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Fusion 6 weeks ago and injection in SI joint up under CT scan on tues

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laura49003
laura49003

Has anyone had experience of CT guided injections into SI joint after fusion? I had a C T guided injection before my 2 operations.i saw mt spinal surgeon this week and explained i had tightness on the right side of my back with pain going into my hip he looked surprised at this and said he would give me SI joint injection under sedation this iam aching for as i have no insurance, this is £800 but of course there are no guarantees. My husband said as its only 6.5 weeks since surgery maybe i should give it more time but honestly i am not sleeping well i wake up every time i turn over in bed it feels like a weight and tightness in my back and the pain goes into my hip. I am frightened i am never going to be pain free and not sleep through again. I don't mean to feel sorry fr myself and people I've spoken to on here are marvellous but isn't back pain such a bitch! Im back on tramadol which makes me spaced out and i feel it impacts on my feelings but what can i do x 

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

  • julie01285
    julie01285 laura49003

    Posted

    Hi! Am I to presume you have had a heart check? My symptons of cardiac arrest diagnosed as hiatus hernia was spasmdic chest & arm pain.
  • DonnaL
    DonnaL laura49003

    Posted

    Hi Laura… What surgeries did you have? Your husband is probably right. 6 1/2 weeks after fusion is really not very long. Try to think of it as healing pain... Surgeries are such trauma to our bodies. Yes, the pain is a bitch! I never had CT guided injections into S1, but there were times I thought I might have needed one. It's hard to have patience when you're in pain, but that plus taking care of yourself and not overdoing things is so, so important.

    I had a fusion of L4, 5, and S1, along with realigning L5 due to congenital spondylolisthesis. Rods, screws, new discs. It was hell, but every month was better and better. I am 10 months out now and really pleased. Not totally normal, but my awful back pain is gone. I still get some tweaks and twinges, and still take tramadol and gabapentin at night. What lasted the longest was the pain into the hips.

    Can you take anything to sleep? I used melatonin throughout this and will not perfect, it has helped. Hang in there!

  • DonnaL
    DonnaL laura49003

    Posted

    Oh, it's you Laura! We were trying to email in another forum conversation. Were you ever able to send an email? I'm not sure I got it. 

    Curious… That sounds like a painful injection?

  • patricia4866
    patricia4866 laura49003

    Posted

    Hi Laura, as donna can attest to, my entries are usually quite lengthy...but for your sake, I shall shorten my response as much as possible. 1st..my heart goes out to your folks in the UK. You had a fusion 5 weeks ago? I had one 5 months ago. I am 67 yrs old with a normal activity level of a 27 yr old. I had exectly the same symptoms trying to turn over at night. My Neurosurgeon said not to wear a bace, but I did BEFORE surgery and I just didn't trust my asleep self not to twist while turning over, so I wore the brace. I am a newly retired Ortho RN, who new that I was going to have to have spinal surgery of some kind, so I looked up the head of the NeuroSurg Dept in my hospital...the best decision I have ever made. I also continued to use my gel cold packs, and I strictly adhered to the restrictions I was given...NO BLT. I am sure that you were also given them. At 5 weeks you should be walking alot...outside now as well as around the house prn. It took me what I concidered a long while before I could bend over very slowly...used one of those old people reachers most of the time....and even then, I started with sitting first and slowly bending from there. As I said, I think that was somewhere around 10 weeks. The less you twist, or lift something that is too heavy, the less you are going to hurt. My NS finally gave me the go ahead to swim and to do mild cardio at the gym at 4 months. The swimming (and all I really do is tread water and backwards butterfly...nothing on the stomach. Sometimes I find that I hurt more if I overdo...like gardening, but when that happens I just take a muscle relaxer (Robaxin) and rest the next day. So, the tightness is to be expected. Go on You tube and watch the films of lumbar fusions and you will understand why you are feeling the way you do. It takes time for the body to heal. One question please. Is your doctor a neurosurgeon? That injection never would have been given in the States.  Just saying. I hope you feel better soon. Follow your restrictions and give it time. My doc told me that I could expect to be 80% of my old activity level at 6 months. And that is alright with me. 80% of my life back is better than being forced to live with that horrible pain for even one more day. Hint: I came out of the Recovery Room with a huge smile on my face. Instant pain relief except for expected surgical pain. Best of luck. Stay in touch.

