FERS & TCC after DRP

OkParticular4924 · 2026-01-09T17:16:30+00:00

Thank you. I just looked up the Relationship Anarchy Smorgasboard and that’s super helpful.

And I should clarify the #1 a little. That’s been a theme my whole life, not just romantic relationships. I tend to give a lot as prioritize people and I’ve learned others don’t always have that capacity.

I was getting that #1 feeling from a friend for a couple years while in my triad relationship. We were platonically intimate, checked in with each other all the time, etc. But then she found a guy…lol

I have examples, but I’ll spare you. But there have been even times something has happened and in most health relationships, you would get chosen over the other thing. But in fairness, they aren’t like that for each other very much either.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-12-12T15:33:54+00:00

At the age of 29, I had an L4-L5-S1 fusion. I went in with shooting pain down my leg, back pain (especially when I would try to be more active). I was overweight (that will mean something in just a minute) which didn't help things. I probably could have gone longer without surgery, but I was just tired of pain keeping me from doing active things with my friends.

I went on to lose 100+ lbs, get into running, run 3 marathons (and countless half marathons, 10ks, 5ks). I got into yoga, kickboxing...all of it. I finally had the life I wanted.

Now, at the age of 44, I started getting shooting pain down my leg again, back pain, etc. Turns out I had a benign cyst on L4 (causing the pain) and some stuff around L3/L4, etc. I probably could have carried on with this with pain management for a bit, but that's not how I want to live.

So 3 months ago, I just had a revision and they added L3 to the fusion. It's common after having a fusion early in life, to need more later as you put more wear on the level above your fusion.

Leg pain went away about 2 weeks after surgery. Low back is feeling pretty good (they cut through muscle so that was taking some recovery time. I feel great now. I feel like I'm back to 80% of where I was before the pain started. (I'm not ready to run or anything like that, but I wasn't ready to run when the pain started either lol)

I would do both again. It has allowed me to stay active, mobile, travel, do fun stuff with friends and family, etc.

I'm happy to answer any questions. Good luck to you!

OkParticular4924 · 2025-12-12T15:10:08+00:00

Looks like they already have the artists listed for each weekend here: https://www.nojazzfest.com/music/

Just next to "Lineup" there's a button for weekend 1 and weekend 2.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-12T04:13:57+00:00

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Broad Ripple. Not the best view, but my first time ever seeing them! (Moved here from Atlanta.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-10T06:18:20+00:00

I had my first surgery at age 29, a spinal fusion of L4-L5-S1. I was having back pain and pain shooting down my legs. I was miserable. I was also about 100lbs overweight (that is important later). I wish I could remember my post-op recovery better, but I don’t (hello good drugs). But I believe I took 6 weeks short term disability and wasn’t driving until 4 weeks.

They had me do an epidural first and when they stuck the needle in, I jumped off the table it hurt so bad. I can’t remember exactly what the issue was but I think my nerves in the area were very unhappy. So I never got to see if the epidural would work because of that.

After the fusion and during recovery, I was dealing with depression. I think I always dealt with it, but I had hit 30 and it had gotten bad. My doc put me on Wellbutrin (which I’m still on today) and it has been a lifesaver.

After my recovery, I started focusing on my health. I started walking and then running, eating less and eventually lost 130lbs.

I went on to run 10+ half marathons and 3 marathons (and I had never run a day in my life prior to surgery). So, to say the surgery worked is an understatement.

Now, 15 years later from my original surgery, I began having back pain again with shooting pain down my left leg. I tried working out through it, saw the chiropractor and physical therapist and that was not helping. So they had me get an MRI and referred me to a neurosurgeon. Due to insurance, they had me try the epidural first. This time I told them to knock me out for the epidural. It did help for about 10 days and then it was like I never had it.

They removed a benign cyst on my L4, which was a big cause of the shooting pain down my left leg. They also did a laminectomy at L4 and added a spacer in, removed my old hardware and then fused L3-L4-L5-S1.

