Guest guest Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 , a lot of my thinking is about loss of independence, because I don't like to ask people to do things for me. I do now, but will have to do a lot more asking afterward will take some adjusting for me. I thought of a grocery store in town that has the shallow carts and also takes the stuff out for you as well as bags it, too. The place I shop now is a " warehouse " type place (not Costco) but the main reason I shop there is the cheap prices and also I help my daughter's band everytime I buy something with a community partners card. I think that I will lower my standards quite a bit just like Cam said. " If they want it done, they'll have to do it! " sounds like a good mantra to me. What I meant for bending is I bend at the hips now, so I'm guessing that EVENTUALLY I can bend a little at the hips again after some recovery time?? Maybe that's leaning, but I call it bending. Now it causes a lot of pain in my lower back so I try to avoid it when I can. And yes, , I am looking forward to being either pain free or have a reduction of pain because right now the pain just gets to be too much for me to bear sometimes. And that's with taking pain pills! I don't think I'm being negative about it, , I'm just trying to wrap my thinking around this and get into my head really what I will and won't be able to do. I'm a very practical person-- have to do some thinking and planning, that's all. Carol V. > > Dear Carol, > > Hard to say, but in recovery you just have to ask for help. Our full service Grocery store still takes the groceries from the cart for you, but at a store like Albertson's who have the conveyor belt, but bags and takes it to the car, you will just have to ask for help unloading the cart, the baggers will be more than happy to do it, I know from experience, all you have to do is ask. Carol, I know going into this whole thing is scary, loss of independance seems really hard, but it's only for a awhile. Don't let it get the best of you, in a lot of ways the anticipation of the loss is worse than what actually happens. I had three recovery periods in two calendar years, and with a little adaption I made it through. Believe me the reduction in pain this surgery provides far outweighs the the sacrifices in independance that you go through in recovery. When you are fused to the sacrum you will always after surgery have to make adjustments for a very fused body. I unload my groceries sometimes in my car, but never allow the baggers to put groceries on the bottom rack that would reguire me to do a deep knee bend to get them. The stores I shop at are well aware of my limitations, and if I get a new person I just explain. Unfortunately, after revision, you will have some limitations, but for me having the pain gone was worth the limitations, and while I'd love to be able to bend, it's not worth fretting about and I deal with what I have left. Carol, know that people who get the opportunity to help you grow from giving the help, that now that they know someone who needs the help you do they will be kinder to the next person they know that needs help. Your family will surprise you, they will step up to the plate, they will have to. If they need someone to talk to thats been through it, I'm sure my kids and husband could answer their questions by e-Mail. > > > > [ ] Bending > > > I went grocery shopping by myself yesterday, and I realized that even > if I went to a store that bagged the groceries and carries them out to > the car for me, I still won't be able to shop by myself after the > surgery. You still have to bend over to put the groceries on the belt!! > That didn't make me too happy!! > > Carol V. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 I'm just curious, how many of you after revision surgery, actually bent over without thinking about and then realized, "Oh drats, I'm not supposed to do that!"? Has everyone actually broken the rule by accident? Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 did and she broke a rod. She was trying to do some laundry. If you search the archives you can find her posts. She had to have more surgery. At the time of the surgery they also discovered she had an infection. She died a few months ago on a mission trip to Africa of unrelated causes. > > I'm just curious, how many of you after revision surgery, actually bent over without thinking about and then realized, " Oh drats, I'm not supposed to do that! " ? > > Has everyone actually broken the rule by accident? > > Peggy > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Dear Peggy, Retraining ones self not to bend is just necessary while healing. CA is a good lesson in " remembering" since she had to face another surgery after a rod broke putting or getting laundry out. I required another revision due to cracking my Harrington Rod fusion mass about 4 months after my first revision. I was getting up from my knees, and heard a weird kinda pop, and after that I had pain rolling over in bed. I didn't know I had done something till my six month check-up, where Dr. Kumar found I was falling to the right, where my ribs were abutting my hip, the only pain I had with it was pain rolling over, and I really didn't notice I was falling over. I think getting up from my knees, and probably not keeping good form did it, though we'll never be sure. Having to do over what you just did sucks, believe me, no one wants to have this surgery twice, like I did. Breaking the rules has consequences, sometimes means more surgery, and you don't want that for yourself and those around you. To this day I don't force how much forward I go with my leaning at the hip, memories are too strong of having to do this over again, plus I have a weird configuation of hardware, and going forward more than a few inches results in feeling hardware and one screw in particular. So for me, there are no Kam moves, but I really never think about bending forward, that thought process has been replaced, afterall it's been five plus years I have been fused to the sacrum. Do I miss bending, sure, especially since I really believe I drop more stuff since I can't bend than I did before when I could, but bending isn't a natural responce to something being on the floor I want, now getting a grabber is my natural responce. You just adjust. So my only lesson to you is, use the good form they taught you at the hospital, religiously, there are prices to be paid if you don't. There will be time down the road( more than a year out) where you can see how far of a forward lean YOU will have, but it always be that, a lean, not a bend. So put that out of your mind for now, healing and getting solid fusions are your priority now, keep good form so you can obtain the best outcome possible. Believe me a good outcome is so worth it, and I protect mine, having the pain gone and being upright for me is so worth the loss of bending, nothing can replace for me being able to walk and being painfree. I know at this stage you want to do everything as fast as you can, patience at this point is truly the best medicine, keeping good form pays in the long haul, and is a must while these fusions solidify. I hope this doesn't sound too preachy, but I have been there, and no one wants to do this twice, and not keeping good form while healing can result in problems. Colorado Springs [ ] bending I'm just curious, how many of you after revision surgery, actually bent over without thinking about and then realized, "Oh drats, I'm not supposed to do that!"