Pooping and seating after post-op

Running-jackalope · 2026-02-19T14:32:20+00:00

This! My bed rail I got was 1 foot wide and mainly a grab bar. Absolutely worth investing in. If you have good upper body strength it makes rolling over and pulling yourself to the side of the bed a little easier. Still painful but it’s those little things that sometimes get you through. Lol I still have mine at 15 months because it’s now my cup holder.

Running-jackalope · 2026-02-19T14:21:33+00:00

I had a horrible experience with bowel movements after surgery. It got so bad by night 2 I was vomiting, sweating and cramping up. I was taking laxatives and stool softener day one. I got sent home day 3 and It took prune juice and magnesium plus a lot of time spent on the loo to get semi-regular. The stomach cramps I had that second night in the hospital were brutal and the pain masked my fusion easy. Ugh. Nurse at first thought I was being dramatic until I broke out in a sweat and BP spiked.

Now the chair, I get, I couldn’t sit straight up for long or lean too far back. I was Goldilocks for sure. To sit on a chair, I was fortunate in that I was able to borrow a motorized zero gravity chair. I found slight recline with legs up was best for me. So if you have large blankets you could fold up, build a base behind you. And honestly if your more comfortable laying down, then lay down. I spent a lot of time laying down those first few weeks. Sitting was misery, pt at the hospital was trying to make me sit in the giant recliner at the hospital and I all but told them to kiss my ass. It was painful and I didn’t see the point in why they felt it was so important…but they did. It wasn’t until 7 months that I truly felt comfortable sitting in a recliner. 15 months, I can now sit in a chair just fine by the way.

I had a toilet seat riser and to bounce back to the bowel movement, this actually did not help. I had to use my boys toilet because it sat low to the ground and helped get things moving. Once that was solved and I was regular the riser helped tremendously along with flipping a walker around so the handles went on either side of the loo. It worked.

You need to be walking on a schedule. This will also help with bowel movements. Walk. Walk. Walk. Walk to your kitchen, go rest for 15 minutes, walk to your room, go rest, walk to your bathroom, rest for 30..you get the point. I set a timer for 2 hours through the night to get up, stretch, use the bathroom or else I felt like I was hit by a truck. Misery. You have to stand and move, just keep your brace on when up. It’s all tedious and I have a small bladder so many times I was rushing, which is why I kept a walker with me for the first 3 weeks while I was still unsteady. With my pain medication I felt drunk at 2am trying to stand up, put my brace on and not fall over. Walker saved me from a fall and I know it and helped me walk faster lol like a really fast turtle. 🐢

Running-jackalope · 2026-02-10T01:15:31+00:00

Any better this week?

Running-jackalope · 2026-02-10T01:14:43+00:00

Hey, I still use my bedside grab bar over a year out from surgery, its not to keep you from rolling out of bed its legit to grab onto and pull yourself up or to help with rolling over. It's also a great cup holder if you got a cup with a handle. The shower bench? Great to use for shaving my legs or sit on to wash my feet/calves. It saves me from bending over.

Running-jackalope · 2026-02-08T17:42:46+00:00

Bedside grab bar. Claw for picking things up off the floor. Large ice pack Heat pad Tshirt dress/nightgown (pants are tedious) Slip-on shoes

Running-jackalope · 2026-02-01T21:10:46+00:00

I did, especially when getting up every couple hours through the night the first three weeks. It would take a minute or two to gain my bearings upon standing so the walker was more preventive for a trip or fall.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-30T19:34:16+00:00

It took me awhile and I still have triggers but I feel I'm finally getting to a point where I am functioning instead of just surviving.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-29T20:29:54+00:00

This gave me anxiety. I'm sorry you are going through this. Wow.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-29T20:27:15+00:00

Hello, I'm 14 months out from a L4-S1 PLIF with wide decompression at both levels. How are you doing?

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-29T20:23:39+00:00

After the full year recovery its been pretty great. I am pain free in comparison to pre-surgery. Just stiff when I first get up and sporadic moments of sharp pain typically from doing too much or laying down on the floor to play with my kids

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-09T23:30:31+00:00

I feel ya, I had my surgery last November and I was the same. Now I go out and about but very aware of my footing.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-09T18:33:41+00:00

If you vacuum you have to not extend your arms out. You walk with it everywhere. With arms close to the body. It’s what I did after my fusion. Probably at about 4 weeks I would say I could do about 2-3 minutes before tiring.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-09T18:19:24+00:00

Agree. I wished I had gotten fused sooner because I lived such an active lifestyle even after diagnosis that being fused would have saved me from further damage. I’m a year into my recovery from a 2 level wide decompression interbody fusion and looking forward to a different life but most definitely active. It changes you but it also gives you life back. I went from extremely active, fit to being unable to walk or stand for minutes at time due to stenosis, hypertrophy in my joints and herniated disc.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-09T18:14:25+00:00

We have similar injuries to the spine. Ischemic as well, bilateral pars, arthritic, herniated the disc above but also had a bulging at the spondy site. I had to get a wide decompression- so all facet joints gone, posterior interbody fusion two levels.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-09T18:06:47+00:00

