6 Week Post-Revision Update

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone!

Monday will be my 6 week surgery anniversary and I just wanted to

update all on my progress, particularly for those " lurkers " that may

be contemplating surgery, bearing in mind that we are all different.

This week I feel that I have reached a turning point in my recovery.

My recovery, I do not feel, is as bad as I expected, although I don't

know what I expected. This week, my doctor prescribed lower-dose

pain meds and I have adjusted well, only requiring one Vicodin maybe

every 5-6 hours and sometimes even longer (now it is 2 pm and my last

pill was around 8:30 am). For the past six weeks, I have been home,

resting in bed, getting up to walk around the house, I fix my own

breakfast and lunch (unless someone visits and brings lunch) and I

help some what with dinner cleanup. My children are grown, so it is

just me and my husband. With use of the almighty grabber, I can

load/unload the dishwasher and even take clothes out of the dryer. I

am without a brace, because my doctor did not feel that I needed one

(I am 55 years old). Last night I was having such a good day that I

went out to dinner with my husband - just something close to home

that took only a little more than an hour (traveling time included).

It felt great to get out (we've been having amazing weather in NJ)

and last night was the first night that I slept straight through till

7 this morning (and then the alarm woke me up)!

I know not to take on too much and take this a day at a time, but I

am very glad I had the surgery and I am a true believer that the

sooner the better. I really only suffered with " flatback " for about

one year after having Harrington rod fusions 32 years ago (with no

problems). I felt that the healthier I was, maybe the less

complicated my revision would be (by not waiting till the

deterioration and pain became unbearable), the easier my recovery

would be (even though surgery took 10 hours). Maybe I just had a

great doctor!

Anyone contemplating surgery (I've been there) who has any questions,

please feel free to email me privately if you like (dturovac,

address).

Donna T.

[Guest guest]

Donna,

What a great report. I felt that way too " I felt that the healthier I

was, maybe the less complicated my revision would be (by not waiting

till the deterioration and pain became unbearable), " that is what drove

my decision, earlier rather than later. I am glad, recovery is going

well for you.

[Guest guest]

Donna,

Good for you! I am glad that you are doing well - both physically and emotionally. I'm sure those conteplating revision surgery will find a lot of assurance when reading this. I know it is uplifting for me!

G

[ ] 6 Week Post-Revision Update

Hi everyone!Monday will be my 6 week surgery anniversary and I just wanted to update all on my progress, particularly for those "lurkers" that may be contemplating surgery, bearing in mind that we are all different. This week I feel that I have reached a turning point in my recovery. My recovery, I do not feel, is as bad as I expected, although I don't know what I expected. This week, my doctor prescribed lower-dose pain meds and I have adjusted well, only requiring one Vicodin maybe every 5-6 hours and sometimes even longer (now it is 2 pm and my last pill was around 8:30 am). For the past six weeks, I have been home, resting in bed, getting up to walk around the house, I fix my own breakfast and lunch (unless someone visits and brings lunch) and I help some what with dinner cleanup. My children are grown, so it is just me and my husband. With use of the almighty grabber, I can load/unload the dishwasher and even take clothes out of the dryer. I am without a brace, because my doctor did not feel that I needed one (I am 55 years old). Last night I was having such a good day that I went out to dinner with my husband - just something close to home that took only a little more than an hour (traveling time included). It felt great to get out (we've been having amazing weather in NJ) and last night was the first night that I slept straight through till 7 this morning (and then the alarm woke me up)!I know not to take on too much and take this a day at a time, but I am very glad I had the surgery and I am a true believer that the sooner the better. I really only suffered with "flatback" for about one year after having Harrington rod fusions 32 years ago (with no problems). I felt that the healthier I was, maybe the less complicated my revision would be (by not waiting till the deterioration and pain became unbearable), the easier my recovery would be (even though surgery took 10 hours). Maybe I just had a great doctor!Anyone contemplating surgery (I've been there) who has any questions, please feel free to email me privately if you like (dturovac, address). Donna T.

[Guest guest]

Donna,

You sound like you are having a good recovery and are hitting a lot

of the same milestones I did. Still...keep the idea in your mind that

you have a good deal of healing ahead of you and you won't feel the

urge to do too much.

