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Posted 1/29/2009 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
Have you noticed more back pain since your surgery? Has it gotten better?

I've had horrible back pain since my surgeries and my GI & surgeon have said that it's because my abdominal muscles are weaker now and my back is compensating for it.

I waited and waited and it's been almost a year since the last surgery and have had no improvement. If I stand for too long it feels like my back is literally going to break and I have to bend over for several minutes before I can move again. I live on a heating pad every night and Tylenol is just not cutting it. My job requires me to do a lot of standing and walking and let me tell you trying to Christmas shop & prepare for the holidays has been difficult. So I went to my family doc and he suggested Physical Therapy which I began 2 weeks ago. I thought that this would be a great way to help me prepare for some sort of excercise without worrying about getting a hernia. I haven't seen much improvement, but a little, yes. I am supposed to continue to go 3x a week for a month, hopefully I can tell by then, or I might even try a chiropractor.

I am trying to be patient, but it's been a year and a half since I was sick losing so much weight and muscle, that I should be stronger or at least somewhat close to normal again. My family is hoping to take a trip out west and go horseback riding and hiking in the Rocky Mountains and as I stand right now, I can't imagine walking a block let alone a mountain, and I really want to experience this with my kids.

Any suggestions would be so great!
Posted 1/30/2009 1:07 PM (GMT 0)
Theresa, sorry you are in such pain. I had back pain, on and off, for about 9 months. At six months I started working out with VERY light weights...5-8lbs...I would do all the exercises I used to, just lighter. I have to say that really helped and since the core is worked with just about every exercise I didn't have to overwork that area. I still don't do abdominal exercises but I will do lower back ones.

I worked with a professional trainer for a short time to teach me the correct way to work with weights...and they were able to tailor it to my condition so I didn't over do it. That could be another way after PT...

I was able to go out west with my family last summer and it was a great trip and I ride my horse several times a week without any pain:) I hope you find relief soon:)
Posted 1/30/2009 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
Theresa,
I too lost a LOT of weight and just about all my muscle before my surgery in 1984. And Yes, it was a long recuperation time for me with a lot of the pain in my back. It will get better. Your muscles just need to be strengthened and retrained. Hang in there. I know it is painful. I sure hope therapy works for you. I really believe that the more ill you are going into this surgery, the longer the recovery time. It's not just incisions that have to recover, but the whole body. I think you are experiencing that. Are you getting plenty of magnesium and potassium? Maybe some of the discomfort is related to cramping of the muscles that come with working them more than they are accustomed to? Just a thought worth asking your PT person.

I'll be thinking of you and wish you the best.
Posted 2/1/2009 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Those are good ideas and I will bring them up to my doc. I don't think that the PT's understand about my condition, only that I've had several surgeries and am now having back problems. I don't think they would have the time for the whole story! lol.

I do drink ensure every day and take a multi vitamin and drink Gatorade, but maybe I'm still missing something in the way of nutrients. I try to eat a banana every once in a while (hate em).

My doc wrote the script for a months worth of PT, so I'll wait another 2 weeks and see if I notice any improvement. But after an hour of shopping last night, it was killing me again.

A nurse on jpouch said that it could be enteropathic arthritis with spondylitis, which is related to UC, and there is a blood test to determine if that's what it is. God I hope not, the best part after surgery is not to have to take those awful drugs!

Thanks for the replies, it gives me hope that it will work itself out. I'll keep you all posted!
Posted 2/3/2009 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
Theresa, there is a good post on the Crohn's board about "spondylitis" part of what the jpouch nurse said (did that make sense?!)...it is posted by indigosunrise...check it out, it had good suggestions on how to rule it out.

Keep us posted
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