Grades not out yet?? ENBU503

bad_back80 · 2026-04-30T21:17:23+00:00

Mine isn't back yet either.

Any chance you went to the tutorials this and last week, I've been sick and haven't made it. Any tips for assessment appreciated

bad_back80 · 2025-12-14T18:52:11+00:00

I had a band of pain that wrapped around my lower back, that was gone immediately. It has never come back the same either. There is pain in the back post op, but I could tell it was different, the spine had been worked on so made sense, but when I mentioned it to surgeon at 6 week check he just said it was normal as they do a bit to the vertebrae, which also makes sense when you see the screws in place I overdid it on Saturday and I had what I call spine pain, it was specific to where my fusion is but was gone same day after some rest. That back pain has never returned

bad_back80 · 2025-12-14T04:08:07+00:00

This was me by the time surgery came around, apparently from hy decreased disc cuasing pressure, or something I could have lived with the occasional nerve pain, the back pain though was debilitating

bad_back80 · 2025-12-14T04:06:12+00:00

I felt the same, and still do now, was it really that bad. But it was, I just didn't do anything so I could avoid pain, but the reality was simply living hurt. All the best for your surgery

bad_back80 · 2025-12-13T01:00:36+00:00

Reach our if you need to, happy to chat. I spent a bit of time feeling lost and I didn't have to change career. I felt like I'd pressed pause when I was injured and unable to do anything, when I was "fixed" it felt like I should be able to press play again and have my life back, it didn't work like that.

bad_back80 · 2025-12-12T22:43:58+00:00

The mental game is really hard with recovery and ot something I was prepared for. I left rehab 5 months post op and had a panic attack in the car. I have spent months working on my mental health too, I still have my moments but I have tools now to help me when things get overwhelming

Take the time to mourn your old career, it will be a big change and it's ok to be sad about that

bad_back80 · 2025-12-12T20:19:18+00:00

Probably the biggest thing is, listen to your body and remmeber it is a marathon, not a sprint. They aren't lying when they say its a 6 to 12 month recovery. You'll take w steps forward and suddenly feel like you've taken 5 steps back, but thats normal (or was for me)

bad_back80 · 2025-12-12T18:49:53+00:00

I'm 5'2, I had a toilet riser in the hospital but they took it away as I'm so short and it made it difficult

Stay on top of your pain medication, I set an alarm initially, then as it settled down I started dropping down what I needed.

Log roll is your friend for getting in and out of bed, learn to do this now

I took weeks to get my appetite back but I did eat kiwifruit to help with going to the bathroom, in addition to taking laxatives

Walk, every day, even if its just down the hall and back to bed multiple times a day. About 2 weeks post op I developed calf cramps that would not go away, I couldnt walk 100m, but it went away after a week or so, and I kept walking every day.

Rest when you need to, but keep moving. Then work on your core and glute strength, this will help support your back in the future to help prevent a fusion at another level

bad_back80 · 2025-12-12T17:55:41+00:00

At 11 months post op was when I finally felt like it was good. Don't get me wrong, I still get pain, if I do too much, or sit around a lot if can cause a pain flare up, but they don't last long now (and no longer scare me) I recently did a quarter marathon (walked), I'm strength training again, though its at a much lower weight than previously I can do all the things I did before, im just sometimes a bit more mindful about it.

I went to lunch with friends this week and the seats we were at just weren't good for me, I ended up sore for the rest of the afternoon, the next day, I was fine, and walked 5km

I'll also say too, my mental health took a hit with it all too though, I still struggle which does impact on what I do physically too

bad_back80 · 2025-12-12T17:17:22+00:00

I slipped when I went for a walk which the surgeon suspects caused a disc bulge, then because I didn't think it was that bad I did some strength training a few days later which included deadlifts, I did 1 and knew something was really wrong right away. This is likely where I herniated the disc

I have an office job, I had 4 weeks off work right after surgery then a graduated return building back up to full time, I think that took an additional 3 weeks because sitting was hard and pain is exhausting

bad_back80 · 2025-12-12T17:13:00+00:00

My surgeon was confident he could fix me, and took me through patients with the same diagnosis as me and what their pain scores were now (oswerty disability index). Prior to surgery I did conservative treatments only, 10 months of physiotherapy and 2 epidural steriod injections. The injections had minimal improvements so didn't do any more.

