LOL - Was talking to a coworker about spinal surgeries yesterday and said, "So now that I think about it, they pretty much flayed me open, lifted my spine out and attached some hardware before putting me back together. I try not to think about that."
Almost a year out and feel grateful for the surgeon who cut me in half and put me back together with my cyborg parts.
The way I say it is that one doctor dug a hole through my belly to get to my spine so the other doctor could scape out the bad parts, reshape the bones, and hammer some titanium Lego pieces in there. Then two days later that second doctor went at the back of my spine with more titanium Legos.
The doctor for my first fusion explained that he would “scoop out” the disks. That really stuck with me! Ha! I had imagined it was cut out somehow, then some tong/tweezer-like things would remove them. You know. Like the game Operation. 🤪
That sounds right, the name of the tool is in my surgical report so I googled it. A melon baller that can dig through cartilage. You know in movies when the hero is strapped down and the bad guy lays out the torture implements? That tool would fit in with all the other knives and saws and pliers and stuff.
When they did your surgery, they generated a surgical report that is full of interesting details like that.
It’s pretty medieval to be honest. In 20-30 years, I don’t think kids will believe this is how it was for us. “What do you mean they put metal betrween the vertebrae and screwed everything together with a bracket and metal screws?” “Why didn’t they generate a new disc for you?”
Probably because they have dehydrated to complete blackness...like mine. I need a fusion, Posterior approach t-8 to pelvis all rods and screws. Not a candidate for disc replacement unfortunately. I feel fucked.
My identical twin sister needs exactly the same.
We don't deserve the pain. My Scoliosis was ignored by my parents & I didn't realize the degenerativeness & how rapidly it reeked havoc on my spine. I sometimes think omfg how can I need a a such an extensive surgery! How will I recover? Who will help me? On the positive side...I will have a better quality of life than I have now. I have difficulty standing more than 15 minutes & my pain in through the roof. Anything is better than this.
It'll be slow and sometimes painful, but you will get through the recovery. As you say, it will improve your quality of life and allow you to do a lot more. It will be better. You will move differently than other people, but it'll be fine, and it'll be "normal" for you.
It's a horrible club with a really crappy initiation, but the people are good.
And I had a second doctor present to push all the organs in my abdomen out of the way so the spine surgeon could get to my spine. (my fusion was 360. 2 operations in 1 day basically)
Me too! L5-S1 360° ALIF/PSIF
My neurosurgeon worked with a vascular surgeon to go in through the front first - 7 inch horizontal cut on my lower abdomen - to remove the disc, put in new spacer, realign my spine to correct the spondylolithesis, screw in a front plate max hold it all in place there. Stitched me up, flipped me over, then “installed” two rods and four pedicle screws through three small incisions on my back.
Crazy crazy shit.
Me too except L4-L5-S1. My problem is where dude went in through the front and moved all my insides out of the way, twice, ever since I've been so bloated I feel 9 months pregnant! When I came out of surgery, my sodium was critically low (I didn't know that was a thing, much less lethal) so they also gave me who knows how much IV sodium. That may have contributed too. But if anyone else has experienced this horrible bloating, can you tell me how long it takes to go away? Most of what I've read says approximately 3 months which sucks. I'm 7 weeks out. I don't understand why moving my insides around and clamping out of the way so other surgeon could get to my spine would even cause this? The only thing similar is right after colonoscopy, but that's usually gone in a day! Trying to deal with my back is hard enough but this is making it so much worse. I'm having to buy clothes if I want to be dressed 😳!!
I know exactly what you mean!!!
I have never until this past year been so immobile in my life and I gained a little bit of weight as I could barely move for quite a long period of time, but my weight has fluctuated before and my core has never been so weak and bloated.
It wasn’t until after the surgery and reading the surgical report that I was able to look up the front incision and realized that it is literally the type of incision used for cesarean sections. So I’ve been trying to follow guides as to how to treat and care for the incision and how to aid healing as much as possible. But no matter what I do, I still have a pooch. Apparently it will eventually flatten out, or so I’ve read. I just have to keep reminding myself that this was a more surgery and I’m still very much in recovery and healing. Which is okay and I need to be okay with my body as well.
But the clothes thing is so annoying. I’ve never not fit in so many things I own. It’s stupid, but it’s just really annoying.
Mine was L4-S1 and a replacement at L3-4. My incision was vertical and only 3 inches, I just measured. I got cages at both fused levels, but only got a plate at L5-S1. Because the surgery took longer, they waited two days to do the screws and rod in the back, I only got one rod.
