Lumbar L4-S1 Charite - Firegirl57 (Single Level ADR)

[FireGirl57]

I had my surgery on Tuesday 2/19. My surgeon says that the surgery went really well and I was a perfect candidate. I came home from the hospital on Thursday. I have been able to get up and move around a little more each day. At this point it is mostly my stomach that hurts. I haven't had much back paid except a "twinge" here and there as I get up and walk.

Sitting up too long is still uncomfortable to I am going back to laying for now. I will keep everyone posted on my progress!

[berry]

Glad your surgery went well Sandy.

Take it easy, wishing you a smooth recovery.

Lynda

[Don]

Sandy,

Glad to hear you are doing well and the surgery went well. Stay in touch.

Don

[Terry]

Hang in there Sandy .

Terry Newton

[phylly]

Sandy,
Congratulations on your surgery and I hope all goes well! Your stomach will probably hurt for awhile but the pain WILL go away.
Phylly

[FireGirl57]

My stomach pain has been getting better each day. I am concerned about the amount of back pain that I am feeling though. The pain in my back isn't getting any better. My doctor encouraged walking, but I can barely do that without lower back pain. I feel like I spend most of my day lying down which I wonder if that is making it worse. Maybe I am expecting too much too soon?

[phylly]

Hi,
I guess I was a little slow but it took quite awhile for the back pain to feel better. I am almost 3 months post op. I remember feeling pain for 6-8 weeks and now it depends on what I do during the day. If I walk, and do errands, it hurts in the morning. It was a lot better after 2 months though, Hang in there. Laying on ice Packs can help a lot. I really agree with everyone who said to take it slow. It's okay to rest and lie down right now.
Phylly

[mikemcmanus57]

Sandy,
Glad your surgery went well. I would not be to concerned about your pain, you just had MAJOR surgery. I can say from experience, It takes time to heal. I to am A Firefighter so I know how you think. We want to be better yesterday. Does your surgon think you will be able to return to your job? Mine gave me a 75% chance at returning to work, He also told me a minimum of 6 months of healing. I have no back pain but I do have a ton of nerve pain in my right butt check and leg. It seems to be getting better with lyrica. Just curious, Whats the 57 in your name for? 57 is my badge number. Keep on healing. Be patient ( easy to say hard to do ) Mike

ps Where do you do your Firefighting/EMT?

[FireGirl57]

Mike - The 57 is my badge number as well. My doctor gave me an 85% chance. He also said that 6 months would be a realistic expectation for getting back into it.

I am a volunteer with Lewiston #2 in NY. It is near Niagara Falls.

[FireGirl57]

Two week post op update:

My stomach pain is mostly gone. I have a little pain right around the incision, that is about it. BTW: I was expecting a 2-3 inch incision, and when I finally got a look at it I saw that it was over 5 inches! No wonder my stomach hurt! When should I start massaging it to try to break up the scar tissue?

I don't have constant pain in my back, which I have to believe is a good sign. Everything feels really tight, and I get shots of pain when I move around in bed, and sometimes when I am walking. I am assuming this is surgical pain. I went for a walk yesterday, just around the block and I felt like I ran 10 miles by the time I was done! I was thinking of starting some gentle stretching to try to loosen my back muscles, but I am not sure if that is ok - any thoughts?

I was taking 2 7.5 hyrdos and a muscle relaxer every 4 hours, I am down to 1 hydro and a muscle relaxer every 4-5. I guess that is progress, albeit slow progress!