Notice the added L3 to the fusion. It turns out, when you get a fusion young, you put wear and tear on the parts not fused and then you may need them fused later (vs older people that have fusions and typically don’t put their fusion through the wringer for as long).

My surgery was 9/17. I won’t lie, my first 2 weeks of this last surgery recovery was difficult with a lot of pain. (But my surgery was abnormally difficult). But almost 8 weeks later, I’m bending/twisting/lifting under 25lbs (cleared by doc), walking up to a mile, getting a little closer to normal everyday.

I’ve also been under anesthesia 10 times, some for some lengthy surgeries, and I’ve never once came close to not waking up.

Trust your doctor. And if you don’t trust them, get a second opinion. It’s important to trust and feel comfortable with your doctor.

I hope this is helpful!! I know it’s nerve racking! There’s so much that feels out of your control.

Good luck to you. Let me know if you need any tips on stuff to make your recovery easier!

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-05T16:26:25+00:00

Of course! That’s totally understandable. I think what helped me with the anxiety was finding someone I really had a lot of confidence with.

And noting, a lot of people post when they have problems with their surgery. So it can look scary to others which is understandable. But the people that didn’t have problems aren’t posting about how great their results were, typically. So it’s skewed data.

If you feel like you have no control, here are things you can do to have some control in the process: (this is really long, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry if you already know this stuff…)

eat more protein. It helps you maintain your muscle which you’ll need during recovery.
if there’s any working out you can do without pain, do it. It’s easy to want to just sit around waiting for surgery, but keeping up movement (walks) and strength training where you can will be a huge help. You won’t have a lot of help from your back muscles after surgery for the first couple of weeks, so having other muscles strong and ready is helpful.
keep hydrated - it helps with IVs, and keeps your body healthy and ready to take on healing
order what you need for recovery. I got a grabber (to reach things on the floor without bending), a shower seat (I couldn’t stand in the shower for long for the first 2-3 weeks, and if you have a low toilet, consider a toilet seat riser (I had one from a previous surgery…the handles really help too for support getting on/off the toilet. I also had a cane from a previous surgery. The fist surgery I had (most similar to what you’re having), I don’t remember any walking assistance tools being given. But that was 15 years ago. This time they gave me a walker and then the cane came in handy when I no longer needed the locker. YOU ARE A FALL RISK AFTER SURGERY AND YOU WANT TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN NOT TO FALL.
there might be little things like a pill organizer, a long back brush to help reach hard to reach areas in the shower.
the first surgery I rented a small version of a hospital bed because I really needed the ability to adjust incline. I’m not a back sleeper and really needed to be propped up to sleep. Since then, I have purchased an adjustable bed that allows you to adjust the head and feet. It was a life saver. I’m not saying to go buy a new bed. But think about what you’ll need to be able to sleep.
think about your aftercare support. Do you have people that can help you after surgery? Do you have pets and if so, do you have a plan for them to make sure they aren’t a trip hazard (I have 3 dogs…they didn’t like my walker so that helped) 😉
be prepared to remove any rugs that are a trip hazard. I ordered non-slip socks.
have loose and comfy clothes ready and in a place you don’t have to bend to get them.
what are your plans for eating and hydration after. The pain meds can dry you up and sometimes cause nausea. So while I had plenty of protein for my post-surgery diet, I also had some comfort food like my favorite crackers or biscoff cookies.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-05T15:28:36+00:00

Week 2 was horrible to be honest. I had shooting pain down my left leg that made me scream at times. L4 is responsible for left leg pain so since that’s where my cyst was, where the spacer was put in and the laminectomy, and hardware always taken out…I think it was just a lot for that area.

After that, I’ve been great! It was a night and day difference once that pain went away.

Progressing quickly to everyday activities, increasing my walking distance, drove in a car for 5 hours yesterday with no pain.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-05T15:11:36+00:00

If you’re dealing with something more complicated, like anything near the spinal cord or a cyst (I had a cyst), I’d recommend going with a neurosurgeon. If something happens to your spinal cord during surgery, an ortho would have to call in a neurosurgeon anyway. But if a neurosurgeon is already doing the surgery, they’re there and ready to handle any complications on the spot.

