PLIF Post Operative Leg Pain

magnetlady45

Hi Tomorrow:

Well it is early morning. I am getting ready to go to work. I feel rested enough. My leg and hip are doing pretty good right now. I will be wearing my longjohns though. It is 25 degrees right now. I asked my husband last night about Thanksgiving, if we should have my children come up for that. He thinks we should wait for Christmas as far as doing the big feast and all. Anyways they have so many other family members they are probably going to their homes for that. I really can't remember the last time they came up for Thanksgiving. They live 2 hours away. We were invited to go to Glenn's cousins house for that day. They are Amish and of course the food would be great. Well got to go get ready. Have a great day.


christi

MarianJ

[COLOR=Magenta][B][CENTER]Good Morning Christi,[/CENTER][/B]
[INDENT]Glad to hear that you are rested and you leg and hip are feeling better. Good idea to dress extra warn with those temperatures already. It looks as if winter is here.

It might be to much on you to have everyone over on Thanksgiving. I think I am just going to stay home and my husband and I are going to cook with my children. Just the four of us with lots of left overs. My daughter actually begged me as she loves the left overs. I have heard the Amish are wonderful cooks. At least you will have a very easy day and no mess to clean up. My husband has promised that I will not have to clean anything if I help with the cooking and I agreed.

Have a great day and I hope you continue to feel better.[/INDENT]
[B][CENTER] Take Care [/CENTER][/B][/COLOR]

Brooke79

Dear Tommorrow,

Well its saturday and the docto said on saturday i could take the dressing off and have a bath. I will be doing just that!

I will take it slowly as of today. As you said I am doing so well, I dont want to go and set myself back because i over did it. I will do a max of 4 15 minute walks and I'll sleep during the day. I dont think i'll have visitors for a while because I can not rest when i have visitors. I need to get on top of the pain and see if rest and relaxation will help with these nerves of mine.

Have a wonderful day
Love Brooke

Brooke79

Dear Chrsiti,

I really feel for you with the cold weather you're having. Not only because it means your muscles wont relax as much but yes! the ice! See there are only limited regions of Australia that get snow. I live in Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney gets no snow what so ever, perhaps on the coldest of days ever I may have a little bit of ice on my windscreen but thats it. Further down the state, we get snow but I have never seen it so I can not even begin to imagine what possible effects this can have. I too would be worried. Were you nervous the first time you went for a walk? Did you walk slow, stiff and funny looking? I think when i am in public I will wear my brace over my clothes so people can give me some space. Yesteday i went for a walk with it under my clothes and well, people got a little annoyed when i couldnt get out of their way.

Yeah, this little pup only wants to chat by the looks of things. Still, i just imagine if a big dog came out, i'd be screwed!

Lots of love
Brooke

camelia

Hello Magnetlady & Tomorrow - we've decided to visit with my crazy beautiful close frind in upstate new york for turkey day - its a 4 hour drive but will stretch out on the back seat for some of the drive - very windy here too - we have a huge old elm right next to our loft that I worry about a little in case it decides to drop a branch!
Brooke - are the leg pains still nerve pains? when we went to Madagascar for the millenium I got a tropical infection in a mosquito bite that I scratched & ended up with horrble pains in my back from hoping on one leg - the hotel organized a Malasgasy masseaur for me & I felt 1oo% better after - btw - I promise not to harass you!
Camelia

MarianJ

[COLOR=Magenta][B][CENTER]Hello Brooke,[/CENTER][/B]
[INDENT]OK, I finally figured it out... I was wondering why I seemed to be behind in replying to your posts. It kept feeling like I was missing a day somehow. Here in the USA it is Friday, so know I understand why....lol

I hope that you really enjoy your bath today and make sure not to fall asleep in it, because I know just how relaxing a bath can be....

I do pray that with your rest that your nerve pain does ease up for you.[/INDENT]
[B][CENTER] Have a great day. [/CENTER][/B][/COLOR]

MarianJ

[COLOR=Indigo][B][CENTER]Hello Camelia,[/CENTER][/B]
[INDENT]I really hope that elm tree holds up and doesn't lose any branches on your loft. The winds still haven't died down here. I opened my front door this morning to got to PT and the door nearly blew off. I saw some horrible picture on my local news channel of trees down right on people houses and one of them went right through a roof. I hope this bad weather ends soon.

It looks like you will be heading my way for Thanksgiving. At least you will be able to stretch out in the back seat but I hope that you have a comfortable vehicle. My car is so small and uncomfortable I could not travel anywhere with it, but we do have my husband's van for distance. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.[/INDENT]
[B][CENTER] Have a great day. [/CENTER][/B][/COLOR]

Brooke79

Dear Tommorrow,

Yep i got the sence we were a lil confused wit the days so yeah. Its saturday morning 7am right now. Thats what i hate about these boards, i miss most of you as im asleep during your day and vice versa unless someone isnt sleeping, but it gives me lots to look forward to when i wake up in the morning.

