Brief update

Well its Friday night and I'm still in the hospital trying to get to a safe point of recovery from my fusion to head home. My pain has been constantly brutally high, ranging between 7-10, but mostly around the 8 mark, and is being very conservatively treated with not more than 10mg percocet every 6 hours, which doesn't help much, though my PM will be making a special trip here tomorrow to take over this job, I talked to her on the phone yesterday, and told her how poorly they were treating me, and she said she'll be down here on Saturday to make some heads fly.

It looks like I will be in here for at least another week. I've contracted a pretty bad case of pneumonia, and they want my to keep me around for a while until the coast is clear on that. They've gotten a lot cleared out of my lungs very quickly, but they said it would be a while before I'm out of the woods.

Well, I'm typing from my phone, and it's getting very difficult to hit the right buttons. I'll try to update you again later on. Just having a very hard time staying focused on anything. Everyone take care, and I hope you're all having a good weekend.

Wonderful to hear from you, Matt! So sorry that you have been undermedicated and pneumonia, to boot! Jeez. Ditto what Splashdancer said :-P Hope your doc is able to sort that staff out and get you some relief and soon! Take care and hang in there... Hope you're home soon!!!

Hello,

I am so sorry that you are experiencing so many problems and so much pain. I hope they will show up and roll those heads soon so that you can get relief. I had a similar problem when I had my fusion (thankfully no pneumonia) and they only kept me for a couple of days, but the pain mgt was horrible. I can't imagine what you must be going through. I will keep you in my prayers.

Please be very careful with that pneumonia. It's so tiring and so is the fusion, so you got a double dose of exhaustion. Rest as much as possible so that your body can heal.

All my best!

Matt thank you for the update. I am sure your pm will *ahem* clarify the pain med order clearly. That tough you caught pneumonia darn, patience you need to be better before they release you.

I hope you are up and moving a bit now as that was the most important tip my mil gave me about having a fusion. The nurses and drs agreed when I asked to get up and started walking beside the bed, I think I did it to be sure I could walk again but shhhhh, what they don't know.

You rest and take the best care of yourself, get them doing things for you or showing you how to do things for yourself because at home you will be alone tring to cope and you already know knowledge is power.

We care so much about you seriously your body needs rest. So rest and recuperate.

Matt

Good to hear from you. Fusion is a very painful op in the first week or two but my recollection is that it calms down fairly quickly.

I think all of us chronic pain patients have an issue with post op pain relief. The assumption is that if we are taking strong pain meds, then why do we need more! I had a similar issue after my last op when a nurse refused to put my fentanyl patch on because I was on OxyContin too. Even although I was written up for both. My doctor was pretty angry.

Funnily enough, I developed pneumonia after my fusion. I was told it was because you have to lie flat and you are unable to clear your lungs, I know coughing hurt a lot, but that was what I was told to do. I was also put on a nebuliser, and that and the antibiotics cleared it pretty quickly. I hope you are able to recover quickly too.

I am sure once you pain management doctor gets in on things, you will be on decent amounts of pain meds and feel much more comfortable. And if you are less sore you will find it easier to move around. I agree with Rose, moving aroun is so important. It hurts like mad but improves the more you do it.

Rest up, keep coughing to clear these lungs. We are all thinking of you and hoping to see you back here soo when you feel able.

Take care

Jane

Matt, so sorry to hear about the pneumonia, thats the last thing you needed after surgery. I cannot imagine the extra pain brought on when you start coughing, how awful. I do hope your PM dr can do something for you.

Keep us posted when you feel like it.Take care.......Susie

Matt, Im sorry that you are feeling in a slump after your surgery. Why does this story sound so familiar with mine after I had my Laminectomy fusion in March. The medical team at the hospital was giving me 10 mg of percocet every 6 hours and my pain was through the roof. They had took me off the IV dilauded (don't know if i spelled it right), and gave me the 10mg. I was screaming in tears. I could not believe that after having that type of surgery that they would give such a small amount of pain meds. They then put me back on the IV drip, but the next day, I called and told the supervisor nurse of the unit about this non treatment of pain meds. I also reported it to my surgeon doctor who explained to me that this was not in his notes, I was suppose to be given the 10mg, plus the IV drip.

So after reading this regarding your situation, it seems as though this might be a norm for Fusion patients. The deal is for them to get you up and running after 3 days and 3 days only, but in your case you happen to develop an infection. I do hope that you will be better soon and on the road to healing. This is important for a long road ahead. I will keep you in my prayers. The fact that you are posting is an indication that your dedication to us here on the boards really mean something to you.

Post Edited (Lynnzack) : 9/9/2012 8:41:31 PM (GMT-6)

Matt,

I thought I had left you a nice long message, but I don't see it now...perhaps I didn't hit send. Anyway, I just wanted to wish you luck on your journey. Perhaps you will be on of the successes that we hear of so often. I know we are the exception (not the rule) with bad procedures, so yours should go great. Please be careful and best of luck to you in your recovery.