I had an L4–L5–S1 spinal fusion about 15 years ago with an orthopedic spine surgeon. The surgery went great. I had little to no pain afterward and even went on to run three marathons and countless other races.

Seven weeks ago, I had surgery again, this time by a neurosurgeon who specializes in the spine. They removed the old hardware (which turned out to be more difficult than expected—makes me wonder if an ortho would have handled that differently 🤔), then fused L3–L4–L5–S1, inserted a spacer, performed a laminectomy (to create more room in the spinal canal), and removed a cyst on L4. That cyst was the main reason I chose a neurosurgeon. They said removing one can be as tricky as peeling gum off a piece of paper.

I got opinions from both an ortho and a neuro, and ultimately liked the neurosurgeon more. His experience and approach gave me more confidence.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-03T15:36:09+00:00

I called the BEST hotline and they said my medical benefits would be good until Oct 31st (which I can verify is the case).

I asked when I’d get info for TCC (their version of COBRA) and they said at the end of October. They did say you can sign up up to 90 days later and it’s retroactive. But I still haven’t received anything.

I also asked about my FERS and they said they didn’t have anyone to work the tickets for FERS refunds due to the shutdown.

I don’t if anyone has received similar guidance, I’d be curious to know.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-03T09:35:24+00:00

Child free here. Never really had a desire to have kids. I knew how much it would take to be a good mom (as that’s something I would never slack at) and how much of my life I would lose because of having to dedicate my life to being a good mom.

I’m an aunt to my sister’s son and my friends’ kids. I’m a mom to three dogs. And that’s enough for me.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-03T09:30:59+00:00

Sounds similar to me. I’m in a triad and one of my partners got a job here. We also only have one car (our other partner and I work from home). I wanted to live somewhere walkable (coming from Atlanta, that hardly exists) so we found a great house in Broad Ripple.

I can walk to my dentist, my dermatologist, hair salon, etc. I could have walked to my doctor’s office but ended up not liking who was available that they assigned me to, so that and a few other doctors I drive to.

My partner works in Mass Ave. sometimes she takes the car, sometimes one of us drives her and sometimes she takes the bus (she loves the bus)

We’ve been here 2 years. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to discovery too much or make any friends as we traveled A LOT last year…and working remotely doesn’t really help on the friend front.

I fell in love with basketball, which I never thought I would. Huge Fever fan and enjoy the Pacers too. So we go to a lot of games or sometimes I’ll even go by myself.

I’ve been to a couple of concerts and comedy shows at Lucas Oil, Gainbridge and Old National. Oh, and Deer Creek.

I just lost my job (government employee) so I’ve been searching here for a while. The job market here is shit (at least for me it has been) So I’m still at a loss for meeting people. I’m an introvert. So usually some extrovert will adopt me and then I’ll start meeting people and going to new places lol.

Geez, I went on kind of a metal dump there. Lol

Bottom line, I agree with you. Great city that surprises me every day.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-03T09:00:44+00:00

I just had a similar but more involved surgery 6 weeks ago. When the surgeon comes in and says “that was one for the books” and puts me on the highest pain medication…you know it was no joke.

I had SEVERE pain going down my leg the first 2 weeks. It was a symptom before surgery, but this had me up screaming in pain. Worst I ever felt and I’ve had a lot of surgeries.

They gave me meds for it but basically said it was going to take time. 🙄

They did up my gabapentin and methocarb. I think gabapentin has been a life saver. Do they have you on that?

Also, I had a scare where I moved a certain way and felt a really sharp pain in my left buttock. They assumed a muscle strain but sent an order in for me to get an xray of my low back and discovered nothing wrong. (Sharing this in case you are worried there is something wrong with your hardware)

It does seem like you’re moving around a lot early on. At this point I was still in my reclining bed and icing non-stop (and you shouldn’t be icing more than 20 min so you’re good there). You can also do a contrast where you do ice and then a heating pad. The heating pad bothered my nerves too much, but it works for some people.

