Re: first day back - KAM - Group

March 6, 2006

Hi Kam, I am really glad to hear that you are doing so well... It is encouraging for me and Im sure for lots of others as well. Can I ask you (or anyone post revision surgery who would like to chime in) for an approx. time line of events in regards to recovery from surgery. For example: you have surgery and are in the hospital for about 2 weeks, then you are home for about ____ days (in bed)... then after ____ days or weeks you begin to feel ok enough to go outside and walk... etc etc Thank you!! Ken. advokam <advokam@...> wrote: Well, I worked from 10 am to 3 pm today and it went pretty well. I am sitting in my recliner at present (and enjoying it) and waiting for the temp to

drop before I walk. I can't believe I am typing that - it's gorgeous outside (81 degrees at 4:45 pm)!I have been having a lot of trouble with my sleep schedule and was very concerned I'd be exhausted today. I tried the Ambien on Friday night and couldn't necessarily tell if it made any difference until Saturday morning - slept through my alarm and awoke to a phone call inquiry as to why I wasn't at my 9 am appt. Ugh. Also, I think that it gave me a headache. Saturday night, I cut the pill in half, but still had a headache. Now it could be that the headache is a result of the herbal cleanse that we started on Saturday, so I'm not giving up completely, but I took a Tramadol (Ultram) last night instead of my Norco and skipped the Ambien and I've felt really good all day. So, it looks like I'm done with the narcotics for now and I'm definitely holding off on the Ambien until our 10-day cleanse is over.I'm scheduled to

do a seminar on Wednesday, but have an alternate in case I'm not up to it. Then, it's back to St. Louis on Monday for my follow-up appt. Can it be? Amazing how quickly time flys. Of course, I would have argued that two weeks ago...Today, I report that life after revision is pretty darn good!kam

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March 6, 2006

Ken,

I'd be happy to give you a timeline, but think it is important to start BEFORE surgery. If pre-surgery hadn't gone the way it did, I feel confident I wouldn't be back at work yet. So, even though you didn't ask, here is how it went for me...

Between ages 13 and 24, I endured flare-ups from time to time, had several trigger point injections, a few Medrol Dosepaks, and occasional physical therapy, but each flare-up was short-lived. Then, January 2, 1996, I slipped on sleet and caught myself with my left elbow. Over the next nine months, my back problems increased and I began using more and more pain medication. I saw a pain management doctor and tests were run to determine the source of the pain. When a local anesthetic was injected at the site of my short rod (from my original fusion at age 10 – I was fused from T4 – L4 at age 12), the pain went away instantaneously. Thus, it was decided the short rod should come out. So, in September of 1996, I experienced surgery #3. When they opened me up, the surgeon discovered that the rod was completely incased in bone and the probability of it being the source of pain was slim to none. He also discovered a bursa had developed over some calcium deposits and "cleaned up" the area removing the bursa and bone spurs. Fortunately, he did not do a laminectomy at this time. I was only in the hospital for 30 hours this and did indeed experience relief from the surgery for approximately three years.

Between 1996 and 2003, I again had occasional flare-ups treated with a Medrol Dosepak, physical therapy, chiropractic care, ice, pain meds, cortisone shots, acupuncture, and anything else that was recommended as a possible solution. Oftentimes this conservative treatment worked very well and got me up and running again. In fact, Between 1999 and 2001, I was in the very best shape of my life – working out four times/week walking and doing Tae-Bo. Sure I had pain from time to time (because it is difficult for me to recognize my limitations), but I strongly believed the muscle tone and cardiovascular health was more important than the pain I experienced.

The last two years have been a downward spiral physically. I had a series of diagnostic tests and saw several specialists. My OS at the time (who is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society) kept telling me I was going to have pain for the rest of my life and wanted to put me on a Medrol Dosepak every time I had a "flare up." While it would help with my back pain, the side-effects of this drug for me are unbearable – some people love it, but not me! I think my OS got fed up with me because he sent me to a pain management specialist AND an osteopath (whose specialty was finding every trigger point in my body and then sending me on my way with severe muscle spasms - she referred to it as pain management - I think she was just managing to increase the pain!).

The anesthesiologist pain mgmt. doc tried an epidural and a couple of facet denervations (the first one worked for about six weeks; the second one gave me little to no relief). After so many invasive procedures, I felt overwhelmed and decided I needed to take a break. The best thing that came out of this time was that the pain mgmt. doc made me promise to start water fitness. Begrudgingly, I did, and it was the very best thing that could've happened. Land exercise had become practically impossible for me and getting out of shape is both depressing and scary when you know you'll feel even worse if you don't stay mobile! This is KEY. Mobility decreases my pain – even post-op. You kind of have to take this on faith, but it makes a huge difference. It may not decrease ALL of your pain, but firing those endorphins is significant not only to how you feel, but also to your cardiovascular system. Cardio health is critical to recovery from a major surgery like this. Physical therapy can help with this. You will not feel better and will not want to take long walks right after surgery. Period. You will NEED to take long walks – the more you have impeding your desire, the tougher it's going to be.

