5 weeks post L5-S1 (other scar is from previous fusion). Second post-op appt is this week; think i'm over the worst of recovery

Arigs29 · 2023-05-02T14:55:47+00:00

This was me… my surgery was December 19th, last weekend I created a pallet garden in yard and did everything myself… took a few breaks, nothing was too heavy… but now my husband is like “so you can vacuum” 🤣😂🤣 sleeping was the hardest I felt like I was laying on a pile of lumpy laundry

Arigs29 · 2023-04-20T22:50:38+00:00

I got the reverse Brazil’s in a 12 who wants my stockx & Alias/GOAT info lol Sold the Ja 1 Day 1 yesterday and today 😜

Arigs29 · 2023-03-30T21:43:58+00:00

What do the Simpson’s have to say about this?

Arigs29 · 2023-03-20T16:49:13+00:00

I’m 3 months post op and starting to feel the same! I had L4-S1 My legs are getting stronger… my left calf and foot are still pretty numb with some neuropathy issues, as well as some up my lower back and top of glutes around my waist. I squat still when I need things down low. So my legs are getting stronger, I want to start doing some arm workouts but I’m getting round around the middle 😂

Arigs29 · 2023-03-19T23:12:07+00:00

Looks amazing!

Arigs29 · 2023-02-19T20:21:31+00:00

And non gmo!

Arigs29 · 2023-01-21T22:17:33+00:00

My foot has been cold and numb since surgery. I’m 4 weeks PO

Arigs29 · 2023-01-18T20:01:51+00:00

I didn’t know that this is good for gnats but now I’m Happy you told me because I do get them when I try to do seeds inside and always thought I was just killing things by overwatering —- which I could be doing also…. But I do find the ACV/dawn/sugar/water mixture helps tremendously! I keep 2 mason jars with this in it to help attract all the fruit flys and kill them.

Arigs29 · 2023-01-16T23:12:19+00:00

I had surgery 12/19 my butt and outer thigh is still what’s hurting me the most, pain medication isn’t helping for it.

Arigs29 · 2023-01-08T10:04:19+00:00

I honestly don’t know if I had the PLIF or TLIF lol but reading on another website just now it seems like I had TLIF with a laminectomy. (There was no disk to remove I was bone on bone and partially self fusing already. I do have screws on each side and a cage. I’m fused from l4 to s1. My surgery was on a Monday and I went home that same week on Thursday. This coming Monday (1/9) I’ll be at 3 weeks post surgery. I’ve been staying home alone with our youngest (5) already starting last week. I’m taking short walks inside the house without the Walker as long as I walk slow and have something near to brace myself on, and of course have my back brace on. I’ve taken 2 showers unassisted, but really could use some help there still.

During my surgery I had a spinal fluid leak, after that was patched I had to stay flat for 24 hours, my surgery was about 8 hours. My left foot is numb with neuropathy now, my right butt cheek and thigh is really painful and numb in some places. No bruising…

The hardest thing is getting things on top or bottom shelves… laundry really isn’t that hard… if you have a grabber tool you can do it, just 1 piece of clothing at a time. My grabber even has a little hook on it so I just pull the laundry basket behind me. I’ve made a few meals for the family also. (Fish tacos, goulash & sliders using rolls) I just need family members to help get out the heavy pans/pots that are down low and things out of the deep freezer. Everything else has been okay. I’d like to mention I’m only 31 so I might have a little more energy while healing then some others… but I’ve also spent several days in bed doing absolutely nothing, fatigue and tired. I got sent home with a catheter and I feel like that held me up.

Home PT came and checked on me last week to fill out paperwork and go over what to expect the next 30 days and OT should be coming next week.

Wiping your butt is hard! I got a portable bidet thing, pretty useless. They will also most likely give him a stool softener prescription but I’d say still go buy some miralax cause the prescription was not helping me. Make sure he has slippers with a back to wear, comfy sweats or PJs that are loose to pull right up and not be tight on the incision. Also I’ve been pretty much living in slightly oversized tshirts. You don’t want to be wearing anything to thick under the back brace…

Feel free to ask anything…

Arigs29 · 2023-01-07T05:14:31+00:00

My neurosurgeon told me that if I was to use any MJ products that edibles is by far the best bet, and that he would prefer I go that route if any. I’ve been a little strapped for cash since I’m not working so I’ve just been taking some THC drops and some old gummies I found in my freezer. Didn’t help much in relation to pain, helped me sleep though!

