L3-4 & L4-5 Prodisc above existing L5-S1 ADR- Tisury

[tisury]

Well had my final check up with Dr. Fenk-Mayer and am cleared to go. Pain has been more severe the last few days.........possibly cause it got so cold and damp over here. Don't know. Just have to deal with it for now. We fly out Friday afternoon. My seat is in business class, so I will be able to recline if the pain is an isssue.

Also settled up on the final bill. OUCH again. The 2 level vertebroplasty was added on, plus quite a sum for a more complicated surgery than expected. In addition, the scar tissue from the first surgery was more of an issue than expected. Oh well. If it works, I won't care how much more I go in debt. Just hope I can return to working more hours before too long. Just pray that it does the trick. Too early to really tell. Some days, I am so optimistic. Other days, when there is more pain, I am a little scared. Just have to keep pushing and thinking posiitive. All in all, I still believe if anyone can and/or could fix me, it would be Dr. Bertagnoli.

Did a little sightseeing today. Was hoping to get down to Passau, but at the time that trip is a little longer than I can stand.

PS Mark, can you email those pictures you took to me??? I still HATE all pictures of me. lol Also, tomorrow is our last day here.............any suggestions on something "not too far" to see. It is just so beautiful over here. But I am getting kind of home sick now.

Thanks again to everyone.

[Maria]

Susan,
Are you back home now? If so I hope your travels didn't disrupt your spine too much~

[tisury]

Hello Maria, and thanks for asking. Yes, we are home. We were supposed to fly out of Munich at 12:30pm Friday afternoon (Germany time) and arrive in Philly at 4:30pm our time. Well, they loaded us on the plane, but then we sat on the plane for 3 1/2 hours before we were finally cleared to leave. Some issue with the air conditioning they said and then rerouting our late flight. Every half hour, they would assure us everything was under control, just waiting on paper work, and we would be leaving soon. (That crap scares me, like hey, what is REALLY wrong - isn't that the way the plane crash movies usually start.....can you tell I am not an avid flyer...lol) The flight was a little over 8 hours, I guess. We made up some time in the air and arrived in Philly around 6:30pm, but then we had a 3 hour drive home. Got home about 11 pm Friday night. Surprisingly though - I handled it much better than I ever expected. Yes, I had pain, but usually after an hour of sitting like that, I would be ready to saw my legs off or shoot myself. I didn't even max out on the pain meds. Good signs. I hope they continue.

I am having a lot of muscle type pain in the legs the last two days. Hot showers, walking, and stretching alleviate it some; but not much. Things may go down hill before heading back up, I'm afraid. But I can deal with it as long as I believe there is an end in sight. Or as a friend said to me, a light at the end of the tunnel without a train attached to it.

The intensity of the numbness of my right thigh seems to vary. This is mostly new since surgery. I would occasionally have numbness in that area, but only if I really overdid something. Hopefully, it is temporary. Still have nerve pain on and off, but that does seem easier to control with change of position, walking, stretching, etc. One day at a time.

Well, time to walk, walk, walk.....as Chuck says. Thanks to everyone.

Susan

[Maria]

Susan,
Once I sat in Tampa waiting and waiting for the plane to take off as it was checked out for nearly the same amount of time.. thankfully I had bought 3 plane seats so actually I didn't sit but lie down and read. The air was very stale and people were stir crazy but I was pretty calm, just wishing the plane would take off so I could get home. I too wondered "what if there is really something wrong w/this plane?" but I figured if so, we would have been herded off to another location~

Sawing my legs off after sitting... well if I sit longer than about 30-45 mins on a plane, or let's say an hour (wiggling around) ~ I'd be thinking of asking someone to shoot me!!!

Sounds like you're doing really well which is great to hear! My best wishes and thoughts for continued excellent recovery!

[dshobbies]

Susan,

I couldn't imagine sitting for that long in the plane, waiting... waiting... waiting. Being a fearful flyer, I would have wanted to get off! After my surgery we too were in business class. I couldn't imagine trying to get out of my seat to go to the bathroom if we weren't. But glad you made it home in one piece and none the worse for wear.

It sounds like your numbness and muscle aches are just a normal byproduct of the surgery and should resolve themselves in a few weeks or so. Please just remember that your walking, walking, walking should be in short bursts, however frequent, not long marathons. Taking it slow and easy should be your current mantra.

Maria, never thought about buying 3 seats. Even 2 might work!

Susan, I hope your recovery is uncomplicated and I wish you well. Keep us posted, Dale

[Maria]

This is the only way I can fly back East to see my father or anyone.
The trip to Fla. is 5 hours usually if direct flight and 6 plus if having to change planes which I find is actually easier on my spine.

3 coach seats are just enough for smaller short person like myself to life across on my side. Believe me though, my hips get sore doing this as the seats unless they are leather aren't too plush usually in coach.

I've flown like this now for probably the past 6 years. I suppose that alone is an indication I should be working on some spinal resolution tho it gets me where I'm going in one piece and able to get around.

If sitting like even a flight from LA to SF.. I really am in quite terrible tailbone/low back pain and legs feel like they can't move hardly. I always make sure to get an aisle seat for even a short flight~ then I can get up as needed and move about w/o disturbing anyone too much. I'm probably the only person on the plane that hangs out in the BR just to pass time away!!!
Unless I've had a lumbar ESI then I'm Ok... what a diff those things make for me~

[tisury]

Time for an update. Not much to report. I know it is still very early, but this is definitely a roller coaster ride. I have days that I feel great and other days (especially rainy days) that I hurt like hell. Sometimes it is the old familiar pain, and some times it is strange pains. One day my hips hurt, the next my knee, then my back, then my calves, feet, or my legs. All in all though, it is still better than before surgery and I seem to recoup much faster by changing position, soaking in a hot tub or walking. The morning stiffness has improved greatly. I am still on the 50 mcg patches of fentanyl (reduced from the pre op 100 mcg), and have decreased the amount of percocet and Soma I am taking. At 4 weeks, I started wearing my brace part time instead of all the time and that caused some minor flare ups in my low back. That was expected though. I can only hope that things continue to improve with time. It's tough, since I am not known for my patience..........but that's what I need to be right now.......patient, very patient. Sitting is still a challenge. Wish that would improve so I could get back to working some. Could use the money right about not, but I refuse to push myself and do anything to risk my recovery.

Finally got to see one post op xray. Wish I could figure out how to post it. The bottom ADR at L5-S1 that was done here in the states looks really crooked now. It always was and the surgical report said it was "slightly off center". Now with the 2 new discs above it though, you can really notice how off center it is. Hopefully, this doesn't turn out to be an issue.

I go for a walk 4-6 times a day. Morning and evening (when it is cooler), I go a mile and a half. The rest of the walks are between a half mile and a mile. So yes, I am breaking it up. My leg strength is definetely improving and I have lost quite a bit of weight in these 6 weeks (15-20 lbs). That doesn't hurt either.

Maria - 3 coach seats? Wouldn't that cost as much as a business class seat? In our case, it would have cost the same. I even tried to get coach out (figuring I would just suffer) and business class for the return - but that was more because it involved two one way tickets instead of a round trip.

[tisury]

Trying to attach the post op xray...........lets see if this works.