can see those x-rays. It might make a difference to him in the way he is treating you.

Yeah, they're not screws. They're Frankenstein bolts! :dizzy:

Emily

Yvette,

Becuase my back broke, they had to go in and take out the hardware they had put in and put in two longer (15") rods with BIGGER screws. I went from the blue screwss to the gold colored ones. The sterilized some of the hardware they took out and gave it to me. HOLY CRIPES! My kitchen cabinets have smaller screws in them! When we asked the surgeon where he got them, he smiled and said the local hardware store...just rinses them off.... ;)
I now have 20 of those puppies in me. He told he it's about 3 lbs of metal that he put in me. Lucky that we have titanium now as it is light weight than the metal that the used to use....

You should see folks faces when I show them what he took out. They sure get quiet....

Hi Guys,
Just a lil humor for the day, my hubby calls me spike ever since he saw the xrays, hehe.

Carol

I don't think xrays or anything is gonna get me any sympathy from him lol, he's seen the xrays of others who were fused. We aren't getting along at all, but I really don't want to focus on that ya know...one day I will heal. Enough said. Trust me if I told you all thats happened you'd probably all be over here with your walkers and canes beating his *** lol. Oh well I do have alot to be grateful for. This morning my parents came over that was nice, alot of people don't come to visit cause I live so far away, atleast I think that's why :) you know, during times like these you find out who your true friends are and who people really are to. I hope you all have pain free days. I'm laying on my ice pack feels good.

Hi Yvette,
I"m glad you enjoyed your family visiting, your right you do get to see the REAL people when your going thru this. Keep happy thoughts inside you today.

God Bless

Carol

Yvette,
How funny, I'm listening to the radio while online, lean on me is playing now. It should say lean on us, lean on all of us here. You have been there for many now it's your turn.

God Bless

Carol

Hi Yvette: I hope your post surgical pain is getting better and each day brings new improvments. Just remember you'll get *your* day with the other stuff that's going on. Good Luck and you're in my thoughts and prayers.:angel:

Yvette
I so hope that you are feeling better. Now is not the time for all the stress. I know you can't prevent his actions but try not to dwell on him. He is the one with the problem. You work on getting better so you can make everything better then.

Hope you are having a better day.

My evening improved..thank god.. I went for a longer walk and sat outside it was beautiful out, I only hung out sitting for about fifteen minutes but it was really nice. I had a shower, and a nice dinner. I am now writing a letter to my surgeon, well working on it, thanking him for giving me back hope. And trying to explain alot of crap,we as spineys have to go through, and how when a doctor acts like he cares and is listening...and doesnt' blow you off saying your to young...that it changes familys lives. I told him he gave me back my hope. Hell I don't know if he'll ever "get" what the letter says...but hopefully he does...so that maybe he remembers that the things he says and does affects lives more than he could ever know.

Glad to hear that you had a much deserved and well needed good night. Alot of times yvette, we dont think to write to our dr.s and express just what they've done to help improve our lives, but they do need to know, it helps keep the human being part of it all real, and it makes them feel appreciated. What a great idea!! I told my surgeon, thanks so much after surgery and at my appointments everytime, but I never followed up with a letter. Your so thoughtful.

Take good care and I'm really glad that you had such a good night. :)

What got me, was the night I had surgery, I was in bed screaming :) and they said they had to call him to get approval for meds or different ones or whatever. It was two am. I said call him at this time, I felt bad, they said he's in an emergengcey surgery right now here at the hospital. Then ofcourse he was at the hospital sat and sunday.

I know he's married and has kids, and I can't imagine being a wife to a surgeon ya know. I wrote in the letter that I know his family must really miss him, and they know he is helping people, but I don't know if they realize to what extent. i am asking him to share the letter with his family.

I just want the doctors who care and listen, to realize how much they make a difference, and in my case the doctor accepted medicaid as payment...these docs could be making ten times the money, and it is evident some of them aren't in it for the money.....and i want him to know he has made a difference in my whole family's life whether my surgery turns out to be a sucess or not.

I regret not knowing the names of the nurses who took such good care of me one in particular, I am going to call the hospital and try to find out the name, I wish I had some sort of money or gift to send, but I don't so I will just try to send a letter, and hope they realize they made a difference.

My nurse that was my favorite was this huge black man about 300 lbs or more, he could easily pick me up and help me. But he had a good sensce of humor even when I was in so much pain, he cracked me up. I was on the toilet crying that it hurt, and he say's, well hell yah lady it hurts you just had someone slice you open with a knife...it was funny and reality :)