Anyone here had back surgery?

[Sidani Anai]

Hey y'all. Since I couldn't find a general health section, I figured I'd just put this here in the Coffee Shop. If it's in the wrong place, I'm sorry, and mods, please feel free to move it.

I feel like such a wimp, but I've just gone through one back surgery almost three months ago, and now I'm getting ready to have another one. :grim: The first one was a laminectomy to remove fragments of a herniated disc. They cut my back for that one.

As for this next surgery, they're cutting me in the front and they're going to put a cage between two of my vertebrae and fuse them together. I had to have a myelogram for the first surgery, it wasn't fun, but not terribly painful, either. I have to have another one this week. The other thing I have to get is a discogram. I'm terrified of getting that one done. Even my doctor told me that one is painful. :sick: Has anyone here ever had this done?

I don't know anything more than this, so if anyone has gone through anything similar, please share. I'm stressin! :stress: WebMD just scares me more with photos! I am such a wimp.

ETA: can't speel

[eiyela]

We be needin' a huggers smilie! *hug* Sidani, I don't think you're wimpy at all. I've only had jaw surgery, and I was crying and freaking out every 5 minutes for weeks around that.

What helped for me was getting a really good idea of what my doc was going to do during surgery. I had him explain the whole procedure, and it took half an hour, but I felt much better afterwards. Then I made sure my mommy was around ALL THE TIME for the first week after surgery...:sweatdrop:

[hairbrain]

BIG HUG first off.

I had THREE surgeries...
a microdiscography (kind of like your laminectomy)
an Anterior interbody fusion, like youre having, and
a posterior fusion.
I have the titanium cages, from the Anterior Fusion,
and rods/screws from the posterior fusion.

Are they using bone from your hip or a synthetic protein? do you know?

the discogram HAS to be painful...unfortunately...
they are trying to recreate your pain
so that they can see exactly WHERE the pain is coming from.
which disc, etc.
BUT its not THAT bad...they give you a mild anethestic, and they
gave me some stuff called Versid (sp?) which makes you forget, almost
immediately (thats some weird crap let me tell ya)

you will do fine ! just wiggle your toes when you feel pain
(that will keep you from squirming your back when theyre doing
their thing)

[bowie]

Hairbrain and I are the back pain/surgery experts in these parts!!

I have had 2 surgeries laminectomies with discectomy. Never fused. Good luck with everything and make sure to get physical therapy after your surgery and after your doctor clears you to do it.

[hairbrain]

Hairbrain and I are the back pain/surgery experts in these parts!!


*waving*
yup Bowie's my 'brokeback' sis hehehehe
the latest: Im going to see a physiatrist.
(prounounced: fizz-EYE-a-trist)
an orthopedic, pain management, sports type physical
therapist/specialist.
I thought they told me I needed to see a
psychiatrist and almost puched the lady through
the phone...:boggle: (maybe I need both, eh?)

[Teacherbear]

I've had the myleogram and it was THE most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life! I won't go into details (I did, but deleted it). I've never had a discogram. But I wish you minimal recreation of pain - just enough for them to get the info they need and no more!

I consider Bowie and Hairbrain the back surgery queens. They are strong, tough ladies. Hang with them. They'll help get you though this! :flowers:

[bowie]

I've had the myleogram and it was THE most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life! I won't go into details (I did, but deleted it). I've never had a discogram. But I wish you minimal recreation of pain - just enough for them to get the info they need and no more!

I consider Bowie and Hairbrain the back surgery queens. They are strong, tough ladies. Hang with them. They'll help get you though this! :flowers:


Awww, what's truly sad is that I feel flattered by that compliment!:geek:

Ha ha ha! Myelogram was rather unbearable for me--not the test itself...the aftermath. Leaked spinal fluid for 3 days til they patched me up....although that is rare that that happens as they say:evileye:

[bikerbraid]

You have my sympathies, back problems are never fun I'm sure you will do just fine with the procedures.

I've had 2 back surgeries myself, a laminectomies on 4 discs, and a posterior fusion of 6 discs with rods and screws with removal from the anterior and bone retrieval from my hip. I've not had a discogram - I don't think they were available when I had my surgeries.

With what you have already been thru, I am sure you can handle anything else they can throw at you. Just remember, you WILL feel better after everything is over.

Good luck!

[hairbrain]

I've had 2 back surgeries myself, a laminectomies on 4 discs, and a posterior fusion of 6 discs with rods and screws with removal from the anterior and bone retrieval from my hip.

((((bbraid))))

I tell everyone Im more metal than human now....
the kids get really freaked out. :boggle:

[Peggy E.]

Hairbrain and I are the back pain/surgery experts in these parts!!

I have had 2 surgeries laminectomies with discectomy. Never fused. Good luck with everything and make sure to get physical therapy after your surgery and after your doctor clears you to do it.

