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Originally Posted by RBreinich on September 29, 2004
[3 month Post Op Report]
Functionality-- Strong 5
Satisfaction--5
Thanks to the wisdom of other board members,I set my sights low, not daring to hope about the level of recovery I'd get or the length of time to get there. I definitely didn't want to push myself in the first few weeks, only to regret it for much longer afterwards. But, here it is, exactly 12 weeks to the day from my surgery, and I'm back at work today...fulltime with no restrictions. (Except what I'm restricting myself to).
Still some problems sleeping through the night, that leg wakes me up and drives me crazy all night long. But it is getting better...and infinitely easier to take than my 'before' surgery pain! My back gets sore...but its a muscular soreness, like I've just worked out. I can handle that too. Heck, I'm 47 and haven't done anything in years because of the pain. I think that will work out as my activity increases.
Just the past two days, I've slept for the longest continued uninterrupted sleep since I came home...10 PM to 5:00AM! Fabulous!
Sitting for very long times is still difficult...but possible. Went to the movies with my wife and grandchildren and I was really uncomfortable after about an hour. But that keeps improving too.
My lifestyle is changing for the better too. The most simple things...like running to the grocery store, caused so much pain that my wife never asked me to do it. Now, I run errands, clean out the garage, push wheelbarrows full of mulch and go for hikes again. I'm no longer worn out from the pain by the end of my work shift, with no energy left to do anything else.
Note at 5 months: This is something I never thought to post before because it started so slowly. I started having numbness in one thigh right after surgery...I thought it was from the DVT injections. It seemed to gradually get worse, so we started alternating the shots...and sure enough, I started feeling numb in both thighs. That never went away...but recently it's been getting worse...it has now crept up both thighs, into my groin and lower abdomen. There is also a lump near my incision...feels like fluid that collected and never was absorbed back into my system. I'm having xrays done next week to see if they indicate any problems. The numbness has not caused me to decrease my activity, but it does concern me. I'll report any updates as they happen. Also seeing my pain management doc for the first time since my surgery (not for my back pain, but for the DDD I have in my neck). Can't wait until he sees my xrays! I'd still give this a 6 and a 5 rating.
6 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
RATE FUNCTIONALITY / SATISFACTION AT INTERVALS BELOW:
FUNCTIONALITY:6
6. Excellent: no limitations.
SATISFACTION:5
5. I'm very glad I did my surgery.
I'm a bit late with the 6mos. update ...it's actually 7 months and 14 days since my surgery. I'm thrilled with the outcome of my surgery...not thrilled with the outcome of my health insurance appeals, but I'll take health over wealth any day.
The only residual problem I have is the numbness in my thighs and lower abdomen and a hard spot near my incision. The numbness does not limit me in any way...I still have some feeling there, but it's more like the numbness you feel when you're outside in cold weather for a while. It bothered me a lot at first...but I've gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me much now. I have none of the old back pain. I do get sore muscles from overdoing things, but it's what I would expect to feel at my age if I overdid things and had a healthy back.
My pain medications are Celebrex (for the DDD in my neck)1x/day.
My activity level is back to normal...I can walk without pain going down my leg, without developing dropfoot. I don't feel any limitations with range of motion. My back feels strong again. For the first few months, I was paranoid everytime I felt or heard something different in my lower back. I don't even think about my back anymore when I move around. What a difference!
1 YEAR POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
2 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
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