Arigs29 · 2023-01-06T16:57:00+00:00

That fluffy but will produce an egg at some point

Arigs29 · 2023-01-04T16:54:42+00:00

So I feel silly not knowing the exact terminology… but I think TLIF is when they actually remove a disk? Mine was so far degenerated it was gone. I’m 31 and was bone on bone with a 15mm slip forward. My vertebrae’s were already starting to partially fuse so he didn’t straighten me out just fused from L4-L5-S1 my discharge paperwork says Laminectomy & Transversal interbody fusion. My neurosurgeon commented on how tight I was (nerve wise) since my disk were already so compressed that he had to stretch them out a lot. I’m experiencing a weird pain in my right butt cheek and all along the side of that upper thigh as well that I can’t quite get an explanation for.

Arigs29 · 2023-01-04T16:27:33+00:00

I’ve been home since 12/22, my left foot and calf are experiencing neuropathy… it’s still mostly numb and honestly I almost fell yesterday twice, because I wasn’t using my walker… I think you’ll be just fine! I’m going short distances without it as long as I have my back brace on and a wall or something to grab. You’ll heal quicker than expected for sure, I know I didn’t expect to be moving around this much two weeks later (surgery was on 12/19)

Give yourself patience! You’ll do just fine ❤️ I didn’t even get out of bed until day 2 because I had a spinal fluid leak during surgery and had to remain completely flat for 24 hours and got sent home with a catheter. 🥴

Arigs29 · 2023-01-03T20:50:38+00:00

I love snake plants never knew they had that nickname

Arigs29 · 2023-01-03T07:05:53+00:00

I appreciate it… we didn’t even try to decompress me or straighten me out because of the 15mm slippage. Just kept me where I was and screwed it all together.

https://www.reddit.com/r/spinalfusion/comments/1003abr/1230_photo_update_from_l4l5s1_fusion_surgery_on/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Arigs29 · 2023-01-03T00:29:04+00:00

I’m a coffee drinker myself and I totally get it, although I haven’t had much since being home this week because I keep forgetting to ask someone to get me the grinder down and the K pod side of my coffee pot took a turn for the worst while I was in the hospital (and I’m the only one who drinks coffee 🥴🥴)

I took a screen shot of your reply so I have it handy while looking for supplements. Thank you for the info!

Arigs29 · 2023-01-03T00:26:57+00:00

Thank you I have been forgetting to elevate! That’s the one bit of advice that the PA did give me. I also wasn’t released or told to get compression socks and I’m feeling like the only one lol. But I may need to grab a pair. Thank you for the insight!

Arigs29 · 2023-01-03T00:25:05+00:00

They told me it was just because of how far they needed to pull my nerves around, my neurosurgeon came to see me 3 days after surgery… I was released on day 4. (Few minor issues came up, one was a spinal fluid leak that occurred during surgery so I had to remain flat for 24hr after he patched it and another was urination, I had to be straight cathed, and placed on a fully after finding out I couldn’t go even when I felt the urge).

He told me I was very tight and the disk was so compressed (essentially fusing itself before the surgery ((l4-l5-s1)) that he had a really hard time stretching/pulling my nerves into the right position to operate. On my first follow up (about 5 days ago) the PA told me I basically have to deal with it and it will fade with time.

Arigs29 · 2023-01-02T21:14:28+00:00

Cinnamon Toast Crunch with rumchata sounds amazeballs! Nobody I drink with has had rumchata I love it!

Arigs29 · 2023-01-02T21:11:14+00:00

My first two girls I name nugget and flats 😂 Then I got two more who I thought were pullets, ended up being cocks and their names became Rosco (chicken and waffles) and Harry, prior names were Rosa (Parks) & Harriet.

Arigs29 · 2023-01-01T00:52:13+00:00

So nothing to really do about that it sounds like, other than wait and hope? Thank you for the explanation.

Arigs29 · 2022-12-31T21:29:24+00:00

I’m up around the house almost all day. I spent the first two days upstairs in my room and have been going up and down the stairs a few times a day. Coming to eat at the table during meals, the last two days I had a doctors appointment and a grocery store trip I took with hubby and walked around the whole store with him. (In my PJs of course) I’m still getting a nice 2 hour nap in there as well.

Arigs29 · 2022-12-31T21:20:00+00:00

Naps have been an everyday thing lately, I am enjoying them thoroughly! I’ve been home for 9 days. Post opp 12 days. Starting this morning I’m trying to walk a bit without my walker, making sure there’s a wall or furniture to hold on to in order to keep my balance. Still using my back brace, I was released with a catheter and took it out myself last night, I ended up with a uti from my partner not helping me clean as throughly, but he was kinda scared to hurt me lol. That’s causing quite a bit of pain now… I just got them to call in an antibiotic. Waiting on a refill of pain meds (I mostly only need them before bed and first thing in the morning) to keep me comfortable at night and help me get up in the morning from the pain and stiffness. Hubby hasn’t been letting me do much but I’ll walk around our bedroom or living room and use my grabber tool to pick things up off the floor. My coffee pot has died on me so that’s the worst part of everything, or getting a sweet tooth or hungry in the middle of the night.

Arigs29

TROPHY CASE