Our Dr. Bitan ladies....yes you two!

**Katie** · 01-17-2012, 11:55 PM

Genn and Susan...

Just wanted to let you both know that we are thinking of you, and are waiting with baited breath (whatever that means....

...another funny old saying...) for good news on your uneventful recoveries!

Check in and let us know you are both fine and giving those young student doctors a run for their money

I've been thinking of you both all day...and Genn, hope you finally beat the traffic in that lousy storm.

**Kimberly** · 01-18-2012, 09:53 AM

Genn and Susan,

All my best to both of you for a speedy recovery!

When you're up to it, please let us know how you are doing.

Take care,
Kimberly

**Pbchoclovr** · 01-18-2012, 08:20 PM

Genn and Susan,

Hope all went well with your surgeries. Wishing you a speedy recovery! When you feel up to it, let us know how you're doing.

Linda

**Susan.303** · 01-19-2012, 01:43 PM

Hello Spine Forum Friends!
2 days ago I had a laminotomy and discectomy L5-S1 left with Dr. Bitan. I'm a little loopy from the pain meds but happy to report that I believe my surgery was a success! (I have no sharp pain anywhere.) I had 3 years of pain down my left leg, across my ankle and towards my big toe if I stood or walked for more than 5 minutes. I also had lower back pain from 0-5, most days start at 0 and it then progressed in direct proportion to how much time I spent walking or standing. I still have some residual leg pain, but I believe this is normal while the compressed nerve takes the time it needs to recover from both the surgery and compression. I have a feeling recovery varies from person to person, but I'd appreciate if someone could confirm the nerve recovery process.
I'm sorry to report that Genn and I never crossed paths. The closest we got to meeting was that my husband heard her name being called but he didn't see anyone responding.

I hope she is OK and by now on the other side of surgery too!

How wonderful that this site exists for us to make spine surgery friends.
My thanks to all of you as well for your surgery tips and suggestions. The best for me, was the throat lozenges suggestion, with lip balm coming in 2nd! My surgery was first thing in the morning and for the rest of that day into the next morning, my mouth and lips were parched! You know how you can usually make spit to wet your lips or swallow a pill?.....well you can't make any spit AT ALL after surgery. Thanks to you, I had a bag of sugar-free vitamin C drops and a bag of honey/lemon sore throat lozenges that saved the day. If you've never had surgery, this dry mouth thing is quite a surprise. I couldn't even talk without having a lozenge to moisten my vocal chords.

Thanks again!

Susan

**laid up doc** · 01-19-2012, 11:29 PM

great to hear Susan! you'll have to start a thread in the post-op section!

**Kimberly** · 01-22-2012, 11:29 AM

Susan,

I also had demonic leg pain for a long time. The pain would originate in my low back, travel to both butt cheeks (making me even more aware of my expanding real estate back there which was nice), then moved down the back of the legs and down to the left ankle (right leg pain didn't travel south of my caboose.) After my surgery this "famliar" pain was there but turned down from like a 7-8 to a 4-5. Still there, but what a huge relief. By the time I got home from the hospital, the "old" pain was 98% gone. It's still 99% gone (amen.)

I had lovely "new" pain in both legs that was very nasty after my fusion. I was concerned they nicked a nerve or damaged something under the hood. This "new" pain took several weeks (maybe 5-6?) to resolve, but is now completely gone. I am chalking this up to "distraction" pain (distracting the vertebral bodies apart from one another to restore proper disc height....as I understand it.) I had lost a good inch and a half and gone from 5'10" to 5' 8.5". I am now back to 5'10" :-) Friends will often tilt their head to the side and give a perplexed look when they see me...."Are you...taller?" My son is not so happy for me as he was almost the same height as me, but now has a ways to go to catch up.

So...I think residual nerve pain is normal and takes a little time to reside. Patience grasshopper.

Hang in there,
Kimberly

**Susan.303** · 01-23-2012, 07:49 AM

Thank you Kimberly! I don't think I can hear enough of "Time takes Time"....and I'm just not going to know how successful my laminotomy/disectomy was until I've given the surgery wound time to mend. Still it's good to know that residual leg pain is a part of the process and does not necessarily mean failure. So Thanks again.

I'll post an update after my follow-up visit this Thursday.