Might give you a run for the money here.....

I've had five back surgeries, a whole bunch of treatments and ended up with Arachnoiditis, a progressive disease that's left me homebound and mostly in a hospital bed. (Still have stenosis, three herniated disks, a failed fusion, and I don't even remember anymore what-all.)

What would set off the warning bell for me here is that you've had the first surgery - invasive, which means the non-invasive physiological treatments are now not as effective - and here they are looking at doing another surgery because the first one did not work.

I've been disabled by my back, and the doctors I gave permission to mess with it, for over twenty years. I had my first back surgery two weeks after my daughter was born (had first back problems when pregnant) and she turned twenty-two in March.

Have you seen a Physiatrist? Have you seen any specialists who are not surgeons? Surgeons do surgery and look at every case that walks into their office in terms of what sort of surgical solution is there to this problem. Nothing wrong with this in some cases, but not in all cases and a surgeon should always be the doctor of last resort.

I'm not wanting to scare the daylights out of you - but caution you to be absolutely certain in your mind that this is the way to go. There are many who can tout their excellent results with back surgery.

But there are also many, like me, for whom the procedures took a bad situation and made it horrendous. Please, be sure you have covered all alternatives and are satisfied that the choice you make will be the one that's best for you.

Hope it works out for you and you will be pain-free and active once again soon!

[bowie]

Might give you a run for the money here.....

I've had five back surgeries, a whole bunch of treatments and ended up with Arachnoiditis, a progressive disease that's left me homebound and mostly in a hospital bed. (Still have stenosis, three herniated disks, a failed fusion, and I don't even remember anymore what-all.)

What would set off the warning bell for me here is that you've had the first surgery - invasive, which means the non-invasive physiological treatments are now not as effective - and here they are looking at doing another surgery because the first one did not work.

I've been disabled by my back, and the doctors I gave permission to mess with it, for over twenty years. I had my first back surgery two weeks after my daughter was born (had first back problems when pregnant) and she turned twenty-two in March.

Have you seen a Physiatrist? Have you seen any specialists who are not surgeons? Surgeons do surgery and look at every case that walks into their office in terms of what sort of surgical solution is there to this problem. Nothing wrong with this in some cases, but not in all cases and a surgeon should always be the doctor of last resort.

I'm not wanting to scare the daylights out of you - but caution you to be absolutely certain in your mind that this is the way to go. There are many who can tout their excellent results with back surgery.

But there are also many, like me, for whom the procedures took a bad situation and made it horrendous. Please, be sure you have covered all alternatives and are satisfied that the choice you make will be the one that's best for you.

Hope it works out for you and you will be pain-free and active once again soon!

Ack! Arachnoiditis is terrible.

[bikerbraid]

((((bbraid))))

I tell everyone Im more metal than human now....
the kids get really freaked out. :boggle:

hee, hee - I tell people I'm working on a complete erector set. I have 6 screws and 2 rods in my back, and 6 screws and a plate in my ankle! To really freak them out, I show them the Xrays. :D

[hairbrain]

yes, I've got arachnoiditis too. I thought he was saying
I had spider eggs hatching in my body :gurn: .

hee, hee - I tell people I'm working on a complete erector set. I have 6 screws and 2 rods in my back, and 6 screws and a plate in my ankle! To really freak them out, I show them the Xrays. :D

hehehe! the Womanator !


my DH has a long scar down his leg, and over the knee from a
torn ligament. When kids ask him about it (as kids WILL do!) he
tells them he was swimmin' off the coast of Costa Rica when out
of nowhere a SHARK grabbed hold of him...

:boggle:

[Sidani Anai]

Wow! Thanks for the response y'all! :happy: I had no idea there were so many of us around here.

Please forgive me if I sometimes don't make sense, I'm taking loritabs and they make me a bit loony. :cheesy: I hope I can remember everything I want to say in this one post. I'll probably end up coming back again and again with oh yeah, i remember now's.... :rolleyes:

Okay, Hairbrain mentioned having Versed when she had her discogram. My doctor didn't mention that I would get any type of sedation at all for my discogram. He said I would get some numbing around the injection hole, but that was it. :boggle: Now I'm really freaked that he didn't mention that I would have that. It's not likely he'd forget a fact like that, seeing as how it would take away my fear of the test. It is another doctor performing the test, so maybe my doctor just isn't completely familiar with the procedures? :confused:

The reason I'm having to have another surgery is for a different problem. The first one, the laminectomy, was for a herniated disc that had thrown fragments that were crushing the nerves in that area. This next surgery is for a degenerative disc problem I'm having in the same area. It's almost bone on bone and getting more and more painful. This isn't something that any physio can fix, unfortunately. :(

Thank you all for responding, I really do appreciate it and all the information you've given me. I'm sorry to hear of all the bad things that have happened to you all. To us all, I mean. And Hairbrain, you had me laughing out loud a couple of times there. :lol: I just hope I have the guts to show up for that test. :notsure:

[hairbrain]

go for the test, its not that bad...really.
(I guess that depends on the individual though, and what your
pain tolerance is, etc.)
Have you had any epidural steroid injections at all?
Its comparable to that, somewhat.

when is your test ???

