surgery day is almost here (lumbar) -tips? - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

Wymom94 · 05-17-2008, 01:02 AM

Hi all, I had my neck surgery 5 weeks ago (today) and am going in for my lumbar surgery just days from now. I was told at my pre-op that I should only sit for 15 minutes every few hours for quite a little chunk of my initial recovery time. That is not a part I'm looking forward to. I understand why it's important, was told that sitting puts direct pressure on the nerves I'l have just had 'freed' (that not being a good thing to do for a little while, 'til I'm more healed). I've been trying to imagine what it will be like to almost always be horizontal or vertical and not sitting. How has everyone else managed that aspect of lumbar recovery? Any tips? After a month, I'll have to be away from home 5 days a week for about 4 hours each day -and driving again, at last, but by then I'll be able to sit more, so that's become my 'focal point' for recovery --getting to that one month mark and getting back to 'things' then. Oh, my husband and I purchased the raised toilet seat for my lumbar recovery today, but are debating whether or not to buy a hand grips for the toilet area. Did any of you need or use this --or find it was not necessary? Also, did anyone else who's had 2 closely timed surgeries have a problem with still being bloated/distended from the 1st when they went in for the 2nd? That's my only pre-op complaint, that my belly is still poking out farther than my breasts do (which was not the case before I had my acdf). I have this secret fear that I'll wake from #2 w/ my skin stretched to the max w/ additional bloat added on.
Thanks everyone,
Meghan

Moldova · 05-18-2008, 09:23 AM

Meghan,
first of all - best of luck to you, sweet heart! What an ordeal in such a short time!!!

I hope you will have a sucsess story to tell for all of us later...
I survived 2 lumbar fusions with hardware and a lot more. IF you want to find out more information about lumbar surgeries Back pain and Pain Mgmt boards can be very helpful to you. A lots of us in there have something to share about post-op experience.

Take good care and best of luck to you!!!

Wymom94 · 05-29-2008, 08:02 PM

Thank you for responding, Moldova. I did go to the back board before my surgery (after reading your post) and searched for info to help me out. It did help. I'm 8 days out now from my lumbar surgery (almost 7 weeks out from my acdf) and things are finally getting good. We propped our keyboard and mouse/mouse pad on boxes and tilted the computer screen up so I can check email while standing -and that's how I'm typing this now.
I was doing incredibly well when I first came out of anesthesia and for the first night and morning after (not counting the nausea and vomiting). I was in some serious pain, but it was what I expected (at the surgical site) and I was able to be somewhat mobile fairly quickly. Then, I tanked and hit an afternoon and evening of great difficulty and setbacks that were absolutely awful, sent my pain sky high and brought back the sciatic pain down both legs that I hadn't felt right after waking. I 'roller coastered' with recovery going up, down, up, down for a bit more and and now pretty certain I'm on a more even keel with it. I was discharged before I was ready to go home (w/, imo, inadequate meds) and my first 3 days at home were awful. I've done much better the past 3 days and was able to get adequate meds soon after coming home, which are a large part, I think, of why I am doing better now. Family, friends, acquaintances, and neighbors all pitching in to provide round-the-clock care and help are another large part of why I'm doing well now (and survived the hardest days at home). I'm not using my walker anymore!

) I'm slow (of course) when walking and I tire easily (rest a LOT), but I'm so excited that I'm not using my walker or cane and can stand and walk for much longer periods than I could before surgery. I still have some sciatic pain, but it hasn't 'spiked' like it did earlier in my recovery (or before surgery). My surgical site is still very sore and painful, but I think that's to be expected after only 8 days. I didn't realize my incisision would be so long and I was very upset when I first saw it (it looked 'spread open' even though it wasn't, and red, raw, ugly to me). Now, it just itches like crazy. We did rent a hospital bed at the last minute (the day I came home) after realizing our wonderful new bed was not going to work out after all (not for my immediate recovery anyway). That has been one of the best things we've done and I'm so glad we did it (even though it was costly for us). It makes things much easier for me. I use my reacher-grabber whenever I can and it feels good to be able to do some things myself b/c of having it --although, I'm taking it very easy and not 'doing' a lot. My adbdomen was quite distended still since my first surgery, when I had my 2nd, and it is now even more so, which is now painful as well as uncomfortable, but we're trying to get it under control. I'm not sure how long I will take pain meds, but I hope to move 'down' in strength in another few days or by 2 weeks. Right now I'm taking percocet, motrin, and flexerill for the pain. I'd like to bump down to vicodin or norco soon and then cut my 800mg motrin down to 400mg. I like to 'wean' myself down and do it gradually rather than cold turkey (went cold turkey last time and it was really hard on me).
Thank you, Molodova and eveyone else who has ever posted advice, tips, and encouragement as I moved toward and then through both of my spinal surgeries. I am so glad to be done with them and hope to find out that I have optimal outcomes for my situation (with each).
Take care everyone,
Meghan

lilydilly · 05-30-2008, 06:53 PM

Hi, I had disc replacement in the lumbar region 7 years ago, and so far it's been wonderful. Just a bit of advice from my own experience.
I went ahead so well after surgery that by the time I left the hospital the only pain killer I was taking was panadol.
At 5 weeks I thought I had faced the worst, and it was all an easy road ahead. Then at 5 months, my DH and I did a 3 hour car trip, and next day, I had full blown sciatica, muscle cramps.. everything seemed to come back just like before the surgery. I really "dropped my bundle" in despair, thinking the surgery had failed, the disc had become dislodged.. I thought of every bad case scenario.
On my visit back to the Dr. he just said, I was half expecting this. You've been almost too good to be true. Not many people get through without some kind of set-back. Everything's fine, you're still healing.

Then at 12 months I had a similar episode but was more relaxed about it. I hardly remember now that I've had surgery, it is so good, and we lead a pretty active life.
So I guess what I'm trying to say, is if you hit a few rough patches, don't despair like I did. It's fairly normal to go "2 steps forward, 1 back" sometimes on the road to recovery.
Take care, and I hope all goes well for you.
I might need to come back here and read my own advice because I face probable neck surgery in the near future.
All the best.
Lily

Wymom94 · 06-02-2008, 03:33 PM

Lily, I'm so glad you responded to my post. After reading yours, I am wondering how long it takes to heal after a lumbar laminectomy, not the short-term healing, but long-term. I didn't have a disc replacement as you did, just the bone scraping and a hole bored into the bone to alleviate the compression on my sciatic nerves. Your doctor considering your setback at 5 months to be somewhat expected as you were still healing, makes me wonder what the long-term healing time frame is for laminectomy. I'm 12 days out from mine now and definitely doing better than my very bumpy first week, but it's all still a bit by bit improvement. I'm not sure how long I'll need the hospital bed, but I know it makes a helpful difference having it. I did start to wean myself off the meds and have cut my percocet and flexerill dosages in half, my motrin by three-quarters. I don't see my neurosureon until 4 weeks out from my surgery date --and it will be a very awkward appointment as my and my husband's relationship with my neuro has deteriorated with this second surgery... I may very well see a different neurosurgeon for follow-up after my initial post-op. I thought I'd found "the" neurosurgeon, but we've had some major personality clashes and misunderstandings -his skill and expertise, however, is exemplary.
Thanks for any info you have to share,
Meghan