Re: Quick update from kam

[Guest guest]

Kam - if you are in need of a way to give

away stuff “free”, I found this great website called “Freecycle”

– you sign in through and determine the area you live in. You can

then put out an “offer” of anything you’d like to give away

free. Anyone that wants the item contacts you through and comes and just

picks it up from your house. It is a great way to get rid of stuff and junk!

http://www.freecycle.org/

Lorrie

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of advokam

Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006

11:16 PM

Subject: [ ] Quick

update from kam

Hi

everybody.

I

wanted to give you a quick update on how I am feeling and pose a few questions.

I emailed Martha a couple of days ago and posed a few questions to her and

thought it would be helpful to get multiple perspectives. Also, she mentioned

that a lot that I said took her back to her recovery period, so I thought there

might be some points of interest to the contemplators.

First

of all, if you do email me or address a post to me and I don't respond, please

note that my short-term memory has practically disappeared! I will think

of all these great things to do to occupy my time and then, at the end of the

day, I sit there wondering why I am just recalling them and wondering what I've

done all day! Perhaps I should tie paper and a pen around my neck... I do hope

this is directly related to pain management and turns out to be temporary.

Otherwise, things really are going well as far as recovery and decreased pain.

I am able to sit for longer periods of time, which is nice. I am still sleeping

an awful lot, but our weather has been the kookiest ever and seems to have

awakened my allergies, which could be contributing to my sleepiness. We, in the

middle of Oklahoma,

have been bouncing between the 30s and the 80s (no joke) and have negative

precipitation for the month (I think that means it has been extremely windy).

In

case anyone is interested, Occupational Therapy recommended I get a rolling

cart the same height as our counter tops to move things around the kitchen. We

found one at Lowe's for $40 with the wheels, which are bigger than the ones in

this photo - http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail & productId=116519-31158-6056-53 & lpage=none

It

has helped tremendously! I can load it up and move things (like laundry or

paperwork I am attempting to organize) from room to room. It has made me feel

so much more independent! I still really want that stacked washer and dryer,

but for now, I just wait for Adam to move stuff out of the dryer so I can toss

the wet stuff in...small sacrifice, really.

As

for pain, I am down to one hydrocodone at night and back on Ultram during the

day. I have this fear that the pain meds aren't going to work very well after

my next surgery since I've been on them for so long and since they aren't doing

very much for me now anyway, I figure I might as well be taking the Ultram.

I've

come to grips with the fact that I'm destined to have a duck tail rather than a

backwaist. My torso is ever-so-slightly longer, which is nice (except my pants

are too short, which I totally wasn't expecting!). I've lost about 10 pounds,

too, so you'd think my pants would be longer! All in all, I think I am grateful

for the broomstick, which allowed me to be revised without osteotomies. We went

to the mall to walk tonight and I tried on some pants and was pleased to

realize this was possible without any assistance. The only help I needed was to

get my shoes back on when I was done. This may sound funny to some of you, but

I suspect those of you who have gone through this understand the significance

of what I achieved!

So, here are my burning questions for those of you that are post-revision...

When did your bend restriction get lifted?

What kinds of things were permitted first?

What should I expect with this anterior surgery? How is it different than the

posterior? (If any of you had your surgeries staged closer to a month apart, I

would certainly love to hear your perspective.)

Did you find any clever storage ideas up high so that you could put things away

without assistance?

I am so anxious to know when I can do a few things again and I am sort of

anxious to get back to work where at least I can do things and feel productive!