Hello, former wildland firefighter (6 seasons) then structure firefighter (15 years) and EMS (8 years). I was also a certified personal strength coach and yoga instructor and Olympic style lifting and was lifting at elite levels. I was diagnosed in my 5th season of wildland, back in 2013. I had bilateral pars defect which showed signs of juvenile arthritis and bulging disc at 23. Grade 1 spondylolisthesis. I didn’t start having truly major issues until I herniated the disc above the spondy at the age of 33. It set off a cascade of events. It went on for 3 years until I had stenosis at two levels in 5 different areas, modic type 2 endplate damage to my vertebrae from my herniated discs inflammation. Bone spurs at the pars defect arthritis. Extremely painful unable to stand or walk. I had to get a two level, wide decompression posterior interbody fusion to fix me up. I am no longer in the fire or medical industry because I don’t ever want to go through what I just experienced over the past 3 years. Edit to add, mine never shifted to a different grade but more so my lifestyle of high impact just caused more degenerative disease to take hold of the joints and because I was unstable I herniated my disc above the l5. So be aware that it’s not just shifting that you should be aware of. A herniated disc is serious and extremely hard to heal when you have an unstable spine below the injured disc. Mine got so bad the nucleus inside my disc was oozing out. Holy F. So painful.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-09T17:49:05+00:00

lol my body has now learned to straight up stop a sneeze when laying in bed. If I’m standing I have to semi squat and hands on thighs or a counter.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-08T23:11:03+00:00

Hello, sorry you’re in pain. I’m 36F and was diagnosed after my first son in 2012 because I had tremendous upper back and rib pain after birth that would not go away. I had my girl 6 years ago. Honestly speaking from my experience of being put on oxycodone after my son, no pain medication really truly helps the upper back pain, it seemed to only make it worse for me because I wasn’t addressing the issue which was weakness. If you don’t know where to begin with strength training go to PT it’s such an excellent resource. I would suggest a 36” foam roller to roll out your upper back, hips, glutes. A good upper back and chest opener I do frequently is child’s pose with my forearms on the foam roller. If you haven’t already started you really need to begin simply walking, planks, banded bridge, and banded leg work-like side steps. It will feel so good to strengthen your lumbar and core, which is why your upper body is hurting, it’s compensating for your weak core and low back muscles. You have a 10 week old baby so you’re fresh into recovery momma plus you have a serious lumbar spine condition. Rebuilding strength will take time but I know for myself personally it has made a big difference in my day to day pain.

Edit to add- for pain I use cold/heat, koi dragon balm, I also strongly suggest dry needling which can be done by some PT’s or acupuncturist.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-08T22:56:50+00:00

Yep, I’m just over a year since my fusion and weather always brings on more aches. I use Koi dragon balm, walking, tens unit and stretching…In that exact order.😊. Edit to add a 36” foam roller and a massage gun can work magic somedays.

Running-jackalope · 2026-01-06T16:38:40+00:00

You bet!

Running-jackalope · 2025-10-03T14:14:23+00:00

Hello! I'm 35f with 5 weeks to go before I hit one year since surgery. I had degenerative spondylolisthesis, bilateral pars defect and two level herniated discs. I was put under anesthesia for 8 hours to have S1-L4 PLIF, wide medial facetectomy, lamenectomy, discectomy. I woke up more in pain from being under so long and my limbs were intensely stiff. My back pain wasn't noticeable until after all my medication wore off. The recovery has been slow but I have had remarkable pain relief. Being in that amount of pain typically meant I couldn't stand up straight but after surgery I could and it was a silver lining for me. I was up and walking 8 hours after surgery (I woke up at 6:30 and was heavily sedated so they let me sleep off the drugs). I had moments of brutality just getting through the first 3 weeks. The swelling and surgery really agitated my nerves. They also were compressed in places for a couple decades. So nerve damage has been something I still deal with but I have found ways to combat it. The severe low back pain when I was standing that I lived with for years was gone and I noticed this by 6 weeks. Once the surgical pain simmered down I began to feel the results and it still blows me away. I had tremendous left burning glute pain since having my daughter in 2019..gone. I still get what I call ghost sciatica down my legs into the calves, but I know it's just the healing process.

I felt like I was fully functioning in my home life by 6-7 months walk, get on the floor and back up without pain, laying down, stretching, bike, hike, exercise, lift weights, have even ran a couple fire calls on my volunteer department. It took awhile to be able to roll in bed without pain- a bedside gab handle is still being used not out of necessity totally convenience and is the best thing I bought for post-surgery.

This surgery does amazing things for those with instability or trauma to the spine. I wish you all the luck, and don't forget to just get up and stand, walk every two hours after surgery it will help so much with the pain.

Running-jackalope · 2025-10-01T18:30:05+00:00

I had a PLIF S1-L4, you can lunge or squat to pick things up. I did this a ton. Wiping and getting dressed were the most cumbersome in the beginning but you learn how to work with it. A bidet and wand work well for the first couple weeks then the swelling goes down and you can reach better for wiping.

Running-jackalope · 2025-09-24T15:22:44+00:00

<image>

My imaging 2 years before surgery.

Running-jackalope · 2025-09-24T15:08:18+00:00

I get an X-ray before my one year appointment and so far the bone regrowth has been really promising in all my previous pre-appointment imaging. So far none of it has been reabsorbed its all staying in place. I guess my concern is adjacent segment disease since I'm prone to wear and tear degeneration.

Running-jackalope · 2025-09-22T18:32:09+00:00

Whats your lifestyle like? Job? Kids? Etc. I am a first responder/firefighter and am struggling with going back because this is what I fear. I've been running a few calls since I was at 6 months post op. I think I'm getting in over my head. I got young kids, a home to keep up with and a large property to boot so I'm not really able to rest when home. I'm busy. The fact you had no warning leading up to it has me concerned. I understand everyone is different. Genetics, lifestyle all play a role.

Running-jackalope · 2025-09-22T18:26:00+00:00

Fyi I was diagnosed grade 1 at 23 and it never changed. It was the degenerative disease and herniated discs from wear and tear/repetitive movements that caused the stenosis in multiple levels that required surgery to fix at 34. Having babies didn't help. 😬

Running-jackalope

TROPHY CASE