My insurance changed January 1, 2005 and I had to find a new Orthopedic Surgeon. WOO HOO! He thoroughly reviewed my history and ordered a CT/myelogram. The report revealed severe lumbar stenosis (a pinched nerve in my spinal cord) and advanced degenerative disc disease (DDD). My new dr. said I have the arthritis of a 70 year old in my low back (I'm 35, for the record). Finally, I had a diagnosis to research! He suggested a lumbar laminectomy/discectomy to free the nerve and explained that this would not get rid of the pain from the DDD, but would eliminate my leg pain.

As I read about these procedures, I found this group of people.. They sounded just like me for the most part. Members of the discussion group encouraged me to get all of my old medical records so that I would have them in the future and with the help of my PCP, I got just about everything including operative notes from my original surgeries. When I received my records from the last OS I saw (the one that is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society), I read the word "flatback" in my records for the first time – he had never mentioned it to me. I was encouraged to see an expert in the field to find out what options were available.

First, I investigated a Dr. LaGrone in Amarillo, TX, because of its proximity to home but he wasn't an option if I wanted insurance to pay for any of it. Then, I received a private email encouraging me to investigate Dr. Bridwell in St. Louis. On June 16, I learned that Dr. Bridwell is in-network on my HMO. When I heard the insurance representative repeat for me that he was in-network and there would only be the $250 surgery co-pay if I chose to have him operate on me, I realized that God was unmistakably putting every tiny piece of the puzzle into place.

I saw Dr. Bridwell for the first time on July 15. I knew in my heart and my gut that he was the man who would "fix" me even before appointment. Dr. B explained that the procedure my local guy wanted to do was a very bad idea and would make the inevitable follow-up surgeries much more complex. So, I cancelled that surgery, but still worked with my local OS for pain mgmt. between August and the surgery. He was really great about it even knowing that I was choosing another surgeon. That is how doctors should be!

While I wasn't anticipating a third surgery, I am so grateful for a doctor who doesn't take risks with things like neurological deficit and actually stayed up `all night' thinking through what would be the most wise course of action. He is a gifted man and he is so focused on what he does. I had my second surgery on December 20, was discharged from the hospital on December 27, and flew home on December 31. On January 2, I walked a mile. There was no lay in bed time. I even took a 40-minute walk while I was still in the hospital with my IVs and all.

Since returning from the 3rd surgery, which was a month after the second (totally not typical), I was out walking the next day and continued to walk pert' near everyday since (except for when I was feeling so sick from an undiagnosed UTI that I couldn't). I returned to work today, five weeks after my last surgery. If my surgeries had been closer together (originally scheduled a week apart), I suspect I would have been off work for eight to ten weeks total, but that is purely speculation since it didn't work out like that.

Hope some of this proves helpful to you!

kam

March 6, 2006

Kam, Thank you SO MUCH!!! I loved reading this... It was very helpful - What is UTI? As for mobility, I was always very active - but - I have gotten limited, partly by choice as to avoid the sciatic pain!!! It was great of you to share this, I'm sure it will be helpful to others as well... Ken.advokam <advokam@...> wrote: Ken, I'd be happy to give you a timeline, but think it is important to start BEFORE surgery. If pre-surgery hadn't gone the way it did, I feel confident I wouldn't be back at work yet. So, even though you didn't ask, here is how it went for me... Between ages 13 and 24, I endured flare-ups from time to time, had several trigger point injections, a few Medrol Dosepaks, and occasional

physical therapy, but each flare-up was short-lived. Then, January 2, 1996, I slipped on sleet and caught myself with my left elbow. Over the next nine months, my back problems increased and I began using more and more pain medication. I saw a pain management doctor and tests were run to determine the source of the pain. When a local anesthetic was injected at the site of my short rod (from my original fusion at age 10 – I was fused from T4 – L4 at age 12), the pain went away instantaneously. Thus, it was decided the short rod should come out. So, in September of 1996, I experienced surgery #3. When they opened me up, the surgeon discovered that the rod was completely incased in bone and the probability of it being the source of pain was slim to none. He also discovered a bursa had developed over some calcium deposits and "cleaned up" the area removing the bursa and bone spurs. Fortunately, he did not do a laminectomy at this time. I was only in the hospital for 30 hours

