Catching Up

Hi there

It's been a while since I've posted but I have been around from time to time.

Finally after a year of pain and spending most of my time in bed, I had a double lumbar fusion about a month ago. I now have a triple fusion, from L3 to S1. They also cleaned out some severe adhesions and scar tissue from my sacral area. I had an op to remove my coccyx bone when I was in my teens, that was a long time ago. Strangely enough, I've complained of pain there for about thirty years but no one took me seriously. So with all that and my fused SI joints I'm pretty much like the bionic woman!!!!

Recovery has been tough. I had a horrible hospital experience, and that was a small private hospital, not NHS. I was complaining of headache and nausea from day one but they kept telling me it was dehydration. Every time I stood up it was agony, I had blurred vision. Told me it might be a migraine. They kept dragging me out of bed every. Two hours despite my protests. I've never been as glad to get home. The journey was awful, I was being sick and the headache was agony. Had to have my GP out. She diagnosed a spinal headache and had me lie completely flat and drink lots of caffeinated drinks. After about four days it subsided. There was talk of a blood patch but that wasn't possible because of the type of surgery I had had. I was so disappointed in the hospital, they have been so good in the past but this experience was down to one nurse.

I'm struggling a bit but it has only been a month and I think that's not long really. Maybe I'm just impatient. Also with this being my fifth op in four years, I think I'm not as fit as I was after my first lumbar fusion. I gather recovery is going to take months not weeks. I'm getting lots of spasms and walking is proving difficult as I'm getting low dragging pains which get worse the further I walk. Also my SI fusions which were actually feeling good, are beginning to hurt again. At least I have a goal, with my daughter getting married in November.

Take care everyone, wishing you lots of pain free days!

Jane

Susie, thank you for that. It's good to see someone saying they think I'm doing ok. The longer you sit around doing nothing the more your mind works overtime convincing you that you are not doing well, if you know what I mean.

I know I'll get there, I just have to remember to walk before I can run. It will take time. Patience has never been my strong point!! Great to hear from you Susie and my apologies for not replying to your earlier post.

Jane xx

Yes Susie, I see him on the 13th May. X-rays first then I see him. I'm not sure I'm going to see my pt right away. Experience has taught me that they have a habit of pushing too far and in the past it's led to more pain. I know my own body now and I know what I have to do so I'm thinking I'll do it at my pace and just take baby steps. That way I think I'll get there with as little pain as possible. X

Thank you Sophia!