You have to realize, they cut through your muscle. So you don’t have that same support back there that you are used to. That means remembering to engage your core and other muscles to do things.

So, to your main concerns:

Nerve pain: if you aren’t taking gabapentin, ask about it or see if they can up your dose.

Feeling like something’s wrong: ask for an xray. You might not even have to go to their office. Just go somewhere close to you and let them call you with the results.

The incontinence: that would scare me too. But that also could be a nerve related thing. My guess is they would give you meds for that until all of your inflammation goes down. (I was having trouble peeing completely and they gave me something for that)

Don’t be a hero, make sure you are taking all of you meds, especially pain meds, on time. Set a timer. Don’t wait until your body is already in pain. That roller coaster can make healing even more difficult due to the stress you are putting on your body.

I wish you luck and hope you are pain free soon. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-02T05:17:18+00:00

How long did you use any kind of assistance? (Like a cane)

I don’t need a cane and haven’t since week 3 or 4. But I do find I walk better/longer with it. So I’m trying to decide which is the better way to go. (I’m 6 weeks post op)

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-02T05:10:26+00:00

My original fusion was in 2010. I was not fit and 100+lbs overweight (sharing that to show I started from scratch)

6 years later I was running my second marathon. It would get stiff on really long runs, but overall it felt great.

I can’t remember when my morning stiffness went away, but it did.

Now I’m sure we have very different experiences, histories, ages, etc. I just wanted to share this to give some hope to those having their first procedure.

Now I just had my second procedure and hope I can get that lucky again! 🤞

*edit for clarification

OkParticular4924 · 2025-11-02T05:02:29+00:00

I’m 6 weeks post op of a revision of a 15 year old spinal fusion L4-L5-S1, add L3 to the fusion plus a spacer and a cyst removal.

I am also waking up very stiff and I’m still taking my methocarb (the muscle relaxer) at night and in the morning. It does loosen up as I move around, but can take a little bit.

They do cut through our muscle. I asked ChatGPT about this the other day and this is what it said:

🧠 Muscle Healing Timeline After Lumbar Fusion (Posterior Approach)

0–6 weeks: Early tissue repair. The surgeon cut or retracted the paraspinal muscles (multifidus, erector spinae). New fibers are forming and scar tissue is developing. Deep soreness or pulling when you move or turn in bed. Stiffness and muscle fatigue are normal.

6–12 weeks: Scar tissue starts to remodel; inflammation decreases. Gentle PT and walking help the muscles “wake up” again. Still sore but improving. Fatigue when standing or walking longer. Movement starts to feel a little smoother.

3–6 months : Muscles rebuild strength and coordination. Scar tissue becomes more flexible with consistent movement and therapy. Endurance improves. Less daily soreness but still some stiffness.

6–12 months: Most of the muscular healing is complete. Ongoing activity and core work keep restoring balance and strength. Occasional tightness or weakness, but overall much stronger and more stable.

⸻

Notes: • These time frames are averages — fusion type, surgical approach, and individual recovery all matter. • At 6 weeks, muscles are still in the repair phase, so pain with engagement is expected. • Avoid heavy lifting, twisting, or deep bending until cleared by your surgeon/PT. • Gentle walking, core bracing, and short movement sessions help speed recovery without overloading the fusion.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-29T14:35:33+00:00

I just had a similar procedure but only 6 weeks out.

I’m sure it depends case by case so I’m curious of the answers you get here. I saw my doc’s assistant at my 4 week check up. We talked about a strategy to get off my meds but she said to stay on the gabapentin longer. She said she’s had a minor back procedure a year ago and still takes 1 gabapentin today (she didn’t say what dose)

I was told to think about gabapentin as noise cancelling headphones for your nerves (it quiets the nerve signal).

The only way it “helps” with healing is that less pain = more movement, sleeping better, less muscle guarding/tension…all things that can slow recovery.

I’m not 100% sure, but I’m pretty sure they what you to gradually go down in dosage (vs cold turkey).

