Diane's surgery blog

letteski · #1 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 04:41 AM

Welcome home

So glad to hear you are home and doing well. Take it easy there is no rush and you have the rest of your life a head of you. I don't know what I would have done without you and Mark cheering me on so please know I am here for you just got my head into adoption resurch these days and not back stuff. I am so glad your back feels.

Take care and I will be following your progress

mmglobal · #2 (**permalink**) 04-26-2008, 09:05 AM

4 weeks and 2 days post-op - 11 days since last update. Diane has hit a plateau, but it's a good plateau. She has continued to do well, and is off all meds except anti-inflammatory. She still moves well, sleeps well, is driving (but has difficulty turning to backup) and is generally functioning very well. She is in little pain, but higher activity levels still generate typical sciatica in a familiar pattern - down back of left leg and also has a numb spot on bottom of left foot. (Same as me... feels like something in my shoe... even when barefoot!). Egg on abdomen shrinking. Incision looks great, but is still tender. It also responds to the activity levels and when she does too much, that may be what is hurting. Standing still is not fun, especially when trying to work in front of her body... like doing dishes. (Anyone who's been through this knows exactly what we are describing.)

During the last few days, we've been able to spend some time with an old friend.... here we are with PCMguy... now 11 days post-op from STALIF L4-5 and ProDisc L3-4. L5-S1 was already fused and he also has a PCM cervical ADR in his neck. Hardware lineup here has 6 ADR's (5 lumbar, 1 cervical) and 2 levels fused. Hopefully, John will come along and tell his own story! (Taffy has no hardware yet.)

Maria · #3 (**permalink**) 04-30-2008, 04:01 PM

Mark,
It looks like Diane has a brace on.. does she wear it most of the day or just during activities? Glad to hear she has hit a good plateau~ hopefully all the rest will work itself out and activity level increase to a Lettski level or mmglobally going level)~ you guys all rock! Best wishes for continued great recovery Diane~

mmglobal · #4 (**permalink**) 04-30-2008, 06:15 PM

I don't think I ever lived at a Lettski level... she's amazing. Diane wears the brace whenever she's out and about. She's being quite conservative and is waiting till the magic 6 week date (1 week from today.) She wears it quite loose and has taken the stays out. It's more of a reminder not to do things... not really for support.

Diane · #5 (**permalink**) 06-11-2008, 02:07 AM

Its been so long since my last post I don’t know where to start. Thank you everyone for your words of support. The Spine Arthroplasty conference in Miami was truly amazing and I was on a natural high. I was able to be up and about all day. No more TV!! It was exciting and rewarding to meet all the people who played a role in the artificial disk. I did have some swelling in my left leg and foot (from the sympathectomy) and was pretty exhausted by the last day. The first few days back home I caught up on my sleep. I find that even though I’m sleeping well I still seem to need more than 8 hrs.

I started picking my granddaughter up at about 7 weeks post-op. I started slowly, gradually increasing the amount everyday. I can’t tell you how good that first hug was when I picked her up and the surprised look on her face. (I was good; I had been home for more than three weeks and hadn’t picked her up once.) The past few days I’ve done a lot of babysitting so my daughter could study for finals. Today I have mild swelling in the left foot and some sciatic pain in my let leg. I was so busy running yesterday I think I forgot to take my Celebrex. I’m beginning to think going back to work would be easier than running after a one year old. I had some upper back and neck pain pre-op. It seemed to disappear post-op, but now that I’m increasing my activity and lifting it has returned. I’m hoping that with strengthening exercises this will abate.

Some times I forget that I’ve had surgery. It’s hard not to overdue when you feel good. I have even been thinking about going back to floor nursing. I think it would be possible if I could work 8 hr shifts instead of 12. When I get the left leg pain reminder after some gardening or an active day, I realize that floor nursing may not be a wise choice. I’m researching my options and taking it one day at a time. My activity level is not normal, but much higher than pre-op and better than I expected.

Diane

Maria · #6 (**permalink**) 06-18-2008, 01:49 PM

Hi Diane,
Your recovery sounds like it's going great if you've forgotten you had surgery or pretty much have felt that way.