this and did indeed experience relief from the surgery for approximately three years. Between 1996 and 2003, I again had occasional flare-ups treated with a Medrol Dosepak, physical therapy, chiropractic care, ice, pain meds, cortisone shots, acupuncture, and anything else that was recommended as a possible solution. Oftentimes this conservative treatment worked very well and got me up and running again. In fact, Between 1999 and 2001, I was in the very best shape of my life – working out four times/week walking and doing Tae-Bo. Sure I had pain from time to time (because it is difficult for me to recognize my limitations), but I strongly believed the muscle tone and cardiovascular health was more important than the pain I experienced. The last two years have been a downward spiral physically. I had a series of diagnostic tests and saw several specialists. My OS at the time (who is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society) kept telling me I was

going to have pain for the rest of my life and wanted to put me on a Medrol Dosepak every time I had a "flare up." While it would help with my back pain, the side-effects of this drug for me are unbearable – some people love it, but not me! I think my OS got fed up with me because he sent me to a pain management specialist AND an osteopath (whose specialty was finding every trigger point in my body and then sending me on my way with severe muscle spasms - she referred to it as pain management - I think she was just managing to increase the pain!). The anesthesiologist pain mgmt. doc tried an epidural and a couple of facet denervations (the first one worked for about six weeks; the second one gave me little to no relief). After so many invasive procedures, I felt overwhelmed and decided I needed to take a break. The best thing that came out of this time was that the pain mgmt. doc made me promise to start water fitness. Begrudgingly, I did, and it

was the very best thing that could've happened. Land exercise had become practically impossible for me and getting out of shape is both depressing and scary when you know you'll feel even worse if you don't stay mobile! This is KEY. Mobility decreases my pain – even post-op. You kind of have to take this on faith, but it makes a huge difference. It may not decrease ALL of your pain, but firing those endorphins is significant not only to how you feel, but also to your cardiovascular system. Cardio health is critical to recovery from a major surgery like this. Physical therapy can help with this. You will not feel better and will not want to take long walks right after surgery. Period. You will NEED to take long walks – the more you have impeding your desire, the tougher it's going to be. My insurance changed January 1, 2005 and I had to find a new Orthopedic Surgeon. WOO HOO! He thoroughly

reviewed my history and ordered a CT/myelogram. The report revealed severe lumbar stenosis (a pinched nerve in my spinal cord) and advanced degenerative disc disease (DDD). My new dr. said I have the arthritis of a 70 year old in my low back (I'm 35, for the record). Finally, I had a diagnosis to research! He suggested a lumbar laminectomy/discectomy to free the nerve and explained that this would not get rid of the pain from the DDD, but would eliminate my leg pain. As I read about these procedures, I found this group of people.. They sounded just like me for the most part. Members of the discussion group encouraged me to get all of my old medical records so that I would have them in the future and with the help of my PCP, I got just about everything including operative notes from my original surgeries. When I received my records from the last OS I saw (the one that is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society), I read the word "flatback" in my records for the first

time – he had never mentioned it to me. I was encouraged to see an expert in the field to find out what options were available. First, I investigated a Dr. LaGrone in Amarillo, TX, because of its proximity to home but he wasn't an option if I wanted insurance to pay for any of it. Then, I received a private email encouraging me to investigate Dr. Bridwell in St. Louis. On June 16, I learned that Dr. Bridwell is in-network on my HMO. When I heard the insurance representative repeat for me that he was in-network and there would only be the $250 surgery co-pay if I chose to have him operate on me, I realized that God was unmistakably putting every tiny piece of the puzzle into place. I saw Dr. Bridwell for the first time on July 15. I knew in my heart and my gut that he was the man who would "fix" me even before appointment. Dr. B explained that the procedure my local guy wanted to do was a very bad idea and would make the inevitable follow-up surgeries

much more complex. So, I cancelled that surgery, but still worked with my local OS for pain mgmt. between August and the surgery. He was really great about it even knowing that I was choosing another surgeon. That is how doctors should be! While I wasn't anticipating a third surgery, I am so grateful for a doctor who doesn't take risks with things like neurological deficit and actually stayed up `all night' thinking through what would be the most wise course of action. He is a gifted man and he is so focused on what he does. I had my second surgery on December 20, was discharged from the hospital on December 27, and flew home on December 31. On January 2, I walked a mile. There was no lay in bed time. I even took a 40-minute walk while I was still in the hospital with my IVs and all. Since returning from the 3rd surgery, which was a month after the second (totally not typical), I was out walking the next day and continued to walk pert' near everyday since

