Judy hope surgery went perfectly!!!

[Maria]

I'm sorry I didn't get on earlier Judy.. I had a water leak in my guest bathroom (Laguna woods prop not newer acquisition) that became noticeable this weekend so had people here checking it out this morning for a few hours.

Anyway I am hoping this surgery is going to be "the bomb" for you and work to help you as best it can!

I know you won't be posting for awhile though if anyone is rapid at recovery it's you so I do hope that will be the norm for you once again though I do hope this surgery provides you with more relief and a good back for a very long time!

hugs and best~ Maria

[mmglobal]

I just spoke to Judy... she is home from the hospital and recovering well. ('recovering well', 'doing-ok', etc.... are all relative terms. The more invasive lumbar surgeries can be so painful to recover from.)

She seemed to be in great spirits, but Judy is one of those people who always has a laugh and a smile, even in the most difficult circumstances. Thankfully, she already realizes that some of the goals of the surgery have been met. Her posture is already improved. It was nice to hear good news!

Mark

[jsewell]

Thanks Maria,
As my luck would have it i developed foot drop on my right foot less than an hour before surgery. I was at the hospital getting all hooked up and noticed it then, my surgeon came in at the last second, they had just sent someone out looking for him!!and he ran in. I didn't even remember to tell him about it. After surgery when i told him he said they didn't operate in that area at all so at least , as Mark told me, i don't have to figure out if surgery caused it!!
My surgeon did not let me out of bed until day 4 surgery being day 1. He is not thrilled with it being only a anterior fusion. He was debating the whole time i was in as to whether he should just do the posterior side while i was still in the hospital. Then or course, there is now also figuring out the fooot drop problem and hopefully correction. I see him on Monday afternoon. I was in a lot of pain in the hospital as i needed blood on 2 different days and it is such a slow process. While it is infusing at a very slow rate the pain pump is turned off. so once for 4 1/2 hours and similar the next day. My body is funny and the day after surgery it shows as all is well with blood levels and then the day after that it drops and then the next day this time even further. OK i am rambling. Basically we may do the posterior fusion soon and i don't know what will be done about the foot drop soon. They made me a brace at the hospital and it is very comfortable. I just don't want to have to wear it. I am a loose the laces kind of girl and now here it is summer and i have to wear sneakers if i dare go out. Oh i was sent home with the instructions to wear the back brace really tight and to do nothing. i can walk fully braced up with my walker, but no doing any lifting or the usual restrictions at all. So not washing one dish or picking up one thing. That is it for now so i don't bore you to tears.
Mark thanks for the phone call and Maria at least i am not moving during this year's major surgery!!!
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
you didn't bore me at all in fact it read like an action packed story.. not one I'd want to be in but then again most aren't for me any way even if they don't involve back surgery!

Sounds like you had the anterior part done and the posterior part will be done a bit later like maybe up to several weeks to several months?

Glad you aren't moving this time!!! Yay!!!!

My move was put off again because of a shower leak in the guest bathroom. I have to be here (laguna woods) when the repair is done. I was freaking out until I was told it would be paid for (tiling done for shower walls/floor, new glass enclosure and new flooring). Anyway it will take up to 4 weeks to get the glass enclosure and I am not sure when the tiling stuff will start. Then the flooring last.

I had to go to Urgent Care one day last week for some stinking bad low back pain. Was given 90mg of Toradol IM to kick butt and it really helped. Since I've been Ok (until the next malady pops up)!

I do wish you well and it sounds like things are going to get worse before getting better (more surgery) though hopefully the interventions will accomplish what is needed and you'll be doing better in the long run.

I'm very glad you posted as I have been thinking about you and hoping you're doing Ok. hugs and hang in there~ Maria

[jsewell]

I started writing down everything concerning pain levels and what i am taking and when. These hips continue to hurt so much and when i wake up from my everning nap of a few hours in a row, my right knee and ankle and hip are all in so much pain.
My son has been doing great as i wake him up around 7 for some coffee, water, ice pak etc. I do call him but am reaassured that his bedroom is right across from mine. Jamie has been sleeping on the couch since they moved her bed to Newport , where her apt is, I don't really see her until almost noon and just stay in my room and my bathroom. Then Becka on the other side of the house. She is supposed to be taking care of me tonight and tomorrow morning as Tim has been asked by his dad to house/dog/cats sit tonight. Unfortunately Becka spent the night at a friends house and came home feeling sick and i don;t really want her handing me anything, Jamie is moving to school today and was sweet to stay the whole time as school starts for her on Monday.
For now i am counting the hours in pain until i see my surgeon on Monday and get a plan in place, hopefully that is what will happen, not just a few slips for say an MRI and EMG testing which sure could be a possibility. I did mention to him when i was in the hospital that i was worried if i choose to go home and think about the surgery then i would be looking at a painful wait of like 6 weeks for surgery like last year. He said he could just admit me so we will see, usually he has a whole different idea than the office staff that has to deal with insurance.