There are still all of these boxes around our house (we've been getting rid of

a lot of furniture and stuff we don't really want or need) and I am not able to

find homes for the stuff in them since I can't bend. I am completely stunned at

how many things live in very low storage spots in our house. I had no idea! I

would recommend to someone planning for revision surgery to take note of every

time they bend over to get something out or put something away and consider

finding a new home for it. If I had done this

before I went to the hospital, I would've realized just how much stuff is

stored low and wouldn't have to add to Adam's " to do " list to have

things moved around. Sorry about the tangent. Solutions greatly appreciated!

kam

[Guest guest]

Kam,Martha has been a great source for me in my recovery too...she was bout 4 months ahead so she was able to predict what my immediate challenges were and she was usually right...gave me encouragement in the "blue periods".You will be sleeping a lot for awhile...it is how your body heals. Little children sleep alot more becasue they are growing...your body needs to do this stuff while you are resting...so just go with it! Of course the meds made me sleepy too...About 2o mins afer I took the Endocet I would practically pass out. I slept for about an hour and then I was good ....but I was surprised by how much it knocked me out! I am betting your memory will come back when you are off the "sauce"!I wonder if you will have more backwaist after you have the front and back tied together?... and I were talking today and she was saying that she doesn't yet notice the change in posture....but I recall that until the second surgery my "geometry" didn't really change. I know Bridwell and Rand do the surgery in reverse of each other so it may not be pertinant. I am very proud of you that you can get pants on in a dressing room...still a little challenge for me! I only shop in "slide-in" shoes now.> When did your bend restriction get lifted?I think you mean "leaning" restrictions! At my 8 week visit Dr Rand demonstrated how I could get down on my knees and reach forward for something low. I didn't do it right then but probably by 12 weeks. Dr Rand told me to think about how I moved in my TLSO...in other words..if I could do the desired move in my brace (or how it would be done in a brace) it would be okay for me to do. I think the operating pinciple was the brace makes you bend from the hip...> > What kinds of things were permitted first?The PT script I received at 7 months still restricts any "dead lifts" off the floor. I was able to lean and brush teeth by the time I went home ...I still do deep plies to load the dishwasher because it is most comfortable to not lean too much or too long.> > What should I expect with this anterior surgery? How is it different than the posterior? (If any of you had your surgeries staged closer to a month apart, I would certainly love to hear your perspective.) It hurts like heck where they have bunched up your ab muscles to work! And then takes a bit more to get all the guts working again. It will be hell to cough.> > Did you find any clever storage ideas up high so that you could put things away without assistance? No..I had my husband home for the 3 month after surgery and I relied on him for anything I couldn't do. I love the rolling cart idea. We have a stack washer and for the most part he still does the wash. I can easily remove the dry clothes but the other part requires me to get on my knees....so I prefer not to. If that set up was up on a box it would work better. Maybe in the future.> > I am so anxious to know when I can do a few things again and I am sort of anxious to get back to work where at least I can do things and feel productive! There are still all of these boxes around our house (we've been getting rid of a lot of furniture and stuff we don't really want or need) and I am not able to find homes for the stuff in them since I can't bend. I am completely stunned at how many things live in very low storage spots in our house. I had no idea! I would recommend to someone planning for revision surgery to take note of every time they bend over to get something out or put something away and consider finding a new home for it. If I had done this before I went to the hospital, I would've realized just how much stuff is stored low and wouldn't have to add to Adam's "to do" list to have things moved around. Sorry about the tangent. Solutions greatly appreciated!I think you hit the nail on the head here. I remember DianneS telling me that when she was preparing for surgery she was so focused on that matter that when she read posts from people in the post op period it didn't sink in. It realy bears repeating often....use that pre-op nervous energy to re-order the house to minimize needing to get down low!! Move the tampax and the toilet paper up and any other things that you can't do without. Then learn to leave some of it for whoever your helper is. A very tough task for A.R. people like myself....or go forbid I have to ask for help!!! Maybe you can train Bonedust as a "helper dog"!!You are doing great Kam....you will be back to work ,and your life, before you know it! Cam

[Guest guest]

