Spinal Surgery - Pain Management Message Board

Katirina · 05-16-2007, 03:19 PM

After having severe pain from spinal stenosis and a slipped vetrabrae I had surgery. I was on about 10-12 pain pills a day and working full time. Of course my work was suffering and I only went to work and came home and did nothing on my 3 day weekend (I work 10hr days). I haven't cooked for over a year. One good thing is I work at the same place my husband does and we are on a van pool. I finally saw a surgeon just for an opinion and decided to have surgery. I had surgery almost 4 wks ago - L4-5 Lumar interbody fusion with decompresion - it was not as invasive as some are. All the pain from in my legs is gone except a little nerve pain at night. I still have tailbone pain and the doctor was not sure it would go away with the surgery. I actually didn't have hardly any pain from the incisions or from the cadaver bone they put in. I can't believe how much this has helped me. I am now on 2-4 pain pills a day and feel so good that I am going back to work part time next week. I have two more years and I can retire. Now I feel like I can make it to that point as I wasn't sure before. My husband really thinks my tailbone pain will go away but I am not so sure. Anyway, I want to thank all of you for your posts. This board has been my life support; reading through posts and looking up other people's answers to pain managment was so needed and helpful. I am sure I will continue on the board since I still deal with some pain. I just wanted you to know that I was doing well.

rayefaye · 05-16-2007, 06:31 PM

Hi Katirina

Glad to hear things are looking up for you and that you not suffering as bad as before

I hope the other pain you experiencing will also go away in time.

BrittleBones · 05-17-2007, 06:57 AM

Hi Katrina - I'm happy to hear that your surgery turned out to be the right solution for you. I'm one of those people who has had very good results with all of my surgeries. Each time the docs have gone in to fuse vertabrae or repair a break I have felt so much better. I'm at the point now where surgery isn't going to be an answer for me anymore. My pain now is a combination of nerve pain, tiny compression fractures, hip pain from 3 hip replacement surgeries, rheumatoid arthritis and so on. BUT, I stand by my claim that each operation solved the particular problem that I was experiencing at the time! I hope you continue to recover! All the best - KathyMac

shawley · 05-17-2007, 08:28 AM

Kat I think that tailbone pain will go away in time , I had that pain for month's after my Laminectomy /Fusion my Dr. said I was on my Butt to much

. But I think it was from the nerves being bumbed and stuff.
I know your 4 weeks out and that is not that long ago , Let's pray that the scar tissue don't interfear with your recovery. I like Cathy have many other issues going on . I constantly have pain on around a 4 - 5 scale but deal with it by sitting and not putting pressure on my back. I have Hydrocodones for the real bad day's /nights.

It's good to see positive's on these boards. Hope everything goes well for you and you retire a healthy woman.