    Patricia   (this was a short version!  razz )

    • laura49003
      laura49003 patricia4866

      Posted

      Dear Patricia 

      i could hug you what a fabulous informative selection of information you have given me. You feel so alone with this sometimes. You are very fit and active.  I am going to step up my walking outside i am currently stooped over and rely on my brace. I've just started short driving journeys again with brace. I hate trying to turn over in bed its tight like a big weight in my back. It will be 7 weeks this tues since surgery so early days.  I will youtube definitely thank you and I appreciate all you have said x 😃😀

    • patricia4866
      patricia4866 laura49003

      Posted

      Hi again Laura. Once I read your answer to a few of the tips I tried to give you, it occurred to me to say the following.......beside the fusion of course, unless there is a physical reason for you to be leaning forward while ambulating, best to always make a concerted effort to stand as straight as possible. You need to have those muscles and tendons that were cut during surgery heal longer rather than shorter. I remember that it wasn't always easy to remember, but do try. And as for driving, here in the states at least, on Walmart, I was able to purchase a swivel seat for my car that puts you under the steering wheel without having to twist For less than $25. You can try Googling "swivel seat". Some folks complained that it was too hard on their rear ends even though it is padded, but I figured it was worth the try if it helped me regain my independence once more. I live alone and I am 13 miles from town or the nearest store. Push yourself to walk more on a regular basis, but only to the level of "gee this is really becoming too uncomfortable". And remember that you have to turn around and get back to where you started. It's all just alot of determination and common sense. Again Laura, good luck. Keep in touch. And I am here if you have a question you think I might be able to give you some insight to.

      Patricia

    • laura49003
      laura49003 patricia4866

      Posted

      Hi Patricia,

      i kept it in my mind all day to try very hardto straighten my back when standing and walking. How did you find the first 2 months after your operation? I find it hard sleeping if i stay on my either side too long it hurts deep inside and aches and i can't get comfortable. The feeling of tightness on my right side is uncomfortable even diazapam doesn't relax it. Tramadol helps but boy oh boy when i wake i feel sicky and itchy apoarently tramadol can release histamine! 

      I am going to invest in a swivel seat thats a brilliant idea.

       

    • patricia4866
      patricia4866 laura49003

      Posted

      It is evening here, so, Good Evening Laura. Thanks for the compliment, but I had months of waiting for retirement and then

      surgery to figure these things out. Imagine how I felt (never mind what I said) when I was given the BLT restrictions and then told that for the first 2 wks I was not to sit any longer than it took me to get out of bed and to sit on the toilet? I have a nice cushy couch, and I slept on it day in and day out for the first 4 wks. I was (gingerly now) at one week, I was sitting until I knew it was time to

      lay back down. Your body is going to tell you what it needs and what it can and cannot do. For instance, my daughters and my brother took turns " taking care of me" for the first 2wks. We played swinging door with my dog before I could finally say that I was able to take care of her On my own. It's the little tnings like that, Laura. Common sense. I can't take Valium so I have no personal reference give you for any med other than the Methocarbamol and Hydrocodone 7.5mg/Acetaminaphen 325mg that I took post-op, so I can't say what you are taking is good or not. I hope you feel much better soon. I almost forgot..... a cold pack helps too. Take care.

      Patricia

    • laura49003
      laura49003 patricia4866

      Posted

      Hi Patricia, thank you for your response and your own personal experience.  The little things we take for granted hey i have a beautiful son who is 12 and went grocery shopping with me yesterday he carried and bagged everything i can't get in fridge its an under counter one so i sit on a kitchen chair keep my back straight and try and grab with a BBQ tongs lol, it works! 

      Thats great you have a soft couch its almost like your back and body need cocooning. My couches are too low but a reclining chair helps me. I haven't tried a cold pack i will for sursure have a good evening.

      its 1am in the UK going to try and sleep x 

    • patricia4866
      patricia4866 laura49003

      Posted

      Good morning Laura. So, did your 1am attempt to sleep prove

      fruitful? I hope so. You are one lucky lady that your son can help you like that. I relied heavily on foods that I was going to be able to microwave. I pre-made and then froze chunky vegetable soup and pot roast. I have never been able to get used to cooking for only one, so when I cook, there is usually plenty to freeze for a future meal or two. I cleared off the livingroom tables and put the things on them that I knew I would use the most...Samsung Tablet si I wouldn't have to sit at the computer, paper plates so I wouldn't have to lift plates out of cabinets (I am only 1/2" over 5 ft tall). Plastic Solo cups that could be thrown away.....that was a hurtful purchase as I have always been an environmentalist And use as little plastic as I can, but in this

      case I had to make an exception.

