A year since surgery

It's been a year today since I had my L4-5 discectomy, and I wish I could say I felt better. (Well, there's no question I'm better than before I had it, but that's not saying much. I couldn't function - couldn't drive, or sit for more than 5 minutes, or walk much at all, and my pain was excrutiating. Sneezing, going to the bathroom - agony.) It's not like that now. I can walk around pretty well, drive, sit, sub a little.

BUT, I still can't get down to the floor, can't put on my pants or socks without a reacher, can't cut my toenails - which is really getting old!! Hubby will say every now and then, "You really need to get rid of that reacher....you need to get down to the ground." This infuriates me, because - ya know, that's actually occurred to me once or twice, too - all by myself! Doesn't he think I want to?? I will when I can!!!


I saw my GP this week, and he made the comment that it seems my surgery didn't really work...based on the numbness (and some pain) I still have in the disc area and going down my leg and, especially, foot. For the first time, he didn't say, "You need to keep pushing yourself further on your exercises," but instead, "You need to be very careful."



Not what I wanted to hear. My therapist (who I can't afford to see now more than once in awhile) said I don't have any restrictions, but she did say the fact that my foot gets numb now at a way lower height when I do my leg lifts isn't good. The surgeon always made it very clear that he didn't FIX the disc, he just trimmed it off the Sciatic Nerve, and that I'd probably have further problems with my lower discs.


So now I don't know how much to push. I have done way less the past few weeks because of the increased numbness. It seemed to start when I carried too much through the airport around Christmas and then slept on a couch for 4 nights. I figured it would just go away, but it hasn't.

Guess I'm just venting all my worries here (having the flu doesn't help my outlook!) Thanks for listening, my friends.


Debbie

I have back issues too. (L5-S1 disk is bone on bone)

I don't: sit on the floor, get on my knees, pick things up off the floor, carry anything over 10 pounds, trim my toe nails more than every 3 months, shave my legs.

Sherrine, I can't sit like that, unfortunately. I wish I could! Trying to bring either leg up that far (especially the left one) causes too much pain in the same ol' sacral area. Same with crossing my legs. One of my stretches is to lie on my back and bring a leg towards my chest with a towel...but it hasn't helped as much as I'd have thought. It still feels swollen and weird in back of both knees. Ah well.

Joy, sorry you have the disc stuff going on, too. I hear you on shaving legs....I've done it only twice this year (I can do it, but barely, and only because I don't have to reach as far as my feet.) I've done it sitting on the tub.

Robin, I agree - Sciatica is awful! Ok, I'm trying to picture how you get the stuff you've picked up with your feet to your hands - you must be able to both lift your foot high enough and bend over low enough!? If so, good for you! I hope to get to that point.

Thanks, this flu too will pass :)

Debbie

Debbie, I can't get in and out of the tub to shave mine. :))

Sherrie, the problem with a professional pedicure is you have to shave your legs, because they massage your legs too. I'm not about to gross those ladies out by rubbing my "man hairy" legs. :))

Debbie, you wondered how I'm able to reach the items I can pick up with my toes...I have super long arms. When I was a kid, my aunts told me I would make a good telephone switchboard operator because of my long arms. Maybe I'm part monkey.

Hugs, Robin

I have pretty long arms too, Robin, but I've got to become a lot more flexible before I'll be able to do that! :)

Luvzminis, I agree, it's such a good feeling when I get my questions answered. In this case, though, I have asked. But neither my GP or surgeon (or PT, for that matter) has been able to tell me why I can't do these things. "Just keep trying to do your best," "be careful," - it makes me crazy. I probably need to see the surgeon again, but that man is so unsatisfactory to talk to! He makes it very clear that to him, time is money. He'll literally walk out of the room while I'm still talking.

Thanks for the good thoughts :)

Debbie