runner's surgery blog, L4/5, 2008

[runner]

Yes,

Once a nurse, always a nurse.
There are plenty of jobs available and different kinds for different folks. Like you, I will have to go on interviews again. Been 8 years since I last interviewed.
When you are better, please give me a call. I have that sinus problem too. Put it this way: It is a fairly constant problem. On antibiotics right now and need to be careful so I don't relapse

Constipation is the elephant in the room nobody talks about. I can't go to my husband and say wow I wish I had a normal BM. Last time I used Miralax, a couple of weeks ago, it made me feel kind of sick to my stomach. I eat a lot of fiber.

Had to laugh about your vet and your OSS--that is the worse when you are supposed to introduce someone or say Hi, and you can't remember their name. Can be embarrassing.

You hit the nail on the head about missing work. I felt it was my calling and now I am regulated to fixing my children's boo boos and reading about the world I was part of. I watch most of the medical tv shows. My oldest daughter always admonishes me because I will say, "That is not right. They are not doing CPR correctly." I have to remember to shut my mouth and not think aloud.

Runner

[Maria]

Hola Chica!
I'm finally starting to feel better! Wow~ I can think again and even formulate a sentence vs. grunting!

We could have a real conversation now that I'm feeling better if you feel like it! My apologies for having been so out of it when we last talked! I can blame in *the bug*~ it's a nasty one so stay well all!

[runner]

Maria,

Glad you are feeling better.
Probably Sunday or later I can call you.
It has been a busy week. Watching the Olympics right now and then have to put the kids to bed. I have to "chase" them down.

Runner

[Crystal33]

I'm not sure if it is a suitable option for you but if your disc problem is a leaking tear there are some minimal approaches emerging as first line approaches. This is one.
Biostat® System - Spinal Restoration
When successful, the results happen within weeks.

(a patient's comments copied from another forum. Name/details of person deleted by me.)
“ …I had my 2nd and hopefully last Fibrin injection the first part of February of this year (2009). I worked part time all summer at a hospital and have been working full time since the 2nd of September for ...................... I am doing well. The Fibrin seems to have held this second time. I never thought I would get out of bed again and it seems like a miracle to be working. I work for a bunch of great Spine Doctors. I would certainly try the Fibrin. You don't burn any bridges with it and I do know of people that have gotten relief from it even when their discs were less than 1/3. Some bone on bone almost. The docs I work for know Dr. Pauza and have talked to me a lot about it. I have shown some of them my films and they were amazed I am walking much less working full time. I don't get on here too much anymore because I work a lot but if I can answer any questions I would be more than happy too. I will try to set this up so I get notified if anyone writes. Best wishes and God bless.
XXXXXXXXXXX

10-02 - ProDiscs L4/5 and L5/S1 - FDA study - disks placed incorrectly which
caused problem at L3/4 and L2/3
01-05 - ProDiscs at C5/6 and C6/7 in Germany - seems to be working fine so far
Bedbound from 09-06 until 10-08 due to severe pain and weakness
09-08 - Had Fibrin sealant done at L3/4 and L2/3 After 6 weeks - much success!
Hoping and praying that the lumbar revision surgery that was scheduled with Dr. Regan can be indefinitely postponed......... ”

[mmglobal]

What? Everything on ER isn't real??? Dang it Runner... ya burst my bubble!

Hey, let's get a gathering soon.

[Maria]

Runner,
Haven't seen you post in quite a while so was wondering how you're doing? Hope you're doing somewhat better and or have heard something with regard to a surgery front. take care!

[runner]

Hi Maria,

No, I haven't been on here in a while. Let me do a quickie update (sort of).

Had surgery for L5/S1 in August, 2011. So I am a little less than two years--Oh, my how time flies--from my ProDisc L surgery. Yes, I got the ADR. I was in a lot of pain before I got that surgery, fighting for the surgery I thought would put me back in the game.

I have just been busy recovering, taking care of kids, doing things...

The surgery went well, but because they went back in through the abdomen (anterior), they encountered vessels that were -kind of stuck to the vertebrae bones ("scarred in"). My vascular surgeon was taking my iliac vein off and when he got to the last millimeter, the vein tore. He told me after the surgery, for a vein it bled a lot. He was able to repair it and what not. (I did have the dacron sheet over the bones but it did not extend down to L5/S1 so that didn't help.)

Indeed, I lost 3,200 cc's of blood. They were able to return half of that to me, I used up the unit of blood I had donated and whatever was left in the cell saver. My potassium level was down after that, they gave me K-riders to help that. Additionally, I spent a long time in recovery and I kept asking for pain control and some (sorry to say) stupid nurse gave me Valium injections instead of addressing my pain. I had a 7 am surgery, which I think lasted around four hours, and didn't get up to my room until around 7-8 pm.

My pain skyrocketed after getting to my room and it was way out of control. My day nurse, whose shift had ended, attempted to address the issue. The problem was that the PCA did not have a basal rate. And the PCA rate was low. This poor nurse, who didn't have the autonomy a critical care RN has, went the extra mile for me. She got a hold of one of the doctors that worked with my surgeon and got a basal rate. I was in so much pain and the next day, my pain doctor came in and took over. I was never very comfortable but things were better.

I was weak after surgery and had difficulty moving. And the mistake I made, was having surgery near a holiday. I was in the hospital a couple days and they determined I needed to go to rehab. So they have an in-hospital rehab that my surgeon wanted me to go to, but the rehab doctor examined me and decided I was not sick enough, so he would not admit me (mainly because of my insurance).
I had nurses, who obviously wanted to clear the floor because of the holiday, suggesting very strongly that I needed to get out of the hospital and go to rehab. They got me off the PCA--thanks a lot--barely weaned off, it was a joke--and onto P.O. meds.
Unfortunately, they wore me down. And off I was shipped to rehab. So, I get to rehab, they don't have my medications, my roommate has the loudest grating voice possible and there is no P.T. available. Since I had very little in terms of pain meds, I was up and down to the bathroom and was using my walker quite effectively.

Walking that much at night, I got very adept at using the walker and willed myself to get stronger. Yes, they did not have any of my medications and this is right after major surgery. They gave me I think one 10 mg dose of oxy or percocet from another patient and promised they would have medication soon. That first night, I woke up in the middle of the night because I heard loud voices. My roommate and a couple other people (staff) were talking very loud and I thought I was in some kind of dream. Then she kept asking for pain medicine repeatedly...I was going nuts.

I was there two days and they still didn't have my medication; I felt like an inmate from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. There was no P.T. person to help me rehabilitate, only an occupational therapist; I was getting Tylenol for pain and no other meds. So I planned my escape because I was in a lot of pain, I was not sleeping well and I thought I would go crazy. LOL.

I have never liked SNFs. Well, I packed my bags, got dressed and when my husband came to visit, I told him I was leaving. He was like, "No, no you have to stay here you are too weak to go home," etc... I told him, "If you don't take me out of here, I am hitting the streets and walking home."
He got quite upset at me because he had been told that I could not take care of myself.
Luckily, a couple from my church came to visit, and the wife was an RN and I spoke to them and she convinced my husband to take me home (AMA).

At home, I camped out on the couch and when the holiday ended, I called my surgeon's office to tell them my situation. I had no discharge papers, no hospital bed orders, etc...I spoke to the surgery scheduler/administrator and she was upset how I was treated by the hospital. She chewed them out for treating the doctor's patients like that (I was not the only one) and got me an in-home PT visit, ordered a hospital bed.
And that was how that part of recovery ended.

Runner