I know you will make a wise choice with regard to returning to your career as there are so many opportunities in this field.

My experience keeping up with my niece and husband's nephews when they were in early toddlerhood was certainly much more strenuous than the jobs I held in the latter part of my career! Talk about wiped out and laid out to rest!

Stay well, glad to hear how well you're doing.

kseattle · #7 (**permalink**) 06-26-2008, 06:16 PM

Diane and Mark -
It's been so great to follow your journey the past few months and I'm thrilled you are getting back to health.

Mark, you were so helpful to me in my journey 3 years ago this week, when I had my ADR surgery with Bertagnoli. I was inspired by how powerful it was to connect with other people like you who've been through health experiences that I founded Trusera, an online network for health where you can find and share real-world health experiences with people who've been there. I found when I had Lyme disease and then my neck problem that the power of community was a key component to a successful outcome.

Bless you both for your work and the inspiration you provide others who are looking to connect with others who've been through it.

Fondly,
Keith
_____________
2005 ProDisc ADR C5-C7
Founder and CEO: Trusera
Trusera ID: storyguy

ellecincos1 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-30-2008, 08:09 PM

Diane,

I very glad that you are doing well, you look great! I bet most of those pains will be gone soon slowly you'l get there

Best wishes,
Myriam

mmglobal · #9 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 02:39 AM

Well, we've been in Miami for 2 days now. Diane's activity level is very high. The flight over caused her L ankle to swell a little and to become mildly uncomfortable. We believe that is part of the sympathetic nerve issues mentioned in the 'warm leg' post. Along with that... her L heel is very dry, while her R foot is completly normal.

She's enjoying the conference and is able to sit and walk better than I. Standing still still gets her, but she manages quite well as I stop to talk to so many people at great length. We just got back to the hotel room, more than 12 hours since we left this morning. Tough, busy day... especially since we both started the trip already behind the curve with little sleep and high activity levels in the days that lead up to the trip.

So it's all great news still.

We had an amazingly warm moment this morning as we caught up with Thierry Marnay, the inventor of the ProDisc. He's used to seeing me at the conferences and was very pleasant as always. When Diane thanked him for inventing the ProDisc and told him that she was less than 6 weeks post-op, he said, "You've got 2 ProDiscs?" He was so very happy to hear our good news... he stepped forward and gave Diane the warmest hug. We talked for a long time about so many things... It was such a pleasure to see him enjoying this so much. I experience a small taste of this with my work, but for him, the gratification that he receives from moments like these must be enormous. This occurred in the back of the main hall and the moderator of the next session was clearly perterbed with us, because he was trying to get the next session started and Dr. Marnay clearly wanted to keep talking... and the next session was his!

Maria · #10 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 10:30 PM

Ok, sorry but this photo with Diane and Dr.Marnay is blinding me with Diane's smile~ Ya think after a 12 plus hour day one can say they've plateaued? Sounds like your wife is on her way to Letteski living

Nice photo BTW

mmglobal · #11 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 07:30 PM

I hope that we are coming to the end of the frequent posts... and this is just a few days later than, and so similar to the last one... but I think that this is wonderful and I want to share it.

I had a similar moment myself, when I got to spend some time with Karin Buettner-Janz and Dr. Zeegers together at SAS4 in Vienna... the co-inventor of my disc and the surgeon who implanted it. Well, the picture below was taken at exactly 6 weeks post-op for Diane. We were at a cocktail party at the very end of a very long day. You'll read about it on the SAS blog soon.

Dr. Thierry Marnay, Diane, Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli

This was great for both of the doctors. They see patients when they have surgery or when they are in pain. It's not all that often that they get to see their handiwork wearing such a huge smile.

Diane and I are home from SAS now. No meds... no back pain... little sciatica with activity... but now her threshold for what constitutes too much activity unbelievably high. (Actually, she does not have to stop... she just has to put up with mild sciatica after an incredibly long day.) She has stopped wearing the brace with no ill effects.

I'll only post when there is something significant to post now...

All the best,

Mark