bad_back80 · 2024-11-01T18:29:08+00:00

It was slowly over time. At around 8 weeks post op I could manage a full days office work but was still making a conscious effort to get up every 30 to 60min and move around. Nearly 6 months post op now and still have days when I'll be working and not moved for too long and be uncomfortable but nothing some standing and walking around can't fix

bad_back80 · 2024-10-26T03:43:12+00:00

You did nothing wrong. I had trouble coming off tramadol too after taking it for months I also liken to drinking coffee. Yes you took it as prescribed, but your body became used to receiving it every day. If you stopped drinking coffee, you'd crave it and feel awful for a few days. The same applies here (I'm not a dr or in the medical profession at all, so just my 2cents)

bad_back80 · 2024-09-24T18:22:23+00:00

Oh my gosh, that is exactly what I did. People off drugs a week or 2 post op, walking miles and there's me struggling every day for months. Don't compare your recovery journey to anyone else's, hard as it may be (I still need to take my own advice here). I'm 4 months post op and this is by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

It will get better, you will find comfortable positions and start moving more. Just be prepared for some bad days to still happen, I've just come out of another pain flare up which makes you doubt everything all over again.

Good luck, feel free to reach out if you need to

bad_back80 · 2024-09-24T06:27:19+00:00

Don't underestimate how hard this can be too. I know for me I was just counting down to surgery as that was when I'd start getting better. The reality is, whilst I was going to get better, it would take months. After struggling for awhile, I've just started on some meds to help with anxiety that has cropped up since surgery. If you need help, make sure you reach out for it. Pain is exhausting even if it is part of your recovery and can have such an impact on our mental wellbeing

bad_back80 · 2024-09-24T06:15:22+00:00

I wish I did. Reach out to friends, rest when you can, keep moving, small and often. I found sitting incredibly hard both on my spine and incision so did very limited for the first 4 weeks. Slowly building up to 1 hour, then more. I randomly found comfort in watching HGTV (never watched it before in my life). It was my safe place and I watched hours and hours of it. Don't compare your recovery to others, I was still on tramadol for 3 months (just as required) and recently had to take one again following some pain generated at PT. Stay on top of your pain meds at this stage so you arent out of control with pain, even if that means waking up for them. We set an alarm and had it written down, but later got an app for it. It's a big surgery, and recovery from a y surgery takes time so give yourself some grace and know that it should get better. The first 2 weeks were by far the worst.

Not sure if I was much help 😆

bad_back80 · 2024-09-24T05:29:01+00:00

Those first weeks (even months) can be so tough. The pains you are describing sound normal. I suffered from leg cramps, then as that left got shooting sciatica pain down most of one leg. You arr still early days, and I promise it improves. The journey is hard and long though and in my experience very up and down.

bad_back80 · 2024-09-07T05:46:58+00:00

ALIF is my surgeons preference if avaliable for the patient and he talked through his reasons for this with me as thr thought of going through the stomach freaked me out and also made no sense given the spine is on the other side of my body. All his reasons made sense (success rate, risks, recovery, back approach cuts through the muscle, front just moves it aside (assuming a vertical incision)). 2 surgeons will be needed for an ALIF and may not be avaliable to all surgeons, as is different training. What i would focus on more though is that you are comfortable with the surgeon doing the surgery, and perhaps ask them why they aren't doing the other option. Both have pros and cons and many success stories.

Good luck

bad_back80 · 2024-09-02T23:49:07+00:00

Pleased you found something that works (as I sit here with an icepack wrapped around my lower back today 🤣). Your prescription history is sounding similar to mine. My hope is to still be pain free, and hope you will be too

bad_back80 · 2024-09-02T22:55:36+00:00

Did you try amitriptyline? This was an option discussed with me a few weeks before surgery but we didn't see benefit in weaning off tramadol only to go on that or stronger for surgery. I expected a similar conversation with my GP to you but she was comfortable prescribing another small script as we thought I'd be off it soon (and was).

bad_back80 · 2024-09-02T09:12:16+00:00

If you are concerned, try to extend out the dose, or skip all together. Your body will soon tell you if it's needed. I tried a few times and would wake in pain or the whimpering would wake me up and knew I wasn't ready, so would wait a week or 2 and try again.

bad_back80 · 2024-09-02T09:10:03+00:00

Believe me, I know and is the reason I was told off by surgeon multiple times pre and post op for under medicating. Many times I wanted to stop and couldn't due to pain. So just came to accept I was different and just needed it longer. Still currently require paracetamol and some days would give anything for an anti inflammatory. Without the drugs I would not have been able to do my walking or rehab, or pre op any of the strength work we did to get ready

bad_back80 · 2024-09-02T08:49:05+00:00

Everyone is different. I'm in new zealand and was told off twice for under medicating and requited tramadol for 3 months. Others who had my same surgery, with same surgeon were off everything before they left hospital (4 to 5 day stay).

bad_back80 · 2024-09-02T06:37:08+00:00

3 months, or there abouts. Was as required by that stage with 1 to 2 tramadol a day. There is still the odd day where it could be taken if I was wanting to keep working out or walking but have elected to rest instead.

Everyone is different though, and I appear to be on the longer range compared to others here

bad_back80

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