Lumbar Spianl fusion L5 S1

[floodmaster76]

I am 34 years old now. I had an accident at work 2 years ago(07-07-09) when a rock retaining wall gave way and I fell 15 feet or so. I landed on a rock on a 40% decline. When I fell I twisted and landed on my back/buttocks, elbows, hands and on my right leg. I went to the emergency room and was referred to an optho. spine surgeon. Months of seeing him and being on pain meds went by before workers comp approved an MRI and it showed the I had a tear in my spine/disk at the L5S1 level and it was so close to the nerve on the right side my Doc said that haxd to be getting pitched. Therapy went on for several months and I was still in a lot of pain but it kept getting worse. I couldn't bend down to even tie my shoes pain would shoot down my legs all the way to my foot it was turning into a nightmare. I got approval to try the injections and they didn't work for more then 3 or 4 days. The Doc put in to try to get approval on a micro disceptomy(sorry for the typo) to remove part of the disk to make room for the nerve. Well that finally got approved and that was done 07-19-2010. The surgery was a little painful and took quite a while to heal but the only problem was that the original pain never went away. So serveral months of more therapy that too me til 1-1-2011. Nothing helped and pain seemed to be getting even worse yet. More injections got approved and once again they didn't work. My Doc said the only thing left to try is a lumbar spinal fusion at L5 S1 level. Well it took til May 2011 to get approval on this. I had to try everything cause I couldn't go on living like this. I get a second opinion by a Neuro surgeon who is supposed to be one of the best in the country. He agreed that there would be about a 60-70% chance that I would get relief from this Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery. He would be partnering up with my Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and they would be doing this together to make sure everythings goes good. I had the Lumbar spinal fusion at L5 S1 level done on July 15, 2011 which has now been just over 2 weeks. I am in an extreme amount of pain it hurts to walk, sit, stand, and lay down. I can't sleep for more then a hour at a time. I have pain obviously in m lower back that wraps around my stomach, pain down my legs, I am on oxycontin 20 mg 2 every 12 hours, dilaudid 4 mg 2 tablets every 4-6 hours, Valium 10 mg every 6 hours and can barely stand the pain with all of that. I just got my 30+ staples out just the other day and I feel a really bad pulling feeling in my back all the time. I don't know if this is part of the healing process but I am in pain that I can barely handle and I thought I had a high pain tolarance. On top of all of that I am having very bad pain in my shoulders and elbows and don't know why, between the shoulders and back pain I can't sleep for for then an hour at a time. I think I am going crazy, I can't do anything, can't sleep and just lay here in pain. I hope this gets better but it seems to be getting worse.  I just don't understand why on top of my pain from sugery why am I having so much pain in my shoulders? It's not the muscle or on the exterior it's like the bone or joint pain. Has anyone experienced this or know what this could be from?

[Mickey1966]

I had a spinal fusion done at level L-4 L-5 in April 2010 because of a herniated disc and sciatica.Its been almost a year and a half now, and will be going back in on September 26 to fix the first fusion I had done.With me, my first operation successfully stopped the pain radiating from my lower back, through my left hip and buttocks  and down my left leg.what happened with mine was that the bone graft they used to fuse my back, has now grown into my spinal column.There are days when I can barely walk or even get comfortable and in constant pain.My last ct scan showed the bone in my spinal column and my doctor thinks it is not leaving enough room for the nerves.I also have D.D.D. and narrowing of my spinal column, so to say I am in severe pain is an understatement.I am hoping this next surgery will help relieve the pain I am having now...I will let you know.In the meantime I wish you luck ; maybe getting a second opinion may help

[floodmaster76]

Sharon, I think he is weaning you too quickly as a matter of fact I know he is. The pain that I am having is so bad doing anything including sleeping is becoming harder by the day. I think it is because I am cutting back on the meds like my doc wants me to, but my quality of life is going declining fast and it feels like things are getting worse not better. This is my first Lumbar fusion and I am having serious regrets even though it was hard to live the way I was but I don't know how to manage this pain and my doc isn't helping out at all. I don't know how much more of this I can really take??? I hope you start feeling better soon or your doc can understands that you are in pain and give you something stronger or increasing your dose a bit so you  can handle it better. Thanks for writting and once again I hope you feel better. Tony  

[nrseprn41]

I feel your pain!    I had lumbar fusion L4,5,S1 on July 18 the 19.  I had 2 surgeries and my fusion was done with both an anterior and posterior approach.  My MD has decreased my pain med to Norco 10/325, 1tab twice daily and  50mg, 1tab twice daily.  I alternate the 2.   I am still having a considerable amount of pain.  Does anybody else have experience with post op pain control with lumbar fusion surgery.  I think he is weaning me a little 2 quickly.