[Maria]

Judy is this related to your back or are they separate problems? I know my knee pain was exacerbated a few times with back surgery and back pain exacerbated with knee surgery.. I had a time when I couldn't lie on my favorite side to breathe because of hip pain but I got a steroid shot in that hip and have been Ok ever since.

I am wondering also is the wait for the posterior part of the surgery because of a billing/insurance catch (like have to bill it as a separate surgery for it to be covered) or is it to allow your body to recover anteriorly prior to doing the posterior surgery?

I hope you don't get sick from Becka either. Have her wear a mask and gloves if she helps you out.

Ok sorry to read you're in that much pain though I guess that is to be expected this soon post operatively still. Hope the doc has a good plan for you! Maria

[mmglobal]

Judy, I'm so sorry that you are 'counting the hours in pain'. These surgeries are so difficult to recover from.

I couldn't make it last week, but I'm still thinking about a visit. We'll talk later this week.

All the best,

Mark

[jsewell]

Thanks Mark anytime would be fine. I'm here. I saw my surgeon yesterday , he took and x-ray and no change since the surgery, which is good. Everything has stayed in its place. He does not want to do the posterior surgery and i don;t want to have it either. He just will do it if he absolutely has to.
I had some cracks from the anterior surgery and i think my whole lumbar spine scares him, I didn['t have my glasses with me at the appointment or i would be more scared as well.
Myorders are to take gabapentin for my horrendous nerve pain, medrol dose pak for inflammation , maybe even reduce the foot drop and to stay in bed. He doesn't even want me walking in the house much, only what i have to . All of that is such a challenge. I feel my muscles melting away.
judy

[Maria]

I hope it will do for you what it did for me when I had horrendous burning pain that went from my waist area down buttocks, down legs and into feet at times. It was really gnawing and nearly intolerable until I started the gab which muted it extremely well. I took that for 12 years (I had the pain for 17 years actually but the first 5 I used Elavil for it until into Pain Management and switched to Gabapentin).

What did your doc mean by cracks? In your lumbar spine? Created by hardware or just natural condition of your spine (I have osteoporosis so that's why I'm wondering)?

Ok Judy it's super tough to stay in bed esp when you have things to do Will Becka be there to help you out or your son?

Are you getting caught up in any old or new TV programs while hanging out (that's what I did when my feet had me hanging out on the sofa for months). I love Downton Abby and watched all seasons of that on Netflix and a few other PBS programs.

take care and be good! Maria

[jsewell]

Maria,
My surgeon meant fractures occured during the last surgery. They don't use hardwear on anterior surgery to my knowledge. They do use it for posterior so that is why he is so hesitant to go there. I think if you just touch my lumbar spine it fractures.
I've only been on the gabapentin for 24 hours and the relief is very good . I am not so sure how you can live with the dizziness and feeling out of it. Or does that go away fast?
I had left a message with my surgeon about my foot drop and he called me last night. so it is too early to do the EMG . It takes about 6 -8 weeks i think he said to show anything that has happened. Weird, but i also heard that same thing from my pain management doc today. You read that the sooner it gets fixed the better chance of recovery and yet it can't even be tested yet . I am already sick of being in bed all the time, but haven't turned the TV on yet. it is behind a chair i will have to get Tim to get it out for me some day .
Judy

[Maria]

At first I was prescribed 2400 mg/day but that was too much so I cut down to 1800/day and that worked out fine for me. Back when I started it I was advised not to go anywhere or do anything for about the first 2 weeks on it and by then I adjusted to it. At first I felt "stoned!" I think I may have even had the munchies! I was taking Gabapentin 3 years before I started taking the pain medication and now that I recall it was my OSS that started me on it because I hadn't gone to PM until 2001.

When I added in the opioid pain med I recall nodding out a lot especially if it was really warm and sunny or a hot day. In fact I couldn't put anything on the stove and walk away from it because I'd fall asleep if I sat down for a minute and would wake up to a smoke alarm going off!