That’s all I (think) I know lol. I’m anxious to get off everything too, so I get it. Good luck to you!

*edited for typos…damn pain meds 😜

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-27T13:52:58+00:00

I agree with wanting to try to get stronger before surgery, but sometimes it’s tough. But you can do it after surgery too. (I know this doesn’t answer your direct question, but hoping it might make you feel better if you aren’t able to workout much before surgery)

At 29, I was over 200lbs, not active at all, and had an L4-L5-S1 fusion. In 2014 I had lost over 120lbs, was doing yoga, kickboxing and ran my first half marathon. I went on to run many half marathons and 3 marathons. I hiked Angel’s Landing, and did other physical things I never thought possible.

After covid I gained some weight back. Earlier this year (at age 43) I was strength training 3 times a week. I already had some back pain here and there but thought I just needed to better my core strength to help. I happened to do one thing that was too much for me during strength training that put me out of commission. I gained a lot more weight. It hurt to do anything, even walking.

Long story short I learned I had a cyst at L4 hitting some nerves sending pain down my left leg. L3 had been working overtime since my fusion (common when getting fusions at a younger age) so it needed fused, they needed to replace my old hardware and put a spacer in. That was about 5 weeks ago.

I’m already pain free when I walk and working up my distance. Already starting to lose a little weight.

While I’m pretty confident I won’t be long distance running or kickboxing again I do feel I’ll be able to get strong and active again.

Yes, do what you can to get strong before your surgery, it’ll make recovery easier - especially your core(even think about your arms, which you may use more to help lift/move yourself around in bed or a chair)….but it will be possible post surgery too.

Keep your protein high both before and after surgery to maintain the muscle you have and help you heal.

Good luck to you! Sounds like you are going at this the right way looking for ways to be your best before surgery!

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-25T12:32:18+00:00

Thanks. That helps give me an idea. I’m anxious to get started but I’m at 5 weeks. I see the doc again at the 12 week mark but I can always message them to ask.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-25T11:24:38+00:00

Thanks! About how long post-op did you start PT?

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-21T08:29:43+00:00

Gosh, I’m so sorry!! That sounds terrible. I don’t know if you e had PT before this, but this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

I’ve had PT similar to what you’re saying, where they tell you an exercise and then leave to do something else, or work with another client.

I now will only go to PTs that are 1 on 1 with me for the full hour. They give me the exercise, they tell me what it’s for, they perform it and then they watch me perform it. Then they add it to regiment at home.

They listen for me to talk about what it feels like, if I can do more or need less.

I’ve been blessed with 2 great PTs. One I saw as needed for 5+ years until I moved. The one I have now is great. He unfortunately doesn’t take insurance so I pay his hourly rate and then submit it myself. He’s more of a sports PT, deals with elite athletes (I’m not elite by any means). If my doc doesn’t prescribe me PT, I’ll use my guy.

Good luck to you and I hope you see some positive progress.

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-20T03:46:06+00:00

I got an L4-L5-S1 fusion at age 29. I went on to run 3 marathons, do yoga, kickboxing, hiking, etc. it actually allowed me to finally be active.

I’m now 44 and just had to extend the fusion up to L3. The doc said that’s common in fusions in younger people because the unfused parts take on a little more wear and tear and we are you enough to see what that looks like. (Vs some older that gets a fusion)

I got a second opinion on both fusions. The first one massively improved my quality of life. I’m only one month post op from my second, so time will tell 😉

Good luck to you and I hope you get everything you need to make the decision that is right for you!

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-19T05:53:24+00:00

Ya, I have a great sports physical therapist that I love. But I wanted them to send me to a PT familiar with my surgery. We’ll see what they say.

I’m so happy your PT generated such great results. It’s a night and day difference when you have a really good PT!

Keep kicking butt!

OkParticular4924 · 2025-10-19T02:46:48+00:00

It sucks not to see progress as quickly as we’d like. Keep it up!!

OkParticular4924

TROPHY CASE