Time to go home....REALLY time to go home....there is this overall feeling that hospitals are for the sick so if you want to be well you need to leave the hospital ASAP. Could I stay here another day....yes....is my back fine....yes again....it is these damn flu like symptoms that is like the only thing that would keep me...but today I have a caretaker on the home front (my Mom).
One thing I would truly recommend on this whole thing is that you have someone to "help you out" when you get home. Could you do it yourself....sure. Is having someone to go to the grocery store, pick up around the house, help you put on your socks, make dinner, etc helpful? Incredibly!
Today was more of the same....feverish, achy, flu-like. The back was tolerable...the flu like stuff sucked. FINALLY got to take a shower today....damn near orgasmic.....3 days of grime and bed head.....made me feel human again. So all in all I feel pretty good....wish I had a better baseline for those that read this in the future but I think the flu-like stuff is an aberration.
The back hurts but is manageable. Have a little bit of leg pain when I lift my right leg but nothing too bad and Ghiselli seemed not too concerned. Said that was pretty typical.
This morning the IV came out...that always feels good after 3 days....looks pretty "tired" around then. Three days of rolling around in bed, bumping things, snagging on things....good riddance. I am tubeless. In exchange I have hardware. Can't wait to see the first X-rays....that should be cool.
Well it is time....the hospital staff has been great. Nurses there when you need them but not bopping in at 3:00 am for no reason. Food was decent. And then there was the morphine pump....fond memories of that bad boy.
From now through the end of two weeks I will do every other day updates....then every other week for the rest of the first three months....then monthly for the rest of the first year.
I still need to figure out how to get this to show up better on a Google search....probably need to go to some spinal forums and post my link. Also I would like to do some patient outreach with my surgeon and some of his future fusion patients. Again I am doing this because there just did not seem to be this type of information like this on the internet...if I can reduce one person's anxiety before their surgery it will have been worth it....actually I think I reduced my own anxiety by talking it out....so I already accomplished my goal.
I've really enjoyed reading your post. I am just over 5 weeks post-op for the same fusion. I had a lot of trouble finding blogs about this. Thanks for doing this. I'm encouraged!
ReplyDeleteThank You for your post. My 14 year old daughter is having L-4 to S-1 fusion in 8 days. May 16, 2014. After reading your posts I am hopeful. Thanks for the details of your post op. It really helped me know what to expect. Wishing You continued healing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post....helped with my anxiety before my fusuon next week...
ReplyDeleteI am new to blogging so bare with me. Read your blog very encouraging thank you. I am scheduled today to have a laminotomy with decompression of Nerve Roots. I have tried PT, pain meds and steroid shot with no relief. This has been on going for over 18 months with severe leg pain. Hope this procedure will at least reduce the pain and I can return to a more normal live style. Will update later after I am able.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Bob...thanks for the kind words...
DeleteThank you. Neurosurgeons are very blase about this surgery--"Oh, you'll do just fine." I'm a 75 year-old female with no relatives in town and I don't think it will be that easy. You have given me some good insight. Thanks.
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