Loose Screws

[Hooch]

Ah, so you did have one. Pretty awesome fun hey. Sounds like you are doing ok considering all of that.

If you are a few weeks out from the op and the screws are loose, I would expect that they need to be rectified, as they will not be securing the joint and any motion introduced significantly reduces your chances of successful fusion in the long term.

Best.

[jsewell]

That is how my thinking has gone Hooch. Yes i was diagnosed with steroid induced psychosis. My spine surgeon thinks it was more pain medication induced. I definately had too many doctors involved and they could have caused the psychosis themselves.
I sure did not know which way was up and here still all kinds of stories about what i did and said.
One which seemed funny and i vagely remember is one night when the nurses would not let me get up to go to the bathroom , they kept shoving that uncomfortable cold bedpan under my butt. I kept lecturing them on the reasons they should let me up and move around . so no response from them so i stood up and peed on the bed and said now you have to let me get up so you can change this bed. Oh they must have cried when they saw me back a month later and then 2 months later in the same place.
I really did think the world was ending and i couldn't find my youngest child and then i thought the building roof was collapsing with all the weight of the ice frozen on it . My girlfriend said the nite she came i kept telling her to get all the babies to safety. Crazy places my braiin went.
I don't evern remember my first week home at all.

[Hooch]

That sucks, I'm glad it's gone, terrifying bloody thing. Just the last thing you need after everything else hey. Hope u are getting on ok.

[jsewell]

Thanks Hooch except for the unknown about another surgery to fix the screws, i'm not doing too bad. The sept osteotomy and kyphosis correction of my thoracic spine and some lumbar hurt much more than this surgery. now that i am walking around my lower back pain has returned and with it some bad right hip pain. I have a right hip replacement with a recalled part . I am hoping the pain is related to the lower back though.
Past my bedtime
judy

[mmglobal]

Psychotic reactions to surgery? My surgery at the AlphaKlinik was Sept 2002. In Oct. 2003, I went back to the AK and had been invited into the OR to observe surgery. I kept hearing some tittering among the staff and I seem to be the subject, so I asked, "what's funny?"

"They call you the alligator!"

"Why?"

Apparently, I had a psychotic reaction to the anesthesia and awoke in the recovery room, sitting up and swinging. I slugged an OR nurse putting her on the floor. The had kind of a TV episode moment as everyone was scrambling to hold me down and sedate me. They halted surgery for over an hour while everyone's adrenaline subsided.

I had some comparatively minor, but still quite unpleasant for the staff; episodes in the next few days in the hospital. For the next couple of weeks, I had horrible dreams. I could not believe I had those thoughts in my head. Waking up was kind of a 1/2 dream, 1/2 waking fog kind of torture. "Please, let me wake up from this dream."

So we have something in common. Let's get a camera crew and get together to do some anesthesia... could generate some great reality TV!

You are not alone.

The Alligator

[mmglobal]

By the way, I'm typing this message from Dr. Zeegers' house in Maastricht, Netherlands. Through the years, I was able to spend a great deal of time in the OR and laugh about it with the staff. We are still great friends. I'm sorry that the party had to be cancelled, becuase many of them would have been there.

[jsewell]

Mark i can't imagine what they called me was anything nice. I was totally gone for days in the hospital . Spent 12 days , most for the phychosis. I have seen nurses notes from a different surgery stating i thought i was in a submarine. This last time they asked me every day (several times) where i was and what the date was. Ususally it is written on a board, but sneaky nurse assistant did not do that. I was back in 1930's and asked my doc if that was close enough to get me out.
I first thought there were wild animals in my room. A mountain lion under my walker . There was a guy with a gun but he would not shoot until i told him the proper word. Then a snake came out of the end table. I guess just writing about it is reminding me that this happened in a previous surgery as well. The mind is a very powerful thing. Wish i could use it to stop pain.

Alligator you must have missed my question a page back. About the screws. In your opinion, do they definately have to come out? Just want to have all i need to talk to my surgeon next week.
judy