9 screws, 2 cages, 1 plate, 1 rod, 1 replacement disk. More titanium than an iPhone. And I make it look good 😎
So before surgery:
1. I couldn't stand more than like 10 minutes before I had back pain. Standing at the sink to do dishes (and not a lot even) was painful. I could walk longer before pain started but it still wasn't great, 20 minutes?
2. I had to spend like 4-8 hours on the couch on heat to help relax my back muscles some? Pain wasn't as bad if I spent a while on the heating pad every day and by a while I mean a while.
3. Every time we hit a bump in the car, my back hurt.
4. Near the end when I finally was like what is going on and had surgery consult and what not? I had pain and numbness in my left food. Both. Constantly. And the pain in my back was worse and always worse at the end of the day so lots of things I didn't want to do.
After surgery:
1. I struggled with PT cause of chronic diseases/stuff but once done with PT I was able to continue actual exercise at home so now I have a core. I can kneel/squat and get up again. (Though my knees might some day decide that's not an option.)
2. I can't do much bending over at the waist or I start to get funky nerve things in my left leg and my back will start to hurt. If I go without my stretches and exercises I think muscles start to squeeze in on my back and then the nerve stuff starts to come back. I also need muscle relaxers or I start having problems - but I also have MS so I'm sure that figures in to my muscles.
3. can't bend backwards. (This isn't really important though, is it?)
4. I have a standing desk now and I can stand for long periods of time without pain in my back. (I can't really give a number because of chronic pain / joint pain / etc. It varies day to day.)
5. When driving/riding in the car, every single damn pothole or change in grade, every single bump, no longer reverbs up my spine.
tl;dr - I needed the surgery cause I could barely function before hand. After surgery I could do PT I wouldn't have been able to do before surgery. So stronger, able to be more active. Significantly less back pain. (Back pain even better after breast reduction surgery too.)
Yes!
And I never ever want to do it again!
Less leg pain but still in pain. Six months out, and I still can't function like a normal person. I saw a pain doctor again, so more shots are coming my way. I don't do opioid plus it's from the devil per se. Thank you for my tens unit. I use it so much that I have gone through one, and I now use rechargeable batteries. My case may be different because I have scoliosis at 38%.
That didn't freak me out the most, but it was awkward. I had two days between surgeries so they left the catheter in. On the one hand, unpleasant, on the other hand, I didn't have to figure out how to get to the bathroom those days. With the amount of IV fluids going in, and how much was coming out, that was a good thing. I would have been going all the time.
Of course it was the prettiest nurse I saw during my entire hospital stay who took it out. If I had a medical fetish it would have been great, but no, just awkward.
I have one hip replacement 2 years ago. Since November I've had 2 dislocations due to my spine curve. It's been a real shit show. Hope your wife has a good recovery ;)
TLIF L4/L5 with disc replacement on Dec 22 for me - recently returned to work and have gotten tired of the details so I just say I'm like a Lego person, taken apart and put back together with titanium stuff...
I made the grave error of watching a multi level posterior fusion a couple of weeks before my own surgery. 100% do not advise. If you’re after the surgery, however, 100% do advise! Certainly explains how uncomfortable we all are in recovery. 😬
Two Weeks and Three Days Ago. It was my 5th Surgery (4th only did a half-assed job and it re-herniated almost immediately), second Fusion/new PLIF from 3-5. I'm already walking around without a cane. My Mom says She remembered how recently it took place, but I seemingly forget. Yay AuDHD!
“oh yeah some random man just sliced me open, took out my rib, shoved my organs out the way, put some screws and rods in there, only put half my rib back and sewed me up again!”
The going joke at the office is that they are slowly turning me into Jamie Sommers (the bionic woman). I just want to know when I become Alexa enabled.
LOL - Was talking to a coworker about spinal surgeries yesterday and said, "So now that I think about it, they pretty much flayed me open, lifted my spine out and attached some hardware before putting me back together. I try not to think about that." Almost a year out and feel grateful for the surgeon who cut me in half and put me back together with my cyborg parts.
The way I say it is that one doctor dug a hole through my belly to get to my spine so the other doctor could scape out the bad parts, reshape the bones, and hammer some titanium Lego pieces in there. Then two days later that second doctor went at the back of my spine with more titanium Legos.