Dear Kam,

I have completely switched around my kitchen, and alas my counters are full of things that used to be down low, but function is more important to me than a clear counter. I have two sets of canisters with all the basics, flour, sugar etc, on the counter, easy access and I'm not lifting them above my head, or getting down on my knees to get them down low. I also have my potatoes, onions in a stackable plastic basket set on the counter. I keep my dish soap and dishwasher soap in pretty jars by the sink. I'm very aware that over using my knees couldn't be good in the long haul, and don't want to lift weighty items over my head. I'm trying to be preserve my excellent function, wish I had been like that after the Harrington Rod surgery, and maybe I wouldn't have worn out so quickly. So alot of items in my kitchen got flopped, what was low is now up high and vice versa. If you use it once a year, it goes down low, like holiday dishes and wine glasses. Pots and pans that were down low are now up high since I use them daily.

If I had the money, and I don't, my first purchase would be to replace my washer and dryer with those new front loading ones with pedistals. I do a ton of laundry with two teenagers, a grandbaby who visits often, and my husband and myself. A normal day is four loads. I manage with my trusty grabber to get things out of the dryer, the brand name is Featherlite, it works very well for that, don't like the suction-cup types for laundry, or picking up things with weight. You can get these at any medical supply place, about 25 bucks. The strings in them do break from time to time, I just replace them, I'm too cheep to go buy a new one.

My best advice is, with time you find more coping skills to handle the lack of bending. I use the golfers move alot, it works great for getting things out of the bottom of the washer. I am fused very high t-1 and to the sacrum, so my function as far as bending is different than many here, and I also have two tons of hardware. So for the bending I'm not able to do I use grabbers, I have many styles, and they all work great for different functions. I love the suction-cup style for little crumbs on the floor, and for getting any glassware up high like mugs etc. The Featherlite one is great for laundry, and anything that weighs more than a couple of pounds, great for my kids clunky shoes they leave all over the floor. I have a grabber in about every room, it has it's spot, and kids don't move or touch them for fear of their lives. They are my great equalizer, I can do most anything that needs doing with them.

I am so happy to have the pain gone, that having to make compromises with item placement in the kitchen or having to use grabbers is minor in the scope of things. Things will get easier with time, you will forget about what you lost, and be happy with what you gained. I'm three/four years out from fusion to the sacrum, and bending, the movement, doesn't even enter my mind. I have adapted, and thankfully, I only have a couple times a week when it makes me mad when I have to get down on my knees to get something. You adjust to the loss of one thing, so many have way more to deal with than we do. I try to stay in a positive place, pain/bending, I'd rather have the pain gone any day!

Colorado Springs

[ ] Quick update from kam

Hi everybody.

I wanted to give you a quick update on how I am feeling and pose a few questions. I emailed Martha a couple of days ago and posed a few questions to her and thought it would be helpful to get multiple perspectives. Also, she mentioned that a lot that I said took her back to her recovery period, so I thought there might be some points of interest to the contemplators.

First of all, if you do email me or address a post to me and I don't respond, please note that my short-term memory has practically disappeared! I will think of all these great things to do to occupy my time and then, at the end of the day, I sit there wondering why I am just recalling them and wondering what I've done all day! Perhaps I should tie paper and a pen around my neck... I do hope this is directly related to pain management and turns out to be temporary. Otherwise, things really are going well as far as recovery and decreased pain. I am able to sit for longer periods of time, which is nice. I am still sleeping an awful lot, but our weather has been the kookiest ever and seems to have awakened my allergies, which could be contributing to my sleepiness. We, in the middle of Oklahoma, have been bouncing between the 30s and the 80s (no joke) and have negative precipitation for the month (I think that means it has been extremely windy).

In case anyone is interested, Occupational Therapy recommended I get a rolling cart the same height as our counter tops to move things around the kitchen. We found one at Lowe's for $40 with the wheels, which are bigger than the ones in this photo - http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail & productId=116519-31158-6056-53 & lpage=none

It has helped tremendously! I can load it up and move things (like laundry or paperwork I am attempting to organize) from room to room. It has made me feel so much more independent! I still really want that stacked washer and dryer, but for now, I just wait for Adam to move stuff out of the dryer so I can toss the wet stuff in...small sacrifice, really.