Sharon

[floodmaster76]

    Joan, thanks for responding, It's nice too meet you. I sorry to hear you also have pain, well new pain now. I know where you are coming from when you say you don't want to be around people cause of the worry of snapping!!! It is very hard thing to go through mentally, physically and emotionally. It kind of changes your temperament. I can't speak for you but it has mine. I am usually a super nice guy but I can’t even stand being around myself sometimes since my surgery.  I'm sure that’s not what you really want to hear "another small surgery"? I pray for you if that’s what you choose or forced to do that it works for you, you’re kind of stuck with whatever you have to do cause you can't keep going on like this?!! That sounds even more painful going through from the front to get to your back? What level fusion did you have if you don't mind me asking? I really hope you heal up soon and your swelling goes down and everything starts getting back to normal for you. Did your bone stimulator make you feel sore at first? Mine seems to and I don't know why. I am only wearing if for 6 hours a day because at night it seems like I hurts more then unsual.

Yesterday, making things even worse I called my Doctor cause I am getting a little low on my pain meds and I had to leave a message.(If I run out over the weekend I'm in trouble so I figured I would take care of it way before then. I have enough meds to get me until Saturday) Just to kind you give you the inside on my meds I am as careful as I possibly can be, I made a spread sheet and fill it you so there is no chance of me over taking my meds or messing up on them because he has me on several different meds a total of 6 to be exact. In addition to the ones I listed in my first post I am also taking Zanaflex 4 mg for spasms sometimes during the day instead of Valium cause I save then Valium for night time or when it is really bad which is most of the time. I can only take one or the other not both. I am also taking Toradol for inflammation pain only once a day and my primary Doc put my on Ambien which I can't take with the Valium either. By the way the Ambien don't help me sleep so I stopped taking them cause why bother taking more meds for no reason? Sorry back to the point of calling my doctor and leaving a message. The nurse called me back about an hour of two later she said hold on for your Doc. He got on the phone and said it seems like you are going though you meds to quickly either you are taking them like M&M's or you could be selling them. I said WHAT? I said I take them exactly like you told me to take them and this is the first time I was calling since my surgery it has been 20 days now. He really hurt my feeling because I thought we had a great patient/doctor relationship and he has been my doctor for over 2 years and 2 surgeries later. I explained I take everything exactly like you told me to and I only take my meds when I am in pain which is most of the time or just before so I got get behind and end up with nothing in my system and have to wait a half hour in extreme pain until something kicks in. But the last thing I am is a drug addict or abuses my meds. He said I have no problem filling them for you but they have to last you at least 10 days so the RX will be at the front desk. I said these have lasted me 20 days and you’re treating me like s—t. I was so upset I made copies of all my spread sheets of my meds along with a letter and brought it to his office. I asked if I could talk to him when I got there and of course she said he was really busy which could have been true because there must have been 10 people in the waiting room. I told her that I was there to pick up my RX and that he hurt my feelings with what he said. I said the she was sorry he gets like that on the phone and he has a horrible bedside manner. I said in 2 years of appointment and 2 surgeries later I have never had him talk to me like that she said he is great and wouldn't do that in person but he gets complaints all the time on the phone. Anyway I got my RX and left. My next appointment is going to be a little uncomfortable unless he mans up and calls me to apologize which I know won’t happen. Sorry to go on and on but it’s nice to talk to someone who has been through the same thing. Once again it is really nice meeting you and if you ever want to talk or get things off your chest I will always be to hear to talk or listen. I know how you feel also and I am always here. Maybe we can start getting our social life back by at least being there for each other?  ttys Your friend Tony  
PS. I hope I don't go on and on too much.

[babyd36]

i know where your coming from i also had the lumbar fusion on may 20th... 2weeks after surgery by the way was done in the front ... anyway the surgery took away the pain i had before but now i have alot of pain in my calfs and feet it has been 8 weeks since surgery and the pain is still strong im on gabapentin 600 mil 3 times a day oxycotin and valium it lets me get around alittle bit but cant be up walking no more than 15 mintues... i cant take the pain anymore and my appointment is aug16th and once again gonna get anoth ct scan to see if the black spot is showing in the backside.. according o the doc it could possibly be a bone spur or my nerves are compressed together.. which he say if i still have the pain i will need another small surgery to fix it... im hoping and praying it works... i feel you on tired of being in pain...also i swell up from my calfs an feet to wear i cant even wear flip flops... im also wearing a bone stimulator 24/7 and a brace to walk around.. im miserable and so over it now... i have been in pain non stop for a year now.. so i hope you get some relive also... if you would like to talk im hear to listen maybe we can help each other thru it im 41 yrs old and would love to have my life back and social life ... the pain has me to where i dont want to be near anyone cuz im afarid of flipping out so im at home and on medical leave from work..... ttyl...joan.... i know how you feel ;{