I also have Degenerative Disc Disease. The level above
where they've fused may have to be operated on soon.
We're looking at those cool Artificial discs...
{cue bionic woman theme music}

My doctor didn't mention that I would get any type of sedation at all for my discogram. He said I would get some numbing around the injection hole, but that was it. :boggle: Now I'm really freaked that he didn't mention that I would have that. It's not likely he'd forget a fact like that, seeing as how it would take away my fear of the test. It is another doctor performing the test, so maybe my doctor just isn't completely familiar with the procedures?
I had no idea I was going to be injected with Versed.
It was lovely though.:drool:
but not during, just after. So hard to explain what that was like.
They just said I'd be numbed and they were going to
try to recreate my pain. Ask a million questions if it will help
you understand better, and get thru it.

I remember the day because I was
in the hospital the whole day and it was my 30th birthday and
I was bummed because of that but afterward, the nurses bring you
lunch, and they included a small cake and a candle, and a card and sang
to me - it was the nicest thing ever ....

anyway... I remember going in they injected me with that "Stuff" after
getting into position on my belly with a pillow under me.
They also gave me the tiniest bit of morphine. But not
much because the whole point of the procedure is
to see WHERE your pain is coming from;
The nurse was
talking to me, explaining things as they went along, aligning me
for the xray to guide them into the correct location, then the doc
saying something like its going to feel like a bee sting and I
think I said something like, "I kill bees" or "Bees suck" or whatever
and I did feel some uncomfortable-ness as they injected saline liquid
or whatever they use. The doctor never told me what disc he
was injecting as he did it, he just said he was going to
inject some fluid, and to tell him
if I had lots of pain, some pain, or no pain.
When I had pain, they asked me to describe it on the 'scale of 1-10'.
Right afterward, they wheeled me out into the hall where DH was
waiting and he asked, "how did it go?"
and for a second I was like, ummm I dont remember?
then I remembered the conversation but not so much the pain.

Versed. Ask for it by Name.:D

[AshenLady]

L5-S1 discectomy and spinal fusion in the late 1970's. Great surgeon, great hospital equals great outcome, usually.

[harpgal]

Sidani...I am so sorry that you have back problems. I will be thinking about you. Everyone here will help you. BTW, Versed is truly a wonder drug! ((((Sidani)))))

[bowie]

Wow! Thanks for the response y'all! :happy: I had no idea there were so many of us around here.



Okay, Hairbrain mentioned having Versed when she had her discogram. My doctor didn't mention that I would get any type of sedation at all for my discogram. He said I would get some numbing around the injection hole, but that was it. :boggle: Now I'm really freaked that he didn't mention that I would have that.
The reason I'm having to have another surgery is for a different problem. The first one, the laminectomy, was for a herniated disc that had thrown fragments that were crushing the nerves in that area. This next surgery is for a degenerative disc problem I'm having in the same area. It's almost bone on bone and getting more and more painful. This isn't something that any physio can fix, unfortunately. :(

Thank you all for responding, I really do appreciate it and all the information you've given me. I'm sorry to hear of all the bad things that have happened to you all. To us all, I mean. And Hairbrain, you had me laughing out loud a couple of times there. :lol: I just hope I have the guts to show up for that test. :notsure:

Yep, versed is good. I haven't had that in a long time. Not for either one of my back surgeries. Also, tell either your surgeon or your primary that you are VERY nervous about the procedure and concerned about pain, etc. (That will cue them in to think about something else to give you to make sure that you are comfortable without it being a tortuous situation). There are lots of meds out there that can do the job, they will work with what you take now and what your health history is to make an accurate determination of your needs. Good luck to you.:grinhappy:

[Peggy E.]

[quote=hairbrain]go for the test, its not that bad...really.
(I guess that depends on the individual though, and what your
pain tolerance is, etc.)
Have you had any epidural steroid injections at all?
Its comparable to that, somewhat.

when is your test ???

I also have Degenerative Disc Disease. The level above
where they've fused may have to be operated on soon.
We're looking at those cool Artificial discs...
{cue bionic woman theme music}


I'm surprised by this. I have DDD, too, and herniated disks, spinal stenosis, yada, yada, yada, and I was told there would be no more surgery because of the Arachnoiditis.

Your doctor didn't seem to think this would be a problem? The only invasive procedure we'll be considering is for the pump, which will be used for administration of pain meds. It's "last ditch" and I want to put it off for as long as I can tolerate the pain. :stress: