Plif surgery
Posted , 5 users are following.
Ive had spine surgery ( L4,L5+S1 screws and lumbar decompression, and prosterior lumbar interbody fusion( plif-2 cages) pn 23 /02/2017.
2 weeks after i hqd pain in buttock down legs and i walk with an aid as putting pressure on my feet sends electric shocks up and down my legs. I feel metal is grating in my lower spine and im struggling with my left side..
If i lay down on back it feels like hops are stinging and being crushed and wen i get up im weak in left side .
Im currenty taking 80mg zoromorph twice a day 900mg of gabapentin 3 times a day cyclizine 50mg 3 times a day and 75mg of amitriptyline before bed . And oramorph 20mg as and when required.
Ive had a mri 2 weeks ago due to pain but neurosurgeon was happy and put back my visit with him till 11 may . He sent a letter saying get back to normal and ignore the pain . My gp will not let me go back to work and as put me for a pain clinic to help .
Just wondering if the pain is all normal at this point im walking with a stick and i do seize up and struggle to move from bed or chairs . Any advice will be grateful. Im in process with assisted luving and they been to measure up stuff so its easier for me as they said i need help .
0 likes, 12 replies
CHICO_MARX paul29754
Posted
You should NEVER "get back to normal and ignore the pain"...PERIOD!!! Yes, post-op pain is normal but I don't know about six weeks. I would think you should be pain-free by now. I had a fusion of L3 - S1 a little over 2 years ago and was zipping through rehab at six weeks. You are also taking tons of meds that I would have thought you'd be finished with by now. I'd consider a second neuro's opinion. You can't live like this long-term...
paul29754 CHICO_MARX
Posted
I cant lie on my left side without the crushing feeling in my hips. If i do end up on my left side i have to turn over clockways fully to get bk on my right side .im 37 years old male and im suffering like this . Im not able to return to work ( im a decorator/ maintenance for a large hotel )
Standing up gives me very bad pain at the base of my spine no one has said anything about physio either .
CHICO_MARX paul29754
Posted
I'd push for a diagnosis for the pain. See another neuro with all your films. Also, make sure you have a copy of the OPERATIVE REPORT. This tells doc #2 what doc #1 did in the OR. My L2 - S1 fusion was major surgery; yours was too. I should have ben out of the hospital earlier than 12 days but I developed a fluid sac at the base of my spine. Docs had to go in again and clean me out.
But once out of there, I wore my brace, went to PT and was leg pressing 230 pounds inside a month. PT was 2x/week for about 6 weeks. Fully recovered and completely back to normal inside of 90 days. I was 67 at the time... But then again, I've always killed rehab no matter what I've had done (and it's a lot).
paul29754 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Alot of comments ive read says about a brace and pt. Ive had none of these.
I was in hospital 3 days and was told all went well and then discharged.
Im in constant contact with my own g.p but i need to see her face to face.
2 weeks after op i was in real pain and was told to go to local a&e after several hrs wait and a dose of morphine in my canular and a supposatry was told to go home and contact neuro receptionist . A day after i was having a mri in his local hospital and presume he saw my results hence why he puashed my appointmemt bk to 11 /5/17 instead of 20 /3/17.
Im in constant pain and dont want to take all them meds but have no choice until i see a pain specialist.
In the mean time im walking with a stick and at bad times with crutches but the pain is unbearable trying.to walk
caroline2071 paul29754
Posted
Ah you need to get this sorted ASAP, like you I wasn't given any physio, braces, walking AIDS or meds and was sent home to "get on with it"....14 years on I'm in chronic pain since my pop and look back kicking my self I didn't push for answers. good luck
DJ1976 paul29754
Posted
First of all Paul you should have some pain since your surgery is a month old. You should not be moving anything for a while. Was a brace given to you prior to the surgery? If so you should wear it all day until you go to bed. It will give you the stability you need. This pain can last for up to 2 mos. But should not be mor debiliating than you were before.
You are sure on a lot of heavy duty drugs. Some are for pain and others are for the nerve pain that is going down your leg. If you do not get relief, as your surgeon to send you to a pain management Dr. If your doc won't do either, I suggestg you pronto go get a second opinion. Make sure you have copies of any MRI's along with the written reports that go with them and the disc. The same for an CT scans or xrays. This way you can pop that CDE into your computer and look at your own spine. There you can see the hardware that is in there and that maybe where some of your pain is coming from.
I had to have my hardwardware removed the first surgery as my body rejected it. So the only thing holding up my spine is 1 cage and donor bone.
Again reading your post you have some serious issues going on and your DR. should handle them. Grating that feel is not normal. I am fruzed from L2-S1. I have constant nerve pain and that is why I just had surgery to put a nerve stimulator in my spine to alleviate the pain problem. I still have a lot of pain but am adjusting the controller myself. But you are a long way off from that. If you have a brace and it is one that covers from just above your tailbone to just under, for women our breasts. I had to wear it from the moment I got out of bed till I went back to bed. Suggestion: If you are sitting in a recliner put a bed pillow under your knees that should alleviate some of the back pressure. The same in bed if you are a back sleeper. Did they teach you how to get out of bed. If you are a right or left side sleeper, log roll with both legs to side of bed, slide your legs slightly over the mattress, then use both hands to push to sitting position and sit till you feel steady then get up.
