I'm having my 2nd fusion (3rd surgery, 1st lamindectomy) on the 30th and after my pre-op appointment with my surgery, I have just been totally wigged out.
They said that I will hate them the first three days and do NOT expect to be out of pain. Nothing they can give me will make me painfree. If I was painfree, I would be dead as they said the doses would slow my respitatory (sp?) system down too much so they have to balance how much they can give me by monitoring my breathing.
They said "look to this as for the future". Before the surgery on the 30th, I am going to ask "how far in the future are they talking about?????". They also cautioned my daughter (17), who I had with me as she will be the main one with me and I wanted her to hear everything, but they cautioned her to monitor my oxycotin when I am home. THey said they have had THREE patients die of overdoses trying to take more to get out of pain. NOT GOOD. My daughter is very responsible, very aware and hates to take meds so she should be a good shepard in this regard.
Said I should expect to be in the hospital Tuesday and Wednesday night and they will have me up walking on Tuesday. The only positive thing is this doctor doesn't give you a corset to wear for 4 months like my last fusion. He thinks it actually impedes healing by not letting all your back muscles work so that is a very big positive.
Said I was at risk for a second surgery while in the hospital if I have any spinal fluid leakage from where he will fix the blockage of fluid I have. So they will be doing three things and she said this is definately much more complex than my last surgery altho she said it would take about 2 hours. They will be doing:
1. Removing my old hardware at my first fusion spot, including the battery pack which is what makes me unable to have an MRI.
2. Fixing whatever is causing my spinal fluid blockage.
3. Doing the new fusion which as usual is the next section of vertebrae up from my last one and putting in the rods and screws.
They said I will also have pins in the nerves of my legs so the doc can monitor if he places any hardware that irriates a nerve. If my nerve reacts, he will move the hardware. This sounds horrible but sounds great on the flip side. I wonder if those nerves in my legs will be sore after surgery.
I just had a breast reduction in September, have had 1 c-section, 1 lamindectomy (sp?), and 1 other fusion. I have little hesitiatons about any of those. Now all my thoughts go to being possibly paralyzed, have a stroke as my blood pressure has been spiking when in pain, all kinds of bad things.
Anyone had the spinal fluid blockage?