As for pain, I am down to one hydrocodone at night and back on Ultram during the day. I have this fear that the pain meds aren't going to work very well after my next surgery since I've been on them for so long and since they aren't doing very much for me now anyway, I figure I might as well be taking the Ultram.

I've come to grips with the fact that I'm destined to have a duck tail rather than a backwaist. My torso is ever-so-slightly longer, which is nice (except my pants are too short, which I totally wasn't expecting!). I've lost about 10 pounds, too, so you'd think my pants would be longer! All in all, I think I am grateful for the broomstick, which allowed me to be revised without osteotomies. We went to the mall to walk tonight and I tried on some pants and was pleased to realize this was possible without any assistance. The only help I needed was to get my shoes back on when I was done. This may sound funny to some of you, but I suspect those of you who have gone through this understand the significance of what I achieved!So, here are my burning questions for those of you that are post-revision... When did your bend restriction get lifted? What kinds of things were permitted first? What should I expect with this anterior surgery? How is it different than the posterior? (If any of you had your surgeries staged closer to a month apart, I would certainly love to hear your perspective.) Did you find any clever storage ideas up high so that you could put things away without assistance? I am so anxious to know when I can do a few things again and I am sort of anxious to get back to work where at least I can do things and feel productive! There are still all of these boxes around our house (we've been getting rid of a lot of furniture and stuff we don't really want or need) and I am not able to find homes for the stuff in them since I can't bend. I am completely stunned at how many things live in very low storage spots in our house. I had no idea! I would recommend to someone planning for revision surgery to take note of every time they bend over to get something out or put something away and consider finding a new home for it. If I had done this before I went to the hospital, I would've realized just how much stuff is stored low and wouldn't have to add to Adam's "to do" list to have things moved around. Sorry about the tangent. Solutions greatly appreciated!

kam

[Guest guest]

Hi Kam – I’ll add in my 2

cents about the bending restriction – I’m 71 days post op (yes I

count every morning I wake up) – so I’m just at the 10 week

mark. I do not bend at all right now – I’m scared. I go

down on my knees for everything and have mouthwashes, contact lens stuff on the

bathroom counter. If I have to leash the dog I bend down on one

knee. Fortunately I have long arms. I was given a TSLO brace but I’ve

been a bad girl and I haven’t worn it. It hurts to wear it too much

over my front incision and I can’t breathe deeply in it like they want me

to. And I know they want me to breathe deep because of my pneumonia and

breathing problems. So I move like a robot all day. I bend my knees

to brush my teeth etc. So far so good.

Lorrie

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of cammaltby

Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

12:21 PM

Subject: [ ] Re:

Quick update from kam

Kam,

Martha

has been a great source for me in my recovery too...she was bout 4 months ahead

so she was able to predict what my immediate challenges were and she was

usually right...gave me encouragement in the " blue periods " .

You will

be sleeping a lot for awhile...it is how your body heals. Little children sleep

alot more becasue they are growing...your body needs to do this stuff while you

are resting...so just go with it! Of course the meds made me sleepy too...About

2o mins afer I took the Endocet I would practically pass out. I slept for about

an hour and then I was good ....but I was surprised by how much it knocked me

out! I am betting your memory will come back when you are off the

" sauce " !

I wonder

if you will have more backwaist after you have the front and back tied

together?... and I were talking today and she was saying that she doesn't

yet notice the change in posture....but I recall that until the second surgery

my " geometry " didn't really change. I know Bridwell and Rand do the

surgery in reverse of each other so it may not be pertinant. I am very proud of

you that you can get pants on in a dressing room...still a little challenge for

me! I only shop in " slide-in " shoes now.

> When did your bend restriction get lifted?