I'll let you know how my bath goes.

Lots of love and long distance hugs
Brooke

magnetlady45

Hi Tomorrow:

I sure did put my thermals on today. It was cold and rainy. Nice combination don't you think. I told Glenn's cousin that we will be going to their place for Thanksgiving. She seemed pretty happy about that. So I guess I will be taking it easy on that day besides eating the good Amish cooking. It usually is full of carbs but I usually eat more meat than anything else.

Christi

magnetlady45

Hi Brooke:

I was glad to hear you say that you are going to take 4 15 minute walks a day. I think that is very wise and remember you don't have to walk like you are in a marathon either. I did wear my brace over my shirt for quite some time after my surgery. One of the local men would call me Madonna because of it. Once the town knew I was recovering from major back surgery I wore it underneath my clothes and if someone asked if I was still wearing it I would lift my shirt a little so they could see it. Yes I walked slow for quite a while. The important thing is that you are walking not how you look or how far you get.

I didn't take too many baths after surgery because of sitting in tub with legs stretched out was not comfortable at all. I am very tall and don't have much room. It would really stretch things when I sat down and was too uncomfortable. Now it is easier but I still prefer to do the shower thing. Of course at the beginning it seemed like I was always dropping the soap, or washcloth so I had extra ones so I wouldn't have to worry about picking them up. Have a great day.

Christi

magnetlady45

Hi Camelia:

I forget, did you have surgery yet and if so how long ago was it. The first long trip that I took was 2 hours long and I had to get out after one hour to stretch. In October we travelled one way 7 to 8 hrs and we still had to stop almost every hour to stretch. My husband said he needed to do that too. It is so funny how he would hurt right along with me during the surgery and after. It is sympathetic pain. I know that but I don't think he knew it. What is funny is that he would ask me where I hurt and then tell me he hurt in the same place. Imagine that he does feel better now.
Anyways do stop now and then to stretch. I know we all get in a hurry to get somewhere but it sure is worth the few extra minutes.

Christi

Brooke79

Der Chrsiti,

Today, I am doing 4 x 20 minute walks and this is feeling good. Again I am walking a little better and not feeling it so much. I think i was quite nervous before and am getting used to it now. I find that i am also sleeping more (but i think with the increased in energy expediture that is only to be expected and perfectly fine).

I found the bath to be a little difficult but I expected that. I stood at the bath for about 5 minutes just thinking, what is the path of least resistance going to be? Our bath is triangular spa type. I can not do anything other than sit in the middle and soak as I can not and dont want to try and reach the sides to get anything. I sit with my legs bent out to the side as a wide support base, keep my stomach as tight as possible, pelvic floor muscles on, back straight and soak for 10-15, just enough to relax those muscles, then i head off to bed. I have a shower in the morning, to clean etc, its just so much more practical for my situation.

I was wondering. You know how you are told to sit for no more than 20 minutes at a time because of the pressure this puts on the spine, if it is not hurting does this mean things are ok or can damage still be a possability even without pain. I find when using my doughnut pillow i can sit for quite some time, when i'm not using it though i cant sit too long.

Lots of love and long distance hugs
Brooke

MarianJ

[COLOR=Indigo][B][CENTER]Hello Brooke,[/CENTER][/B]
[INDENT]Gosh, I should have asked you sooner, but did you install a bath rail? My husband had put one in for me to take a bath. This would make things much easier to get out of the bath tub. I did try one bath about 3 months post op, but it still was to difficult for me to get out of the bath tub. Then I asked my ns about it and he said No baths. It was much easier getting in the tub, but getting out was hard for me, even with the bath rail. Since you have a triangle spa tub yours might be a little higher and it may be easier to get out of. I just really hope that you don't have to twist any to get out of the tub. But I am happy that you got to soak and relax those muscles as I do miss that. [/INDENT]
[B][CENTER] Hugs to you. [/CENTER][/B][/COLOR]

MarianJ

[COLOR=Magenta][B][CENTER]Hello Christi,[/CENTER][/B]
[INDENT]I to had started with wearing my brace on top of my clothing. After a couple of months I started wearing it under my tee-shirts. A couple of weeks ago I went to a family dinner. We were all having a conversation and my little nephew came over to hug me and he must have felt the brace and wondered what it was while hugging me. So he lifted my shirt so quickly. For the first time I was grateful I was wearing my brace...lol [/INDENT]
[B][CENTER] Have a great day. [/CENTER][/B][/COLOR]