Getting a little annoyed post PLIF

[Tuliptoday]

Hi all, had my PLIF done 7 weeks ago now, saw my consultant for first check post op last week, I still have sciatica down my left leg and back pain. been to 5 hydrotherapy sessions doing pretty much as I have been told so why does it still hurt? Surgeon sent me for an x-ray. saw alovely pic of my rods, screws and "ugly black" arthritis - "I can see you are still in pain" says the man "but I dont know why". The decompression went well Come back in six weeks if its no better we will start you on the spinal epidurals again. ARGGG.... been there done that - op was supposed to sort all this. Some one has suggested a sports physio? any one got any experience of sports physios - I can't think that I have been through all that pain and worry just to be back at the same place.

[Katie]

It could be a form of distraction pain, and hopefully will disappear with time. I had it for weeks after my surgery (two level fusion at bottom of lumbar), and hadn't had it at all before surgery Fingers crossed that this is all it is for now.

[Pbchoclovr]

Tuliptoday,

I'm 11 weeks post op and I still have leg and back pain. My back pain is from the surgical site and each week it gets less and less painful, unless I move too quickly or bend in a way that's prohibited. My leg pain is coming from all of that but lately has been mimicing the types of pain I had pre-surgery. My knees are also taking a brutal beating from all the no bending, lifting, twisting. I had xrays taken at 7 weeks and everything looked pretty normal, considering there are these two huge rods with screws on either end of them in my spine! At least they seem huge on the xray! I also have arthritis in that area. Kind of what you descibed of yours. My pain 4 weeks ago was more significant than it is now. If you had told me 4 weeks ago that I'd be going back to work full time next week, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. It was difficult getting up from a seated position and doubly difficult getting out of bed. All this to say, things may be very normal and all of your symptoms may be part of the healing process. My surgeon didn't seem to be concerned about any of my symptoms. His comment was it's time to be more active. I started PT last week and she surprised me by telling me I could have swelling in my surgical area for up to a year. I really had thought my swelling had pretty much gone away. Her orders were for me to ice the surgical area/scars at least once a day for the next year. If your symptoms don't show any improvement, I would definately let your surgeon know things are up.


Hope things get better for you,
Linda

[Tuliptoday]

Hi all,
Thanks so much for replying - I just felt the need to rant a little. All the restrictions and stuff and the pain is getting me down, I've suffered from depression since all this began years ago and this is a bad time of year for me anyway. I just want to be normal again and live a normal life,hopefully without pills, docs, hospitals etc etc same as everyone else who post here too. I was just a little disappointed that my 'miracle' surgery wasn't. Still chin up, keep smiling, I know things could be so much worse.

[ajj1001]

It's a long haul recovering, hang in there.

[Gilbert P]

Hello Tuliptoday

I am nine weeks out and yes it still hurts on the surgical site with nerve pain down both legs today all right side it feels like my second micro disco has re ruptured Oh I hope it is not so.

I am on a new batch of steroids and seems to help a little. Sleeping is now an issue.

Slow and steady wins the race and its a very long slow race

Hang in there as I have been told severial times.

All The Best

Gil

[KBear]

Hi all,
Thanks so much for replying - I just felt the need to rant a little. All the restrictions and stuff and the pain is getting me down, I've suffered from depression since all this began years ago and this is a bad time of year for me anyway. I just want to be normal again and live a normal life,hopefully without pills, docs, hospitals etc etc same as everyone else who post here too. I was just a little disappointed that my 'miracle' surgery wasn't. Still chin up, keep smiling, I know things could be so much worse.

You are still very early out from surgery and have plenty of time for your miracle! I think most of us second guess ourselves after surgery and wonder if we made the wrong decision. I had horrible leg pain and had never had it before and was convinced the doctor screwed me up- LOL. Luckily, I was wrong, everything healed perfectly (though it was 18 months until I had 100% relief). Like Gil said, it's a slow long race. I think the majority of people take at least 6 months or more to heal and then there are the very few who are super fast healers who feel great soon after surgery. I just *knew* I was going to be in the latter group, because I was young (just turned 29) and healthy; but I wasn't.

[Kimberly]

Tuliptoday,

Hang in there - Hang in there - Hang in there!

If you think about how you felt 2-3 weeks ago, do you feel you're improving? Even in the smallest little teeny tiny way? Then you are improving. I figure as long as we're moving in the right direction, no matter how slowly, then things are ok.

As Justin has said, remember the little victories. Here's a few of my "little" victories.......(some of them seem really pathetic, BUT they are improvements so there you go.)

1. I survived my surgery (physically and emotionally)
2. I made it home from the hospital in my little car (I really thought I'd have to like rent a van and lay down in the back or something....ambulance transport?.....but I actually just sat down, shifted around, shoved in some pillows and that was that. ok, it all went much more slowly and carefully than that, but it was something I was really fearing and I overcame it.)
3. I am off of pain meds. That was way harder than I thought, and I still have lingering withdrawal symptoms, but it's done.
4. Because of #3, I am contributing to the city's wastewater treatment plant UNAIDED. Who knew that would be so exciting?
5. I am driving. Not often, not far, not without pain, but I am driving.
6. I am walking every day
7. I put the new toilet paper rolls away yesterday, WAY down low under the sink. It wasn't pretty, but I did it.
8. I made dinner (and stayed awake to eat it while sitting up at the table.) "Before" by the time dinner rolled around, I was either asleep or had to eat it laying down flat in bed. And I certainly would NOT have been the one to make it. (mind you, this was more like "assembling" dinner from the market deli and salad in a bag type stuff, but I "procured" the meal)
9. I clipped my toenails. Yes, I actually could reach them. Granted I had to sit up and cross my leg and bend each toe almost backwards so I could reach and see them, but I did manage to prevent them from clicking on the floor. Unaided. Weeee....
10. I am remembering my small victories more and more.....

Told you some were pathetic


You are getting better and better each day.

Take good care of yourself.

Kimberly

[Pbchoclovr]

Tuliptoday,

Kimberly is exactly correct. Look back over the last 7 weeks and think about all you can do now but couldn't a few weeks back. I still can't clip my toenails without getting them everywhere and only the ones that face me directly. Forget the little ones! No amount of manuevering make those accessible right now, and the day I reached the tp roll without excessive pain was a miracle! Kimberly, your list isn't pathetic! I measure my progress the exact same way. I look at all that I couldn't do and now can. I may still struggle to do them, but I can do them ALL BY MYSELF! I feel like a toddler proclaiming that... but in many respects we're re-learning things that surgery and pain has disrupted. Sometimes I still need help and have had to learn to ask and accept that help, since I'm very independant. Each new accomplishment that we can add to the list is something to be celebrated, no matter how silly they sound. Speed or being first isn't the point.... It's whether you finish the task no matter how slow. When I look at it from a day to day perspective I too get frustrated. When I step back and look at the big picture, I'm amazed at how far I've come. I'll bet you will too if you really think about it. We're all unique and progress at different paces. So you can't really judge how you're doing by someone else - only with yourself, even if it is nice to have others around you having similar experiences.

Do you have a list of things you'd like to be able to do again? I'd bet you do. I know I do. It's that list that should be your goal. All the professionals, your family and friends should be around you, supporting you as you work toward being able to do those things on your list, which I'm sure they are. My attitude is if there's a way, I'll figure it out. Keeping a positive attitude is probably one of the biggest bonuses in the healing process. That and being realistic about where you are in that process. It won't happen overnight... but it will happen.

Linda

[KBear]

Kimberly, I so cracked up on the falling asleep at the dinner table.... I remember that all to well, felt like a newborn who just slept all the time!