      It is a beautiful day here in my area. I live in the SouthEast US. The Weather Service tells us that a band of moderately severe Thunderstorms are going to reach here around 4pm so I have exactly 3 hrs to anchor everything down in the yard. Take care Laura. Wishing you a very good day.

      Patricia

      PS....BBQ tongs??? How clever of you!!!! smile

    • laura49003
      laura49003 patricia4866

      Posted

      Good evening Patrica, or good afternoon lol.

      I did manage a 3 hour sleep then woke at 4.30am with tightness heavy feeling of weight in my back. I don't know whether its a muscle spasm. I saw the physio today she said that this is a slow recovery and walking is the only thing she can say now apart from sliding my eggs up and down when I am lying flat on my back on the bed. 

      I am getting today a stablike pain on my back and have that SI joint injection tomorrow.

      i think its wonderful that you thought of solo throwaway cups and paper plates most definitely.

      i am going out to buy some tomorrow😀

      i am going to step up my walking in the morning, i found it hard today 

      the southeast USA sounds idyllic.

      we are getting good weather here at the moment and sitting in the garden on comfy chair was nice.

      how is your back today?

      yes I have been lucky to have help from my son. I am missing him today he is at his dads fr a couple of days. 

       

    • patricia4866
      patricia4866 laura49003

      Posted

      Laura, it is indeed evening here...6pm actually and the storm I

      mentioned earlier is all around us, but so far, has missed. About the feeling of heaviness in your back. At 5 weeks I wasn't able to lay flat on my back and again I not an MD but I am not at all certain that you should be. My fear was that I would flex the leg muscles in "a stretch"(which is a common thing for me to do) and I might impede the healing process somehow. Try laying on your side with knees bent..and relax. If that isn't comfy for you, try a very soft thin pillow between those bent knees. Spasms tend to feel like a cramp in healing backs. Also, try to time that Valium so you are taking it 30 minutes before you want to be in bed and asleep. My experience w/ Diazapam is that whatever evfect it is going to have for you is going to get there and then be gone in 4 hrs. Have the docs offered you Baclophen or my favorite which is Methocarbamol? In the US, Valium is a controlled substance but the other two are not. Stick with the Valium if you feel that it works for you, but ask for one of the others if not. The docs will be more apt to switch you off of Valium to a relaxer that is not Likely to be a used. But hold a few of the Valium back just in case the new one doesn't work for you. Weeks 3-12 are the worst of the healing process where the muscles and ligaments are concerned and therefore the time that your muscles are the tightest. That's why you need to be up and about as much as possible. Believe me, you don't want your muscles to heal "short". Standing errect and walking is the way you are goi g to heal well. Nobody likes this stage of the game because this is when the real work begins. Look at it like this.....you are too young to give this less than your best. And if a Granny like me can make this work, so can you. The best thing you can do for yourself is ask, do I really need this Diazapam or this pain pill, or can I stretch it out a bit longer. 6 weeks out is when you should have been walking in earnest for 4 weeks already. They started me at 3 weeks outside and at first I only made it to the end of the front walk and back three times a day. By the 4th week I could make it down the walk and around the 3 car parking pad twice doing that three times each day. The next week it was all of that with one trip down the 500 ft driveway added. See, you get to the place where you want to do this because it makes you feel better. After awhile you will be walking faster than you did at first and walking around the grocery parking lot two or three times just for fun. Have you ever heard the saying about exercising.....No pain....No gain? There ya go! smile

      I have to go now. I hope you get some sleep tonight.

      Patricia

    • DonnaL
      DonnaL laura49003

      Posted

      Hi Laura...Patricia is so right. It's a long process and the first 3 months are the worst. After that, each month gets better and better.  What we had is a major surgery and trauma to our bodies. Even tho' I thought I was prepared, it was very scary and I wondered like you if it was done right, was I going to be ok?, etc. It will all be worth it as long as you take it slowly and never overdo anything. Keep taking meds - they are your friend along with the walking to come. When I told my surgeon the physical therapist was causing me more pain (for days), he had me stop and just walk and do gentle stretching exercises. Building core strength can wait. It was the perfect answer for me, but we're all different.

