Surgery Monday August 8th

[dshobbies]

Judy,

I'm more conservative than others on this forum. The burning you feel tells me something is still going on. I tend to baby my pain instead of pushing through it unless I know for certain, pushing won't make it worse.

You have pushed since the day you got home from the hospital. 2 months out and you need serious meds to get through the day. I would fear I was setting myself up for a life cycle. I have absolutely no medical expertise but when my body talks, I try to hear what it is saying.

Taking whatever meds necessary to ease your pain helps us all get through the days but upping your meds because you're pushing, you simply don't know of possible negative affects. I know my view is obviously not shared by all and we all have to decide for ourselves how we're going to conduct our own lives but....

Just my 2 cents - Dale

[Maria]

I share Dale's viewpoint in terms of not giving one's self adequate time to heal post op. Then again there are times you say you feel better Judy and are making improvement so I tend to believe you however I do think you've pushed yourself in some activities a bit much (like sitting for classes).

I would have never scheduled any classes until I saw how I responded to surgery and with an adequate period of healing. Then again it seems you've been thru spine surgeries a number of times and sort of plan based on past experience?

I do hope you will heal and recover well however I do have to wonder if you just don't push yourself too much to actually give yourself adequate recovery time.

I guess time will tell~ let's hope for the best! BTW I didn't have a fusion so really can't address pain levels post this type of surgery however I took no actual pain meds post my 2 discectomies (even tho 2nd one had horrific outcome) past the one week post op mark.

So in essence even tho I had worse pain post my '92 surgery it wasn't until 2001 I actually got any "pain" medication of any sort!! talk about a long wait!!! I don't count the elavil or Neurontin (for neuroapathies).

[jsewell]

Hi Well i already wrote out a post that did not go through. I saw my spine surgeon today. I found out i am his patient that has the most metal in her or him. Wow.
About not being comfortable standing up, and a few other aches he said it has only been 2 months and I need time to heal and for things to adjust. So still no therapy or exercise besides walking .
The cortisol is do to my pituitary problem which effects every other endocrine gland. Also do to my adrenal glands not producing it any more, i was on a low replacement dose to try to get my adrenals to come back to life. I waited 2 years now or maybe even longer. Now it is determined with the added stress of you know who leaving and more surgery , i needed to up the dose. If too low or too high it causes all kinds of body aches. So nothing to do with overdoing it.
My classes , I registered for in May with no hint of surgery in the air.!!!
I don't know if i should have stopped in the middle of the program or not, but glad for the distraction.

I know i did not rest at all after the first week and a half, i was really bad!! I will never do that one again , that's for sure.
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
You've been the most active person I think I've read about on a spine forum post your most recent fusion! I still think the ESI at the point you got it probably helped that along even tho it was for your leg! So maybe it actually helped you overall as it allowed you to be up and active (maybe too active maybe not).

Hopefully you won't have to have more spine surgery (re never doing that again)!

I understood why you're taking the cortisol. You had mentioned the increased dose might make you feel better so was just inquiring as to if it made a difference there. Was hoping perhaps it had~

Re the classes I think you could have gotten your $ back re the back surgery being advised at that time or taken the classes when offered again tho I do recall you mentioned the possibility of a job opening that you were considering applying for so wanting to try and make that deadline. I'm amazed you got thru those long hours of sitting when you were doing the 7 hours tho you made it so guess you could do it! Are you nearly done with the classes? They do seem to have been a good distraction for you during this time.

Holidays are on the way so do be careful to not overdo with shopping and cooking long hours! At least for me I can bring on a good back ache by seriously emerging myself into either activity (long hours standing in the kitchen and probably longer hours running around shopping)... I don't think I'll do either this year actually as we've been invited to my relatives for TG and I'm not shopping this year unless online!

Ok seems like your doctor thought you were progressing pretty normally for the period of time post surgery so I'm off your case about resting and leaving it up to you as I'm sure you'll rest as much as you feel you need to or can stand! Hope your walks are continuing. Mine are getting better, longer, faster and I'm much more energetic overall!

[jsewell]

Hi Maria,
Well my walks are sporadic as i stay in bed usually until at least 1pm. then if there is one or 2 errands to do, the light is gone. Then 2 days per week i have to leave so it only leaves me 5 to work with. I wish i could make it every day or take one day off. That will only happen if i get up early and get going.

I only stand in the kitchen as long as it is as comfortable as it gets, then i go and sit down. lately i call one of the kids in there to help me. I'm really hoping they will learn how to cook a few things. Not that i am a great cook, but.... I do want the boys to be able to fend for themselves or help out when they are married.

Last year i did a ton of Christmas shopping on line, this year i will be buying less all around so it will be easier. I hope. I've already started shopping though. i went the mall when it was only opened for another hour and a half so i would't over do and i can't carry much anyway.

judy

[Maria]

Judy,
I've been so tired from my walks that I end up falling asleep by 8p.m. or earlier! So I now get up at 4a.m. or earlier!! Wow.. I'm on the cats schedule now ~ they'll be so pleased!

Re malls..I used to be able to shop until I dropped even if it meant getting a backache along the way I'd sit a while and keep going. Now that my feet keep me from that much shopping I find I have nearly any interest to go to a mall. Also can't stand to get into a crowded mall so generally if I go it's during the week and usually once/twice a year if that.

Since my Dad is gone I haven't done any Christmas shopping this year. I'll send a check to my brother for his daughter and either he can pick out something for her ahead of time that he knows she wants or she can just buy what she wants (she's 14 now). I did get my husband a painting for one of his rooms so hopefully he'll like that. Was thinking to get us both new bikes so we could ride the trails near his house tho we'll see how that goes as he might poo poo the idea since we have a few older bikes that are still ridable).

I'd like to get a townie with some speeds as the regular bike (mountain bike) is just not built comfortably enough for me tho it might just be that I can't really ride much still without bringing on neuropathies and pain which is what seems to happen. I think walking is the safest activity I can do regularly without repercussions.

Hope you're feeling better and doing well going into the holiday season. I guess it might be a bit tough on you this year with all that's happened so keep yourself healthy and happy as best you're able and hopefully we'll have another warm weather Christmas! (I love 80 degree sunny winter weather)!

Dale hope you're doing Ok too pain wise and Mark hope your pain level is tolerable and/or under control most of the time~

[dshobbies]

As a New York girl, I hope we get snow for Xmas - fat chance!

My back is doing ~ ok. Could be better but I'm very concerned about what is coming next week. Julius has a convention in Las Vegas. We're leaving Monday and home on Thursday. I love to sit at the tables all day but...
Then we leave for La Jolla on Friday -Sunday for a writer's conference with classes all day for all three days. It usually takes a few days to get over Las Vegas which I won't have this year. And now sitting all day at the conference has me worried. I hope I don't push myself past a point of no return.

Judy, a few years ago we remodeled our kitchen. I now have a place to sit at the island where I do most of my prep work. It makes all the difference in cooking. You can actually buy a small mobile butcher block table that you can move out of the way when not in use.

Maria, I've seen incline bikes ( if that's the right description) on the streets a lot more often. Much easier on the back but I do think they're a bit more expensive.

Hate the winds - they hate me too, Dale