I think

you mean " leaning " restrictions! At my 8 week

visit Dr Rand demonstrated how I could get down on my knees and reach forward

for something low. I didn't do it right then but probably by 12 weeks. Dr Rand

told me to think about how I moved in my TLSO...in other words..if I could do

the desired move in my brace (or how it would be done in a brace) it would be

okay for me to do. I think the operating pinciple was the brace makes you bend

from the hip...

>

> What kinds of things

were permitted first?

The PT

script I received at 7 months still restricts any " dead lifts " off

the floor. I was able to lean and brush teeth by the time I went home ...I

still do deep plies to load the dishwasher because it is most comfortable to

not lean too much or too long.

>

> What should I expect

with this anterior surgery? How is it different than the posterior? (If any of

you had your surgeries staged closer to a month apart, I would certainly love

to hear your perspective.)

It

hurts like heck where they have bunched up your ab muscles to work! And then

takes a bit more to get all the guts working again. It will be hell to cough.

>

> Did you find any clever

storage ideas up high so that you could put things away without assistance?

No..I had

my husband home for the 3 month after surgery and I relied on him for anything

I couldn't do. I love the rolling cart idea. We have a stack washer and for the

most part he still does the wash. I can easily remove the dry clothes but the

other part requires me to get on my knees....so I prefer not to. If that set up

was up on a box it would work better. Maybe in the future.

>

> I am so anxious to know

when I can do a few things again and I am sort of anxious to get back to work

where at least I can do things and feel productive! There are still all of

these boxes around our house (we've been getting rid of a lot of furniture and

stuff we don't really want or need) and I am not able to find homes for the

stuff in them since I can't bend. I am completely stunned at how many things live

in very low storage spots in our house. I had no idea! I would recommend to

someone planning for revision surgery to take note of every time they bend over

to get something out or put something away and consider finding a new home for

it. If I had done this before I went to the hospital, I would've realized just

how much stuff is stored low and wouldn't have to add to Adam's " to

do " list to have things moved around. Sorry about the tangent. Solutions

greatly appreciated!

I think

you hit the nail on the head here. I remember DianneS telling me that when she

was preparing for surgery she was so focused on that matter that when she read

posts from people in the post op period it didn't sink in. It

realy bears repeating often....use that

pre-op nervous energy to re-order the house to minimize needing to get down

low!! Move the tampax and the toilet paper up and any other things

that you can't do without. Then learn to leave some of it for whoever your

helper is. A very tough task for A.R. people like myself....or go forbid I have

to ask for help!!! Maybe you can train Bonedust as a " helper dog " !!

You are

doing great Kam....you will be back to work ,and your life, before you know

it! Cam

[Guest guest]

Lorrie, you're right on about the breathing thing!

Since my scoliosis is congenital I was kept in braces or casts almost continually from birth to age 15. By the time I was 9 they wanted me to do blow bottle exercises, because my lung capacity was compromised (go figure!) At least I was never able to eat enough to put on weight. They're better now, but as a kid I could have sworn orthopedists didn't think my body was anything but bones. Since the big scare was that the thorax would rotate to the point where we wouldn't be able to breathe, putting us in casts or braces that restrict breathing does seem short-sighted (IMHO).

One thing I really like about Dr. Rand is that he doesn't generally require bracing after revision surgery. He told me the only brace that would really protect us would extend down to the knee, so he just tells his patients to be very careful. I'm freaked enough about the prospect of more surgery; working a brace into the mix would indeed be traumatic!

Sharon

RE: [ ] Re: Quick update from kam

Hi Kam – I’ll add in my 2 cents about the bending restriction – I’m 71 days post op (yes I count every morning I wake up) – so I’m just at the 10 week mark. I do not bend at all right now – I’m scared. I go down on my knees for everything and have mouthwashes, contact lens stuff on the bathroom counter. If I have to leash the dog I bend down on one knee. Fortunately I have long arms. I was given a TSLO brace but I’ve been a bad girl and I haven’t worn it. It hurts to wear it too much over my front incision and I can’t breathe deeply in it like they want me to. And I know they want me to breathe deep because of my pneumonia and breathing problems. So I move like a robot all day. I bend my knees to brush my teeth etc. So far so good.