      Patricia's comment about not wanting muscles to heal "short" is right on.  She and I are both 'grandma' age. I, too, couldnt' sleep on my back or my stomach, so slept on my sides. When it caused sore hips, I added a layer of regular foam under the mattress cover.

      Something I learned in my 10 days at skilled nursing after surgery came from an orderly who said the patients who complained about memory foam mattresses the most were back surgery patients. Also the wonderful therapists there said to be careful with recliners...getting in and out and having lower back support like a soft pillow so you don't 'curve' too much.

      Please take care and know you'll be OK!

      Yes for paper plates! They make meals so much easier for now. Also, move things up that you have to reach down for - or up too high. It may create messy counters in kitchen and bath, but it makes a huge difference.

    • patricia4866
      patricia4866 DonnaL

      Posted

      Wonderful advice Donna. Thanks for remembering everything I left out! Did you read this ladies BBQ tong comment? I was so impressed with her ingenuity!!!!
    • laura49003
      laura49003 patricia4866

      Posted

      Hi Patricia thank you for your message sorry i couldn't reply but my son had my tablet device at his dads! I missed it lol. But yesterday i spent most of the day in hospital waiting for and receiving the SI joint injection.

      this injection was administered under sedation and i had to wait in hospital until i was ready to go home and i felt numb which was amazing as i couldn't feel thst tightness and pain and in the side of my back and hip.

      i fell asleep for 2 hours when i got home late afternoon and so i was unable to sleep yesterday evening but slept solidly from 8am until midday and i had no tightness or pain in my hip. I was shocked but so happy. I walked for 40 mins 2 hours after waking and for another 40 mins with a rest on park bench early this evening.

      i hope this feeling lasts and i go back to see the spinal surgeon who did my fusion at 2 levels and the SI joint injection on 19 May.

      i haven't taken the strong tramadol today or diazapam that's a first in many months.

      i have taken ibroprufen for low back ache and wore my back brace when mobile. He wants me to wear for 3 months.

      how were the storms with you yesterday? I do hoe they have calmed dwn.

      laura xx 

    • patricia4866
      patricia4866 laura49003

      Posted

      So glad that the i jection seems to be doing it's job for you. And I know exactly what you mean by you felt no pain and it was a shock. That is the reasoning behind the huge smile on my face eing wheeled out of Recovery Room to inpatient bed. For the first time in over 14 months, I felt no pain whatsoever. Part of that is the 24 hr nerve block the anesthesiologist completed before they closed me up, but it did its job so who cares? There is also my wonderful reasoning abilities. I was in so much pain with every step I took, every movement that I made, any bit of improvement has to be compared to that. T this point in my 67 year old life that

      85% is perfectly alright with me. I know from my training that one really can't judge back surgery until it is a year or two behind you. By that time you really are apt to be at your very best post operative physicality.

      i am doing well after the storms. Actually, they passed to the west of my area and headed toward Washington, DC. I was out in the yard pushing a spredder full of weed and feed. I have a dandelion problem. Today my plan is to complete the pallet herb garden that I started last week and perhaps if there is time, start bleaching and cleaning grime off of front railings so I can paint them. Ha ha......this is called Spring Cleaning!!!!!

      Take care Laura. I hope you have a good day again today.

    • laura49003
      laura49003 DonnaL

      Posted

      Hi Donna,

      how are you? I slept bit longer last night and feel less stiff getting out of bed. I hope it lasts. I am now week 8. I walked a lot yesterday and going to go for a walk shortly. 

      Laura x 

    • DonnaL
      DonnaL laura49003

      Posted

      Hi Laura,

      I just responded to your conversation about the bath taking.😊 Glad you got a bit more sleep. You'll have good nights and less good nights. It's all part of the process. Patricia and I have very similar experiences and what you describe seems to fit her story and mine too. So just remind yourself everything is normal at this point. We all had major surgery. I think Patricia mentioned when walking not to forget you have to walk back, too. That's good advice. You don't want to be in pain before you get back home. 

      You and Patricia sound like high energy women. I always have had very modest stamina, even as a child. While I'm slender, I have never had really strong muscles, so I think that made my early months more difficult. I intend to be more of a walker from here on out.

      I'm doing pretty good most of the time. If I do anything too long… On my feet or sitting a few hours without a break, I get some muscle/nerve pain. But nothing like months ago. Patricia has helped me in understanding the process, too.

      Keep us posted!

      Donna

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