The first " outing " is terrific isn't it? I think mine was actually to

the dentist...and stupid me I didn't even think to ask about pre-med

until after it was done. (Turns out pre-med for dental is something

to talk to your surgeon about for the first year anyway).

Slowly take up your routines and count your lucky stars that you

don't have to be back to work by now, which somemembers have had to.

No matter how good you are doing and feeling remember that there are

bound to be plateaus along the way to gettng back to " you " . Some of

us have certainly found the mental recovery is longer term and as

challenging as the physical recovery...or even more so.

Continue the great updates. It is really good to hear how well things

are going for you, and I know that encourages others that are still

staring the " monster " down. I know it seems obvious that you want to

place a lot of the reason for your recovery on your surgeons fine

skills...but I also believe that an important part of the surgery is

your preparation as a patient and good use of the mind-body

connection. I wonder if your skills as an RN have helped at

all...what do you think?

Take Care,

Cam

[Guest guest]

Hi Cam!

Actually I'm not an RN, not even an LPN. I am an administrative

education coordinator in a surgery/orthopaedic department and have

worked in this field most of my life. I don't know what to attribute

my good mind/body connection to, except to say that I truly believe

the mind controls our bodies in ways that we cannot even imagine.

Life is too short for me to dwell on negativity. I truly enjoy my

life and want to get back to it. That does not mean I will try to

rush through this recovery (I know that could be highly detrimental),

but I also know that I will not let this take over.

Onward!

Donna

>

> Donna,

>

> You sound like you are having a good recovery and are hitting a lot

> of the same milestones I did. Still...keep the idea in your mind

that

> you have a good deal of healing ahead of you and you won't feel the

> urge to do too much.

>

> The first " outing " is terrific isn't it? I think mine was actually

to

> the dentist...and stupid me I didn't even think to ask about pre-

med

> until after it was done. (Turns out pre-med for dental is something

> to talk to your surgeon about for the first year anyway).

>

> Slowly take up your routines and count your lucky stars that you

> don't have to be back to work by now, which somemembers have had

to.

> No matter how good you are doing and feeling remember that there

are

> bound to be plateaus along the way to gettng back to " you " . Some of

> us have certainly found the mental recovery is longer term and as

> challenging as the physical recovery...or even more so.

>

> Continue the great updates. It is really good to hear how well

things

> are going for you, and I know that encourages others that are still

> staring the " monster " down. I know it seems obvious that you want

to

> place a lot of the reason for your recovery on your surgeons fine

> skills...but I also believe that an important part of the surgery

is

> your preparation as a patient and good use of the mind-body

> connection. I wonder if your skills as an RN have helped at

> all...what do you think?

>

> Take Care,

> Cam

>

[Guest guest]

Donna,

Well you must be very well versed on the advanatges of patient

education as it pertains to orthopedics then! I think that having an

idea about what is to come does take some of the fear out of the

equation. Of course some patients would rather not know

anything...and I guess generally we don't see them in a group like

this.

I think you will see that you were well prepared by your surgeon for

the surgery and the immediate post op period. What most of us feel is

lacking in the recovery period is really more nuanced, but in a few

cases some obvious stuff (now)that surprised the heck out of me

(then). I am completely guessing...but I would say 80-100% of the

folks who post here regularly found the period of 4-6 months to be

paticularly distressing...mentally and physically. You would think

the docs would warn us and have us in for a check up to see how we

are handling that time period. But no...they are surgeons...not

internists, psychotherapists, or PT's.

As I have said before...it's kind of like having a child. When I was

pregnant I was so focused on growing and delivering the baby that

when they handed the child over to me to take home (with the

first/only) I felt like I had walked through the looking glass and

was completely unprepared!

Perhaps that won't happen to you...I hope it won't. After all, you

have the benfit of our wisdom! I hope you don't count that as

negativity...I see it more as explaining the struggle to get

well...and there surely is more to it that the physical body healing.

The mind must heal as well. And I think you are right. A good strong

mind-body connection surely helps!

Take Care, Cam