I think being on bedrest is difficult but it seems I've gotten used to it a number of times when I've had to which has been more times than I'd like to count.

That's interesting about the foot drop. I guess you have to wait because of the surgery and swelling and inflammation that might be going on giving a temporary footdrop even tho you had it going into surgery.

I guess if I had a fusion (which I don't want) since I have osteoporosis I might not be a candidate for a posterior approach either.

[jsewell]

My wonderful gabapentin seems to have lost its punch already. I was started on 300mg 3x day. He told me to increase every 2 days by 1 pill. Never said when to stop. I did go up to 300mg x4. THe pain is not as bad as before, but it is not as good as my first 2 days on gab. I guess i will call today and see how to titrate up from here., Makes more sense to go to 600mg maybe 3 times per day. I don't have to worry about doing anything as i am not. the kids have trashed the kitchen so i don't even go near there. someone couldn't close the top rack of the dishwasher so they just jammed it in and now it is stuck . i really want to try to unjam it but know i shouldn't so i guess i need to call a repair man.
foot drop is still there
judy

[Maria]

I think but am not sure the top dose is 3200mg/day. I was snowed at 2400mg so hence dropping it back to 1800mg/day and that worked out great for me. Some days were bad anyway like bad back days are .. and some much better. When I added the Methadone 3 years later that really actually complimented the Neurontin (gab) quite well.

Don't you dare touch that dishwasher rack!!!! Repair man can probably put it right pretty easily w/o hurting himself.

[jsewell]

ok promise i will call repair guy.
How is the move coming along?
I should probably send you an email, but i am too lazy right now
judy

[Maria]

Ok Judy hope I next see you posting about the repair guy fixing the dishwasher rack!

I'll send you an email with all the "stuff' that has kept me from moving to date.

Meanwhile I hope my back hangs in there until I do! My feet are bugging me big time again and Lola is coming to stay with me for a week or two which I'm pretty worried about. Also Alaska went to the Vet today for what seemed like UTI and the lady she saw wanted to either work her up for every problem she has (at 19 y.o. that's a lot) which meant big $$ or suggested putting her to sleep today! I was floored. Needless to say a crappy day ensued. Fortunately Alaska is home with me but I don't know for how long.

I had a backache this morning and thankfully it went away. I think it got scared silly out of me

[jsewell]

Oh no poor kitty. I would have done the same as you, take my 19 year old sweet kitty home.
Oh as my daughter , Jamie was on her way out the door she stopped to mess with the dishwasher one more time and she fixed it!!!!!! Ya saved me at least $75. It was just jammed and needed some jolting and stuff like that.
I was just up too much today though. My doc said very limited walking around the house and go from the couch to the bed. I went outside to help Jamie change her windshield wipers , really i was just there for moral support. But i was back and forth a lot so more walking than i should have done. I did have my back and foot brace on though. But my back actually hurts from it. so i will go back to being a potato , only Jamie saw and she is back at school so the other 2 who are not even home won't know and try to get me to do more for myself.
I take 4 or 5 300mg gabapentin per day so far and i have been that way for a few days. We'll see , i can only see adding one more maybe because i am not going to wake myself up to take one. I will see my surgeon in one week and see if he wants me to take 2 at a time or what. I just want him to tell me the solution to the drop foot.
Well i owe you an email too. Take care of your back now. And those precious pets
judy

[Maria]

I'd try to get the 600mg tabs when you can as that way you only have to take 3 to get to 1800mg. I used to take them 3x/day but then I found that they worked better for me if I took one in the a.m. and 2 at night. I was never told to take it that way it just was my own decision. The PM said if it worked for me that way then "ok." Just like I only take the methadone in the a.m. vs. twice/day. I feel my gut works better that way and I function better too.

Alaska tapped into her 9 lives again and is still here to rule another day! Yay! She perked up considerably yesterday and ate a number of cans of food and wanted her water (cold/bottled) every 2 hours or more often as well as attention non stop!

Someone called me last night and was talking and talking and Alaska was talking to me too like "get off the phone lady!" I was very happy to do so and get back to snuggling with my little white furball!

Watch your back Judy so soon postop still! I hope your kids will take care of themselves and you (and any pets too). I guess the footdrop will do it's thing on it's own time. Do you have to wear the brace every time you get up so that you can use your foot without it dragging?