(except for when I was feeling so sick from an undiagnosed UTI that I couldn't). I returned to work today, five weeks after my last surgery. If my surgeries had been closer together (originally scheduled a week apart), I suspect I would have been off work for eight to ten weeks total, but that is purely speculation since it didn't work out like that. Hope some of this proves helpful to you! kam

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March 7, 2006

---

Ken,

I was in the hospital for 21 days. I think that is a bit longer due

to the fact I came from out of town for the surgery. I am six weeks

post op from second stage, as of yesterday. I am not back to work but

I am out everyday. I was out all day yesterday...left at 9:30 got

home at 9:00pm. It was alot but I had things I wanted to do during

the day and ended up at my daughters ice hockey game last night. I am

flying to Boston next week for a follow up with Dr.Rand. I am sore

after a full day but I think that is normal. I want to ask Rand if I

can drive and go back to work April 1st. Everyone is different as you

can see from the posts but that is my story. ,PA

In , Ken Leonard <kclnt777@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi Kam,

>

> I am really glad to hear that you are doing so well... It is

encouraging for me and Im sure for lots of others as well.

>

> Can I ask you (or anyone post revision surgery who would like to

chime in) for an approx. time line of events in regards to recovery

from surgery.

>

> For example: you have surgery and are in the hospital for about 2

weeks, then you are home for about ____ days (in bed)... then after

____ days or weeks you begin to feel ok enough to go outside and

walk... etc etc

>

> Thank you!! Ken.

>

> advokam <advokam@...> wrote:

> Well, I worked from 10 am to 3 pm today and it went pretty well.

I

> am sitting in my recliner at present (and enjoying it) and waiting

> for the temp to drop before I walk. I can't believe I am typing

> that - it's gorgeous outside (81 degrees at 4:45 pm)!

>

> I have been having a lot of trouble with my sleep schedule and was

> very concerned I'd be exhausted today. I tried the Ambien on Friday

> night and couldn't necessarily tell if it made any difference until

> Saturday morning - slept through my alarm and awoke to a phone call

> inquiry as to why I wasn't at my 9 am appt. Ugh. Also, I think that

> it gave me a headache. Saturday night, I cut the pill in half, but

> still had a headache. Now it could be that the headache is a result

> of the herbal cleanse that we started on Saturday, so I'm not

giving

> up completely, but I took a Tramadol (Ultram) last night instead of

> my Norco and skipped the Ambien and I've felt really good all day.

> So, it looks like I'm done with the narcotics for now and I'm

> definitely holding off on the Ambien until our 10-day cleanse is

> over.

>

> I'm scheduled to do a seminar on Wednesday, but have an alternate

in

> case I'm not up to it. Then, it's back to St. Louis on Monday for

my

> follow-up appt. Can it be? Amazing how quickly time flys. Of

course,

> I would have argued that two weeks ago...

>

> Today, I report that life after revision is pretty darn good!

>

> kam

>

> scoliosis veterans * flatback sufferers * revision candidates

>

March 7, 2006

Hi Ken - it's Lorrie from land and I had my surgery with Boachie

November 8th - a date I'll never forget!

I'm 17 weeks post op - a little more than 4 months. I am still so sore and

couldn't imagine working outside my home if I needed to - I wouldn't be up

to it. I'm so sore all the time. I'm still on a Fentanyl patch (50 mg) and

4 percocets a day - two Tylenol with the 1st percocet. My legs are very

achy. I maybe a tad better if I didn't have my 2 year old to care for. It

is so hard to care for her and care for myself. It is hard to see my

symptoms getting better each day, but I have to look at it by month and yes,

I'm better at 4 months than I was at 3 months - but I tire so easily I can't

wait to lie on the sofa at the end of the day. I try to lie down during the

day here and there and take a nap in the afternoon - but sometimes Jilly is

too active.

Jilly was invited to a birthday party at the mall at " Build-A-Bear " and then

back to the parent's house for presents and cake. I could only make the

" Build-A-Bear " part - I was too tired to put up with watching the opening of

presents and maybe not having the chance of sitting on a chair! It would

have been horrible to have to stand or sit on the floor - so I just " opted "

out. Jilly fell asleep in the car anyway. She was scared at " Build-A-Bear "

- a little more commotion than she is use to. I have to get her out with

other kids. This weekend I'm going to have her practice climbing up a stool

into the car and into the car seat! We have to start going to playgroups!

Anyway - My follow-up with Boachie is the 17th. I have to have x-rays

locally because my husband's new insurance won't cover x-rays in NY. I bet

this x-ray facility is going to be flabbergasted when they see my image and

the hardware! I'll just tell them I accidentally fell on a " nail gun " and

was impaled by scaffolding! Hee Hee.

Lorrie

[ ] Re: first day back - KAM - Group