Fusion (ALIF) at L4-L5 and stabilization of existing fusion (PLIF) at L5-S1

**Wishful Runner** · 09-08-2010, 09:59 PM

Thanks everyone!

Justin - I had an ALIF at L4-L5 and they reinforced the PLIF of L5-S1 that I had done in 2006 with four more screws and a metal plate from the front. So I don't think L5-S1 will be doing anything funky again cause it's pretty much surrounded with metal now! The problem this time was the L4 vertebrae slipped backwards into the spinal cord. Had to be fixed immediately.

My docs are great and I'm very confident with them. And I'm doing better each day.

**Justin** · 09-08-2010, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Wishful Runner

Thanks everyone!

Justin - I had an ALIF at L4-L5 and they reinforced the PLIF of L5-S1 that I had done in 2006 with four more screws and a metal plate from the front. So I don't think L5-S1 will be doing anything funky again cause it's pretty much surrounded with metal now! The problem this time was the L4 vertebrae slipped backwards into the spinal cord. Had to be fixed immediately.

My docs are great and I'm very confident with them. And I'm doing better each day.

Great, thanks! I had to dust off my brain to remember. I'm so happy that you are making steady progress each day.

**Rob** · 10-11-2010, 11:36 PM

Hi Wishfull Runner,

Out of curiosity, why did they have to add stabilization to your prior PLIF at L5/S1? Didn't it fuse?

Regards,

Rob

**Wishful Runner** · 10-13-2010, 07:58 PM

Rob,

It was fused just fine but I had loosened the hardware in the Summer of 2008 by running as I was trying to prepare for a half marathon and had to stop running because of it. Then I had a terrible fall on concrete steps in the Winter of 2008 that cracked the fusion. There was just a slight bit of "play" in the area so they reinforced it while they were in there doing the L4-L5 fusion.

**Metalneck07** · 10-13-2010, 09:26 PM

Wishful- I have meaning to check in with you.How are you healing ? Hope your getting to the smoother part of the road in the journey.Hope all is well.

Take care.
Caitlin aka Metalneck07

**Wishful Runner** · 10-15-2010, 12:18 AM

Thank you. I'm getting better each day. I had to go back to work a little too soon because I didn't have enough leave time but it's going alright. Was pretty painful at first but now I do my stretches at lunch time and it helps me get through the afternoon better. I'm having an awful lot of pain in my legs, mostly the right one, especially after walking more than a mile and when laying down. Sleeping is a problem. My second post-op follow-up appointment is tomorrow morning. I'm feeling really tired of dealing with all this and not sure if I want to have any more tests to try to figure out the legs problem or just leave it alone for awhile and see what happens. I really need to take off about 50 pounds and I'm wondering if just that would maybe "heal" me.

**Wishful Runner** · 10-15-2010, 12:21 AM

Caitlin, I did not realize that you just had surgery on 9-28-10. I just saw it in your signature. Here you are asking me how I'm doing when I should be asking you how you are doing? And Happy Birthday, too! 40 - that's a big one! I can say that cause I also turned 40 this past April.