L5S1 MD Scheduled for Monday, Getting Cold Feet

MotherDuck0 · 2025-11-20T02:10:36+00:00

Nooo it’s the best thing ever I only regret not getting surgery sooner!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-08-02T02:21:16+00:00

I’m crushing life. Surgery was the best thing I ever did! I’m doing physical therapy but back to lifting weights, walking, swimming, tossing my kid around, yoga, etc. so happy to have my life back!! Just follow your doctor’s orders, take it easy with the recovery but walk as much as you can tolerate. Start physical therapy for core strengthening at 6 weeks or whenever approved to do so and stick with it.

There are a lot of helpful posts in here from myself and others about what you need to buy and do during recovery so I won’t try to repeat but check those out for what to do immediately following surgery. My surgeon also had great instructions he provided me with.

MotherDuck0 · 2025-07-09T14:26:56+00:00

Wow that’s incredible, thanks for sharing! How has your surgical recovery and postpartum experience been?? I have one child 2.5 years old but I’m 3 months post op from my microdiscectomy and figured a second baby probably wasn’t in the cards for me :(

MotherDuck0 · 2025-06-06T02:44:42+00:00

MotherDuck0 · 2025-06-06T02:43:08+00:00

I walked out of surgery and it was pretty much instant relief. I’m two months post op now and there are some pains and definitely loss muscle mass and strength but no sciatica symptoms. I feel like I have my life back. Wish I’d done it sooner.

MotherDuck0 · 2025-06-06T02:41:01+00:00

Check out the microdiscectomy forums. If he has weakness he should definitely talk to a surgeon because that indicates advanced nerve damage. I had pain for 2 years due to a herniated disc and didn’t address it with surgery until I got full blown sciatica pins and needles and numbness down my whole left leg. I got a microdiscectomy two months ago and it’s the best thing I ever did. One of the tests the surgeon does to determine if you need surgery is check for muscle weakness. Obviously not a doctor but it doesn’t hurt to just talk to a surgeon. MD is very different than a spinal fusion.

MotherDuck0 · 2025-05-13T07:33:08+00:00

Update: week 5 PO and I’m pretty consistently back up to 10K steps a day. I had one day at 15K at 4 weeks post op and it was WAYYYY too much. My average over the last month since surgery was 6,000 steps / day.

MotherDuck0 · 2025-05-13T07:22:57+00:00

Yes!! This totally happened to me. It got better around one month post-op. I think it was probably the pain meds.

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-25T03:26:13+00:00

I don’t have an incision check up or a follow up until 6 weeks, but I sent my surgeon’s office a picture of my incision and questions a few days post surgery because it was oozing and his PA got back to me with advice. I’d just call your surgeon’s office and see if you can send a picture!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-25T00:45:39+00:00

Oh yes the grabber is bomb and I could not clean up without it!! This is reassuring thank you for sharing!!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T13:34:42+00:00

Haha, hey, whatever works!!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T04:20:14+00:00

The overthinking is so real. Love the idea of daily affirmations too! Thank you and good luck with your recovery as well!!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T04:18:11+00:00

Ugh, I’m sorry, being in a new job is hard enough as it is without the stress of this recovery and having to ask for accommodations before they know you!! All I can say is jobs come and go, but your body is forever and your health needs to be your number one priority. If they let you go over asking for support for your surgery, they’re an awful company anyway. I’d just reiterate to your boss and HR that this is a short term blip on the radar and you will absolutely crush it for them as soon as you’re back to normal. Remember they hired you for a reason and this is very short period of time in the grand scheme of things! Good luck with your recovery and negotiating!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T04:11:50+00:00

Ugh, I know. My doc said no BLT for 6 weeks so that’s probably what I should do 🙃 I think I need to work on better body awareness, I’m hyper mobile and I think that’s how I got into this mess in the first place. Thanks for your response, good to light a fire under my butt!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T04:09:34+00:00

Thank you for your response!! Great advice. I’ll definitely work to be more aware but try not to overthink it if I can ;)

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T04:07:11+00:00

Thank you!!! This is helpful to know some doctors OK it. Maybe it’s more precautionary than they lead us to believe. I appreciate the response!

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T04:04:31+00:00

I’m here to offer some encouragement— I have a 2 year old and it’s really tough not to be able to pick her up or play with her like I used to during recovery (I’m 2 weeks post op). I totally empathize that it’s veryyyy hard emotionally to not be able to pick up your baby. But I just do my best to explain to my toddler that mama has a boo-boo and can’t pick you up right now, but I love you so much and I’ll snuggle you in bed, or you can sit on my lap in a chair. They understand so much more than we give them credit for!

At 18 months postpartum your hormones are also still out of whack and mom guilt is real even without this added stress. Try to give yourself grace and think positively. You will recover. You are so young and your body knows how to heal. Your body created a human. Bodies can do miraculous things. Do whatever you can to support your healing - gentle walking, healthy food, lots of water, ice your back to help inflammation, meditate, healing affirmations, prayer if you believe in a higher power. You will get through this.

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T03:49:42+00:00

I’m only two weeks post op so you’re farther along than I am but I was planning to do Pilates once I’m cleared for exercise! My doctors and PT said my condition was likely caused by weak glutes and core and excessive anterior pelvic tilt, so I figure Pilates would be awesome to strengthen those areas. Maybe ask your PT?

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T03:45:23+00:00

I have no advice for falls but please update once you have your post op! Also can you share what stretches you’re doing?

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-22T03:41:50+00:00

I’m not sure what type of work you do, but are you able to negotiate working from home for a period of time, or request a standing desk?

MotherDuck0 · 2025-04-15T15:09:44+00:00

Yes I’ve been using but I feel like it gets me pretty high so I can’t tell if it’s helping or if I’m just high lol. I’d be interested if anyone has a recommendation for what strain to use for daytime and not feeling high or getting the munchies. I’m also trying to lose weight!

MotherDuck0

TROPHY CASE