Just wanted to let you guys know I am home from the hospital from having a L5 S1 ruptured disc repaired. The surgery took 2.5 hours because of some complications. They found a cyst that had grown on the disc that hadn't showed up in the MRI that they removed and also said that I have arthritis in my back that is heriditary.
He also stated that he will not repair the disc again that if it ruptures again my only option is a fusion and that I will have to lose 100 pounds before he will be able to do that comfortably. I am on some great pain meds. They had me on a morphine pump at the hospital but when the last vial ran out the VERY VERY VERY NICE AND CARING NURSE said she would hurry up and reorder another vial before they took it out of the system because I wasn't do to go home for acouple more hours and she didn't want me to be hurting anymore than i needed to be.
I am off work for three weeks now, mainly because I can't drive, and also that I had a small seizure when in the hospital late last night. They just think it was due to the stress of the surgery and that i have a small history of seizures that seemed to be due to stress/pain. They gave me ativan and I was doing much better. Everything checked out okay this morning and I finally got to go home around noon.
I also wanted to thank everyone that had me in their prayers and thoughts.
Jennifer
OT: Surgery Update
4 posts
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I have a buddy that just had the L5-S1 fused, I am surprised they didn't go ahead and do that while they were in there? It is not like that area contributes to a lot of movement, but when it flares up it can leave you flat on your back.
My buddy had one disc removed, they did a bone graft and pinned it with rods and screws and it instantly removed the pressure on the sciatica nerve and resolved his years and years of sciatica pain.
Thinking about having that done myself, I can hang upside down in an inversion table and it will go away for a few weeks, but the constant aching pain down in the leg and foot to the end of the toe gets only harder and harder to bare as the years go by. I've fought with that sciatica pain for more than 25 years now.
My buddy had one disc removed, they did a bone graft and pinned it with rods and screws and it instantly removed the pressure on the sciatica nerve and resolved his years and years of sciatica pain.
Thinking about having that done myself, I can hang upside down in an inversion table and it will go away for a few weeks, but the constant aching pain down in the leg and foot to the end of the toe gets only harder and harder to bare as the years go by. I've fought with that sciatica pain for more than 25 years now.
someday science will catch up to what I'm saying...
Snoredog,
When I went in for my consult on the surgery he really wanted to do the fusion but he said the way that I carry my weight that I wouldn't be able to wear the brace comfortably and in the right position, alot of that is because i have a large chest. He said for as tall as I am I do carry my weight well, but he didn't feel comfortable doing the fusion at my present weight. I did have a second opinion with a few of his collegues at my consult as well and the other two surgeons said that they would not be comfortable doing the fusion at this time either. 8/18/04 I had the same repair done too. I thought going into this that they were going to do the fusion automatically. The same surgeon did this repair as well as my first one. He said unless he got in during the surgery and found he had no other choice but do the fusion he would do it then. And I had already signed the consent in case he needed to do the fuse.
I know that I need to lose the weight because it is causing other helath problems and only causing more un-needed pressure on my back. So coming out of the hospital I have a plan of action for losing the weight. I have three good weeks before I return to work to get started on a slow exercise program and have decided to start a diet that my husband has been on for three months and has lost 50 pounds on. I have a terrific support system and with me and my husband being on the same diet then it will help us both out tremendously with being able to stick to the same foods.
Jennifer
When I went in for my consult on the surgery he really wanted to do the fusion but he said the way that I carry my weight that I wouldn't be able to wear the brace comfortably and in the right position, alot of that is because i have a large chest. He said for as tall as I am I do carry my weight well, but he didn't feel comfortable doing the fusion at my present weight. I did have a second opinion with a few of his collegues at my consult as well and the other two surgeons said that they would not be comfortable doing the fusion at this time either. 8/18/04 I had the same repair done too. I thought going into this that they were going to do the fusion automatically. The same surgeon did this repair as well as my first one. He said unless he got in during the surgery and found he had no other choice but do the fusion he would do it then. And I had already signed the consent in case he needed to do the fuse.
I know that I need to lose the weight because it is causing other helath problems and only causing more un-needed pressure on my back. So coming out of the hospital I have a plan of action for losing the weight. I have three good weeks before I return to work to get started on a slow exercise program and have decided to start a diet that my husband has been on for three months and has lost 50 pounds on. I have a terrific support system and with me and my husband being on the same diet then it will help us both out tremendously with being able to stick to the same foods.
Jennifer
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1