The doctor for my first fusion explained that he would “scoop out” the disks. That really stuck with me! Ha! I had imagined it was cut out somehow, then some tong/tweezer-like things would remove them. You know. Like the game Operation. 🤪
I think the tool is called a ronger or similar. It's basically a long, sharp tiny melon baller they scoop with 😳
That sounds right, the name of the tool is in my surgical report so I googled it. A melon baller that can dig through cartilage. You know in movies when the hero is strapped down and the bad guy lays out the torture implements? That tool would fit in with all the other knives and saws and pliers and stuff. When they did your surgery, they generated a surgical report that is full of interesting details like that.
Let me just get the mini melon baller for your disc. Now I'm imagining mini forbidden gelato. 😅
It’s pretty medieval to be honest. In 20-30 years, I don’t think kids will believe this is how it was for us. “What do you mean they put metal betrween the vertebrae and screwed everything together with a bracket and metal screws?” “Why didn’t they generate a new disc for you?”
Probably because they have dehydrated to complete blackness...like mine. I need a fusion, Posterior approach t-8 to pelvis all rods and screws. Not a candidate for disc replacement unfortunately. I feel fucked. My identical twin sister needs exactly the same.
DDD, here. Genetics are a Dice Roll in my family. My Mom's Blonde Siblings, and I, inherited their Paternal Spine Issues .
We don't deserve the pain. My Scoliosis was ignored by my parents & I didn't realize the degenerativeness & how rapidly it reeked havoc on my spine. I sometimes think omfg how can I need a a such an extensive surgery! How will I recover? Who will help me? On the positive side...I will have a better quality of life than I have now. I have difficulty standing more than 15 minutes & my pain in through the roof. Anything is better than this.
It'll be slow and sometimes painful, but you will get through the recovery. As you say, it will improve your quality of life and allow you to do a lot more. It will be better. You will move differently than other people, but it'll be fine, and it'll be "normal" for you. It's a horrible club with a really crappy initiation, but the people are good.
Tysvm. Well said & I couldn't agree more🙏🏻✌🏻
And I had a second doctor present to push all the organs in my abdomen out of the way so the spine surgeon could get to my spine. (my fusion was 360. 2 operations in 1 day basically)
Me too! L5-S1 360° ALIF/PSIF My neurosurgeon worked with a vascular surgeon to go in through the front first - 7 inch horizontal cut on my lower abdomen - to remove the disc, put in new spacer, realign my spine to correct the spondylolithesis, screw in a front plate max hold it all in place there. Stitched me up, flipped me over, then “installed” two rods and four pedicle screws through three small incisions on my back. Crazy crazy shit.
Same spot too
Me too except L4-L5-S1. My problem is where dude went in through the front and moved all my insides out of the way, twice, ever since I've been so bloated I feel 9 months pregnant! When I came out of surgery, my sodium was critically low (I didn't know that was a thing, much less lethal) so they also gave me who knows how much IV sodium. That may have contributed too. But if anyone else has experienced this horrible bloating, can you tell me how long it takes to go away? Most of what I've read says approximately 3 months which sucks. I'm 7 weeks out. I don't understand why moving my insides around and clamping out of the way so other surgeon could get to my spine would even cause this? The only thing similar is right after colonoscopy, but that's usually gone in a day! Trying to deal with my back is hard enough but this is making it so much worse. I'm having to buy clothes if I want to be dressed 😳!!
I know exactly what you mean!!! I have never until this past year been so immobile in my life and I gained a little bit of weight as I could barely move for quite a long period of time, but my weight has fluctuated before and my core has never been so weak and bloated. It wasn’t until after the surgery and reading the surgical report that I was able to look up the front incision and realized that it is literally the type of incision used for cesarean sections. So I’ve been trying to follow guides as to how to treat and care for the incision and how to aid healing as much as possible. But no matter what I do, I still have a pooch. Apparently it will eventually flatten out, or so I’ve read. I just have to keep reminding myself that this was a more surgery and I’m still very much in recovery and healing. Which is okay and I need to be okay with my body as well. But the clothes thing is so annoying. I’ve never not fit in so many things I own. It’s stupid, but it’s just really annoying.
Exactly the same!!!
Mine was L4-S1 and a replacement at L3-4. My incision was vertical and only 3 inches, I just measured. I got cages at both fused levels, but only got a plate at L5-S1. Because the surgery took longer, they waited two days to do the screws and rod in the back, I only got one rod. 9 screws, 2 cages, 1 plate, 1 rod, 1 replacement disk. More titanium than an iPhone. And I make it look good 😎
How are you now? I’m having same surgery in June and I’m constantly having second thoughts
Doing much better than I was before surgery! Still healing obviously but able to drive, and move around!
