Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 I had my spine fusion in September of 2001 and lived in a three story town house. My doctor told me to limit my stair use as much as possible, I lived on the third floor for a couple of months. Unfortunately my fusion did not take and I am schedule for another one (anterior and posterior) with a cage this time for stability on May 11. Have everything within reach of your midsection (waist or higher) so you do not have to reach, bend, or twist. This time I am really prepared everything is within arms reach. Walking up and down stairs can be very hard on the type of fusion you have, I had L4 and L5 done. Hope all goes well for you. Sherry question post op HI, I'll be having the fusion surgery done soon and am curious about those of you who may have had fusion surgery and your success and/or problems manuevering stairs. I live in a 2 story colonial. Any input would be helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Hello you guys. My name is Joe, and I'm a Clumbie . That's the word I've trademarked for someone who's had Cervical and Lumbar work done. I've had a 3 level ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy with fusion) on C4/5/6/7 and a Laminectomy withOUT fusion on L3/4. I currently have some bone spurs in my nect and another herniation at L4/5, so I'm not out of the woods yet. I get by on hydrocodone and ESIs. Here are some things that you should both consider before surgery..... 1. Make sure that you see a NeuroSurgeon, in case you have only seen an OSS so far. 2. Get a second opinion. I was saved from getting a L3/4/5 fusion by a second and third opinion that said my stability in my lower back was very good and I could get by with only another Lami withOUT fusion at L4/5 when the pain was too great. 3. Bring a notepad to your appointments and write this stuff down. It slips out of your head about 20 minutes after your appointments. 4. If you are going to be stuck upstairs, you might as well get a dorm room type fridge or be prepared to live on peanut butter and crackers. And here's a big one. I know nothing about your cases, but there are some types of MIS (Minimally invasive surgeries) available such that you may not need a fusion or even a full blown laminectomy. Look at http://www.drjho.com for ideas. There are other doctors and places, but people have come from the west coast to see this guy. I have not used him myself, but I have never seen a bad report on him. I understand he will review your MRI/CT scans free of charge to tell you whether or not you are a candidate for his types of surgery. For the neck stuff, be sure you are comfortable with your NS. Make sure they choose the right size plates and right length screws. Screws that are too long may pierce the lamina and do nasty things to you. Recovery may be longer, because the higher up the surgery, the more places on the body may be affected. For more study, take a look at: www.spineonline.com www.microspine.com www.back.com www.spineuniverse.com Good luck to both of you. joe > Hi Chris > > I am also having surgery to removed bone spurs and to open up the spinal canal in a few weeks in my neck but later they have to take another disc out in the L-5 and I also live with upstairs and downstairs.. I would be interested as well in the same as you.. I try to stay upstairs while I am alone for the bathrooms are all upstairs.. I just figure if worst come to worst I will somehow manage. I would also like to have any input on neck surgery where they put a plate in. > > > > <chris1041@...> wrote: > HI, I'll be having the fusion surgery done soon and am curious about > those of you who may have had fusion surgery and your success and/or > problems manuevering stairs. I live in a 2 story colonial. Any > input would be helpful > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 What is ESIs? -- In spinaldisorderssupport , " Joe Maxwell " <maxwellj@i...> wrote: > > Hello you guys. My name is Joe, and I'm a Clumbie . That's the word > I've > trademarked for someone who's had Cervical and Lumbar work done. I've had > a 3 level ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy with fusion) on C4/5/6/7 and a > Laminectomy withOUT fusion on L3/4. I currently have some bone spurs in my > nect and another herniation at L4/5, so I'm not out of the woods yet. I get > by on hydrocodone and ESIs. Here are some things that you should both > consider before surgery..... > > 1. Make sure that you see a NeuroSurgeon, in case you have only seen an > OSS so far. > 2. Get a second opinion. I was saved from getting a L3/4/5 fusion by a > second > and third opinion that said my stability in my lower back was very good and > I could get by with only another Lami withOUT fusion at L4/5 when the pain > was too great. > 3. Bring a notepad to your appointments and write this stuff down. It > slips out > of your head about 20 minutes after your appointments. > 4. If you are going to be stuck upstairs, you might as well get a dorm room > type > fridge or be prepared to live on peanut butter and crackers. > > And here's a big one. I know nothing about your cases, but there are some > types > of MIS (Minimally