Lorrie

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of cammaltbySent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 12:21 PM Subject: [ ] Re: Quick update from kam

Kam,

Martha has been a great source for me in my recovery too...she was bout 4 months ahead so she was able to predict what my immediate challenges were and she was usually right...gave me encouragement in the "blue periods".

You will be sleeping a lot for awhile...it is how your body heals. Little children sleep alot more becasue they are growing...your body needs to do this stuff while you are resting...so just go with it! Of course the meds made me sleepy too...About 2o mins afer I took the Endocet I would practically pass out. I slept for about an hour and then I was good ....but I was surprised by how much it knocked me out! I am betting your memory will come back when you are off the "sauce"!

I wonder if you will have more backwaist after you have the front and back tied together?... and I were talking today and she was saying that she doesn't yet notice the change in posture....but I recall that until the second surgery my "geometry" didn't really change. I know Bridwell and Rand do the surgery in reverse of each other so it may not be pertinant. I am very proud of you that you can get pants on in a dressing room...still a little challenge for me! I only shop in "slide-in" shoes now.

> When did your bend restriction get lifted?

I think you mean "leaning" restrictions! At my 8 week visit Dr Rand demonstrated how I could get down on my knees and reach forward for something low. I didn't do it right then but probably by 12 weeks. Dr Rand told me to think about how I moved in my TLSO...in other words..if I could do the desired move in my brace (or how it would be done in a brace) it would be okay for me to do. I think the operating pinciple was the brace makes you bend from the hip...> > What kinds of things were permitted first?

The PT script I received at 7 months still restricts any "dead lifts" off the floor. I was able to lean and brush teeth by the time I went home ...I still do deep plies to load the dishwasher because it is most comfortable to not lean too much or too long.> > What should I expect with this anterior surgery? How is it different than the posterior? (If any of you had your surgeries staged closer to a month apart, I would certainly love to hear your perspective.)

It hurts like heck where they have bunched up your ab muscles to work! And then takes a bit more to get all the guts working again. It will be hell to cough.> > Did you find any clever storage ideas up high so that you could put things away without assistance?

No..I had my husband home for the 3 month after surgery and I relied on him for anything I couldn't do. I love the rolling cart idea. We have a stack washer and for the most part he still does the wash. I can easily remove the dry clothes but the other part requires me to get on my knees....so I prefer not to. If that set up was up on a box it would work better. Maybe in the future.> > I am so anxious to know when I can do a few things again and I am sort of anxious to get back to work where at least I can do things and feel productive! There are still all of these boxes around our house (we've been getting rid of a lot of furniture and stuff we don't really want or need) and I am not able to find homes for the stuff in them since I can't bend. I am completely stunned at how many things live in very low storage spots in our house. I had no idea! I would recommend to someone planning for revision surgery to take note of every time they bend over to get something out or put something away and consider finding a new home for it. If I had done this before I went to the hospital, I would've realized just how much stuff is stored low and wouldn't have to add to Adam's "to do" list to have things moved around. Sorry about the tangent. Solutions greatly appreciated!

I think you hit the nail on the head here. I remember DianneS telling me that when she was preparing for surgery she was so focused on that matter that when she read posts from people in the post op period it didn't sink in. It realy bears repeating often....use that pre-op nervous energy to re-order the house to minimize needing to get down low!! Move the tampax and the toilet paper up and any other things that you can't do without. Then learn to leave some of it for whoever your helper is. A very tough task for A.R. people like myself....or go forbid I have to ask for help!!! Maybe you can train Bonedust as a "helper dog"!!

You are doing great Kam....you will be back to work ,and your life, before you know it! Cam