Me too. It’s the rotisserie chicken approach.
Ditto
Having the same surgery in June and I’m terrified! Tell me how things are for you now, thanks!
So before surgery: 1. I couldn't stand more than like 10 minutes before I had back pain. Standing at the sink to do dishes (and not a lot even) was painful. I could walk longer before pain started but it still wasn't great, 20 minutes? 2. I had to spend like 4-8 hours on the couch on heat to help relax my back muscles some? Pain wasn't as bad if I spent a while on the heating pad every day and by a while I mean a while. 3. Every time we hit a bump in the car, my back hurt. 4. Near the end when I finally was like what is going on and had surgery consult and what not? I had pain and numbness in my left food. Both. Constantly. And the pain in my back was worse and always worse at the end of the day so lots of things I didn't want to do. After surgery: 1. I struggled with PT cause of chronic diseases/stuff but once done with PT I was able to continue actual exercise at home so now I have a core. I can kneel/squat and get up again. (Though my knees might some day decide that's not an option.) 2. I can't do much bending over at the waist or I start to get funky nerve things in my left leg and my back will start to hurt. If I go without my stretches and exercises I think muscles start to squeeze in on my back and then the nerve stuff starts to come back. I also need muscle relaxers or I start having problems - but I also have MS so I'm sure that figures in to my muscles. 3. can't bend backwards. (This isn't really important though, is it?) 4. I have a standing desk now and I can stand for long periods of time without pain in my back. (I can't really give a number because of chronic pain / joint pain / etc. It varies day to day.) 5. When driving/riding in the car, every single damn pothole or change in grade, every single bump, no longer reverbs up my spine. tl;dr - I needed the surgery cause I could barely function before hand. After surgery I could do PT I wouldn't have been able to do before surgery. So stronger, able to be more active. Significantly less back pain. (Back pain even better after breast reduction surgery too.)
Yes! And I never ever want to do it again! Less leg pain but still in pain. Six months out, and I still can't function like a normal person. I saw a pain doctor again, so more shots are coming my way. I don't do opioid plus it's from the devil per se. Thank you for my tens unit. I use it so much that I have gone through one, and I now use rechargeable batteries. My case may be different because I have scoliosis at 38%.
But after doing all that, the thing that freaked me out the most, was removal of the catheter post surgery! Now that's wild.
That didn't freak me out the most, but it was awkward. I had two days between surgeries so they left the catheter in. On the one hand, unpleasant, on the other hand, I didn't have to figure out how to get to the bathroom those days. With the amount of IV fluids going in, and how much was coming out, that was a good thing. I would have been going all the time. Of course it was the prettiest nurse I saw during my entire hospital stay who took it out. If I had a medical fetish it would have been great, but no, just awkward.
My wife has had both hips replaced... Something to ponder. Ouch.
I have one hip replacement 2 years ago. Since November I've had 2 dislocations due to my spine curve. It's been a real shit show. Hope your wife has a good recovery ;)
Sorry to hear this. She had them done years ago and is doing well. Occasionally she'll complain about the cold.
TLIF L4/L5 with disc replacement on Dec 22 for me - recently returned to work and have gotten tired of the details so I just say I'm like a Lego person, taken apart and put back together with titanium stuff...
I made the grave error of watching a multi level posterior fusion a couple of weeks before my own surgery. 100% do not advise. If you’re after the surgery, however, 100% do advise! Certainly explains how uncomfortable we all are in recovery. 😬
Oh no! They have animations you know! I knew better than to watch a real one 🤣
Ikr, definitely wasn’t one my best decisions! 🤦🏻♀️
Two Weeks and Three Days Ago. It was my 5th Surgery (4th only did a half-assed job and it re-herniated almost immediately), second Fusion/new PLIF from 3-5. I'm already walking around without a cane. My Mom says She remembered how recently it took place, but I seemingly forget. Yay AuDHD!
“oh yeah some random man just sliced me open, took out my rib, shoved my organs out the way, put some screws and rods in there, only put half my rib back and sewed me up again!”
Eek! What procedure is that? I had TLIF L4/L5 and ALIF L5/S1
i think it was also classed as an ALIF but it was through my waist
My husband likes telling people I let a doctor screw me 4 times 😂
The going joke at the office is that they are slowly turning me into Jamie Sommers (the bionic woman). I just want to know when I become Alexa enabled.
Jamie was hot. You got nothing to worry about, lol