Good luck you have a while till you feel better. Take short walks. I used a walker in the begining. No lifting anything heavier than 1 gal. of milk. No bending, twisting ior stretching.
Feel better soon. Dee
paul29754 DJ1976
Posted
No i was not given a brace and all iwas given was a leaflet on how to do exercises and move in / out of bed.
Ive had to contact my gp to be refered to a pain specialist and i contacted assisted living to get help round the home ..i.e raising my bed and sofa and installling grab rails in the bathroom and a few extra things . And the heavy lifting i have not done .or bending as im know im still recovering...
Im going to make a f2f appointment with gp to see what she says and suggests.
Also have to mention that the wife says i rabbit on and come out with random stuff wen i take my night meds and i dont usually sleep all nite just the odd hr or so .
My mobility is really limited and walking without a stick at the moment is not a good idea has my left leg goes at time.
If i ask for copies of my scans will they give them to me?
DJ1976 paul29754
Posted
Paul, just call the medical records dept. and tell them what you want. Give 1 week and say I will be in to get them. Please do not drive right away, as your back is not steady enough,. You are the second person, I have heard of that no back brace given. I don't know I would have survived without mine. It got me through 3 back surgeries. You could ask them and see if your insurance will cover. know someone who has just medicare and was able to get one. Sorry for what you are going through. Do you need all the heavy duty stuff. I know that gabapetin, and I was on it for nerve pain made me a crazy person. I was snapping at everyone. I didn't like the person I was becoming and told the Dr. Oh yes it does that to people. So you may want to talk to your Dr. about that one. Do not stop any drug cold turkey.
Good luck.
carol78519 paul29754
Posted
I agree with Chico Marx. You need to get a copy of the latest MRI and the operation notes and visit another neurosurgeron. For a doctor to say get back to normal and ignore the pain is unacceptable!! Some
times doctors screw up and don't want to admit it. At the very least, he should listen to you, schedule an appointment and do a physical exam to try to access what is causing the pain. Please get a second opinion.
Carol
paul29754 carol78519
Posted
Hi carol78519
It was my neurosurgeon that said ignore pain.
On his letter he sent to me it actually says; "i think in reality a lot of what is wrong with you is an abnormal reaction to what most people would find to be normal because your nervous syatem is somewhat sensitised." And then went on to say: "i think what you really need to do is do your best to get back to normal, get back to work and to ignore the symptoms that you have in your lower back"
I told the neurosurgeon from the start that im a decorator/ maintenance personell at a large hotel ..all of which require me to be constantly on the go
paul29754
Posted
Just an update ....i had major pain and went to my local a&e and had mri ( and they contacted my neuro to ask if a mri was ok to do) any way was told all ok ....nxt day received a phone call to go to hull royal infirmary to neuro ward as found 2 sacks of fluid behind my plif...any way i was kept in for 15 days and treated for u.t.i. and a bit of fluid taken from sacks to see if bacteria grows on it ...15 days later was discharged....end of may a lump appeared near my scar and my gp nurse said fluid . I rang hull and ended up having a mri with contrast and fluid sackd still there but niw i have fluid where my discs would have been ...neuro surgeon thinks lump is a bolt and i have an appointment for a infection control person as they dont kniw if i have an infection even tho my bloods came back ad ok but today 8/6/17 wife says its getting bigger ...i still have a lot of pain in my back and legs still numb and weak in right side and struggling walking and still use my stick im in constant pain and still sruggle getting off sofa and bed ....
My current meds are gabapentin 900mg 3x daily, 80 mg zoromorph (12 hourly) metaclopromide 10mg 3x daily , cyclizine 50mg 3x daily and 100mg amatriplyin hr before bed ...
paul29754
Posted
Just an update ....i had major pain and went to my local a&e and had mri ( and they contacted my neuro to ask if a mri was ok to do) any way was told all ok ....nxt day received a phone call to go to hull royal infirmary to neuro ward as found 2 sacks of fluid behind my plif...any way i was kept in for 15 days and treated for u.t.i. and a bit of fluid taken from sacks to see if bacteria grows on it ...15 days later was discharged....end of may a lump appeared near my scar and my gp nurse said fluid . I rang hull and ended up having a mri with contrast and fluid sackd still there but niw i have fluid where my discs would have been ...neuro surgeon thinks lump is a bolt and i have an appointment for a infection control person as they dont kniw if i have an infection even tho my bloods came back ad ok but today 8/6/17 wife says its getting bigger ...i still have a lot of pain in my back and legs still numb and weak in right side and struggling walking and still use my stick im in constant pain and still sruggle getting off sofa and bed ....
My current meds are gabapentin 900mg 3x daily, 80 mg zoromorph (12 hourly) metaclopromide 10mg 3x daily , cyclizine 50mg 3x daily and 100mg amatriplyin hr before bed ...i was hoping to return to work this month but gp wont clear me to go back ...im really annoyed now as thort id be up and about but im not any advice or experiences will be appreciated