invasive surgeries) available such that you may not need a > fusion or even a full blown laminectomy. > > Look at http://www.drjho.com for ideas. There are other doctors and places, > but people have come from the west coast to see this guy. I have not used > him myself, but I have never seen a bad report on him. I understand he will > review your MRI/CT scans free of charge to tell you whether or not you are > a candidate for his types of surgery. > > For the neck stuff, be sure you are comfortable with your NS. Make sure > they > choose the right size plates and right length screws. Screws that are too > long may > pierce the lamina and do nasty things to you. Recovery may be longer, > because > the higher up the surgery, the more places on the body may be affected. > > For more study, take a look at: > > www.spineonline.com > www.microspine.com > www.back.com > www.spineuniverse.com > > Good luck to both of you. > > joe > > > Hi Chris > > > > I am also having surgery to removed bone spurs and to open up the spinal > canal in a few weeks in my neck but later they have to take another disc out > in the L-5 and I also live with upstairs and downstairs.. I would be > interested as well in the same as you.. I try to stay upstairs while I am > alone for the bathrooms are all upstairs.. I just figure if worst come to > worst I will somehow manage. I would also like to have any input on neck > surgery where they put a plate in. > > > > > > > > <chris1041@h...> wrote: > > HI, I'll be having the fusion surgery done soon and am curious about > > those of you who may have had fusion surgery and your success and/or > > problems manuevering stairs. I live in a 2 story colonial. Any > > input would be helpful > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Epidural Steroid Injections Re: question post op > What is ESIs? > > -- In spinaldisorderssupport , " Joe Maxwell " > <maxwellj@i...> wrote: > > > > Hello you guys. My name is Joe, and I'm a Clumbie . That's > the word > > I've > > trademarked for someone who's had Cervical and Lumbar work done. > I've had > > a 3 level ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy with fusion) on > C4/5/6/7 and a > > Laminectomy withOUT fusion on L3/4. I currently have some bone > spurs in my > > nect and another herniation at L4/5, so I'm not out of the woods > yet. I get > > by on hydrocodone and ESIs. Here are some things that you should > both > > consider before surgery..... > > > > 1. Make sure that you see a NeuroSurgeon, in case you have only > seen an > > OSS so far. > > 2. Get a second opinion. I was saved from getting a L3/4/5 fusion > by a > > second > > and third opinion that said my stability in my lower back was very > good and > > I could get by with only another Lami withOUT fusion at L4/5 when > the pain > > was too great. > > 3. Bring a notepad to your appointments and write this stuff > down. It > > slips out > > of your head about 20 minutes after your appointments. > > 4. If you are going to be stuck upstairs, you might as well get a > dorm room > > type > > fridge or be prepared to live on peanut butter and crackers. > > > > And here's a big one. I know nothing about your cases, but there > are some > > types > > of MIS (Minimally invasive surgeries) available such that you may > not need a > > fusion or even a full blown laminectomy. > > > > Look at http://www.drjho.com for ideas. There are other doctors > and places, > > but people have come from the west coast to see this guy. I have > not used > > him myself, but I have never seen a bad report on him. I > understand he will > > review your MRI/CT scans free of charge to tell you whether or not > you are > > a candidate for his types of surgery. > > > > For the neck stuff, be sure you are comfortable with your NS. Make > sure > > they > > choose the right size plates and right length screws. Screws that > are too > > long may > > pierce the lamina and do nasty things to you. Recovery may be > longer, > > because > > the higher up the surgery, the more places on the body may be > affected. > > > > For more study, take a look at: > > > > www.spineonline.com > > www.microspine.com > > www.back.com > > www.spineuniverse.com > > > > Good luck to both of you. > > > > joe > > > > > Hi Chris > > > > > > I am also having surgery to removed bone spurs and to open up the > spinal > > canal in a few weeks in my neck but later they have to take another > disc out > > in the L-5 and I also live with upstairs and downstairs.. I would be > > interested as well in the same as you.. I try to stay upstairs > while I am > > alone for the bathrooms are all upstairs.. I just figure if worst > come to > > worst I will somehow manage. I would also like to have any input on > neck > > surgery where they put a plate in. > > > > > > > > > > > > <chris1041@h...> wrote: > > > HI, I'll be having the fusion surgery done soon and am curious > about > > > those of you who may have had fusion surgery and your success > and/or > > > problems manuevering stairs. I live in a 2 story colonial. Any > > > input would be helpful > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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