? Has everyone actually broken the rule by accident? Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Now that you ask about the manual, I'm not sure if it's geared toward all spine patient's or not. It probably is. I guess I better wait until my appointment on Monday. My husband has told me to try not taking the OxyContin but isn't that a drug that you wean off of? I believe it is and I'm not going to just stop cold turkey. I still feel like I "bend" from the hips. "Leaning" forward just sounds funny to me. Peggy [ ] Re: bending Peggy,I cringe when I see the word "bending"...as I see it there is no such thing as "bending" now that I am fused to the sacrum. There is only leaning forward from the hip. I found it helpful to lose the idea of bending altogether by removing the word from my vocabulary. I now lean down to get something instead of bending over to get it. Small semantics but a world of difference!Kam did demonstrate some very flexible joints at the retreat....but most of us can barely lean down far enough to touch our calves....I think it is unlikely you will touch your toes at 3 months! I assume the manual you have is generic and written for all spine patients...not just those with a fusion as extensive as yours?Take Care, Cam>> According to my manual, I can start bending on Thursday as long as I don't strain. I can't bend far enough to touch my toes until 3 months post-op. > > Peggy> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 Dear Peggy, There is always so many questions about lean versus bend, I no longer bend at all, I have a limited lean forward. When talking with last week I described it to her as thus, a bend involves a movement of your spine where segments move to complete the movement, it other words a rounding over of the torso using your spine. I can no longer do that as I'm fused T-1 to the sacrum. A Lean for us is completed with the hips doing all the movement as the majority of our spines are now one frozen unit, no movement by the verebrae or discs. How far you'll be able to lean forward is truly a function of many factors, hardware and it's placement. I truly believe that this early after surgery you can do great harm to your developing fusions by trying a " lean" too soon. Cam gave you good advice about checking out if the materials you were given were generic to all of his fusion patients( meaning one or two levels) or for those with multiple fusions and fused to the sacrum, a whole nother ball game. Please know we say this warning with experience, as members have broken rods trying to lean/bend too soon. I cracked my old harrington Rod fusion mass after revision trying to get up from a squat and getting on my knees while still in the brace, a move I had no business doing, so damage can be done, and I did this 4 months post-op. Know having to do what you just did a second time really sucks, so keep that in mind, I sure wish I didn't have to go through it twice. So be protective of your new fusions, baby them, take your time, that will pay in the end. I know you want to get back to the daily stuff, but with the surgery and recovery it's truly not a sprint but a marathon. Pace yourself, in good time you'll see whats possible for you, and mind you we all have different levels of recovery. While I don't have but a very limited forward lean, oh well, I'm walking as much as I like, and standing, and most of all the pain is gone, and for me thats more than enough. Colorado Springs [ ] Re: bending Peggy,I cringe when I see the word "bending"...as I see it there is no such thing as "bending" now that I am fused to the sacrum. There is only leaning forward from the hip. I found it helpful to lose the idea of bending altogether by removing the word from my vocabulary. I now lean down to get something instead of bending over to get it. Small semantics but a world of difference!Kam did demonstrate some very flexible joints at the retreat....but most of us can barely lean down far enough to touch our calves....I think it is unlikely you will touch your toes at 3 months! I assume the manual you have is generic and written for all spine patients...not just those with a fusion as extensive as yours?Take Care, Cam>> According to my manual, I can start bending on Thursday as long as I don't strain. I can't bend far enough to touch my toes until 3 months post-op. > > Peggy> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 At least my 15-year-old came back with us from NY so I have her assistance for the summer. She carried in all the groceries yesterday and put the heavy stuff in the cart for me. She can also go around the house picking up after me. is still here as well because neither job has called him yet. I guess I'll have to retrain my brain as I still think of a lean as keeping my entire body straight and leaning in any direction without bending. I still feel I bend from the hips because I have never been able to bend from my spine. I have always bent with my hips. Yes, I certainly don't want to go through this again. It was bad enough once! Peggy [ ] Re: bending Peggy,I cringe when I see the word "bending"...as I see it there is no such thing as "bending" now that I am fused to the sacrum. There is only leaning forward from the hip. I found it helpful to lose the idea of bending altogether by removing the word from my vocabulary. I now lean down to get something instead of bending over to get it. Small semantics but a world of difference!Kam did demonstrate some very flexible joints at the retreat....but most of us can barely lean down far enough to touch our calves....I think it is unlikely you will touch your toes at 3 months! I assume the manual you have is generic and written for all spine patients...not just those with a fusion as extensive as yours?Take Care, Cam>> According to my manual, I can start bending on Thursday as long as I don't strain. I can't bend far enough to touch my toes until 3 months post-op. > > Peggy> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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