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Post surgery recovery from L 345 laminectomy and discectomy
Two days out of surgery and this is so painful and limiting. What should o expect for recovery time?
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Two days out of surgery and this is so painful and limiting. What should o expect for recovery time?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.
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It sounds to me that you are very determined to get past this and that's important. Healing takes time and sometimes, particularly for people who are "take charge" types it seems that everything is going too slow. That's where we get ourselves into trouble. For you it may be trying to do things that you have always done but now have to rely on others or ignore them for now. That's how I got myself into trouble trying to lift a sofa. And I always say the self-inflicted wounds hurt the most. The body heals in its own time. Be patient. You will get there. I will get there. Wish you the best. Have a happy holiday.
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2 ReactionsYou're very welcome. I must admit, my neurosurgeon and the PA went into great detail about what my recovery could possibly entail. Even with the complications, I feel my surgeries have been successful thus far. I was advised that "full recovery" or maximum improvement could take up to 18-24 months. Best of luck to you.
I had a Lumbar Laminectomy/microdiscectomy on April 19th.
I was discharged on April 21st.
I am finding my recovery to be very challenging. I'm in pain, weak, fatigued, have bowel/bladder issues, and overall just don't feel as if this recovery is going .
Has anyone else had a Laminectomy and what you're post-op experiencce?
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3 ReactionsI didn’t feel the surgeon prepared me for the amount of pain I experienced after surgery. There was a couple weeks of difficulty moving, getting in or out of bed, and difficult in doing self care. It gradually got better.
Now, 5 months later, there is only stiffness in my back area. Unfortunately for me I now have a herniated disc pressing on my root nerve causing sciatica in the right leg. I feel there is a second surgery coming soon.
I was very careful with the prescribed medication. I didn’t like the oxycodone and muscle relaxants. I feel it relaxed all muscles including bowel and bladder. I tapered them down in week two and three.
Good luck to you and know it will improve.
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2 ReactionsI had a laminectomy also on April 19. I am only taking Tylenol and a muscle relaxer at night. I can walk and stand fine but not sit for more than 20 min. Maybe you should call your doctor.
After my husband's laminectomy, he wondered why he ever did it. It was awful. BUT, once he healed, had a a few years of no pain. Hang in there!
I had my surgery in 1990, fusion L4-S1 with laminectomy L5. I’m also a nurse and stopped hands on floor nursing after my surgery. Everyone is different and we all heal differently. To ask your question you are allowing other people to form your expectations good or bad. When you’ve got someone mucking around in your spine you should expect to have pain. There are lots of small nerves, muscles, tissue, etc. in the area of surgery so why wouldn’t you have pain. Your attitude is more important I feel. Wanting to get better, realizing the cause of the pain is gone is a positive thought I hold onto everyday. And reading this site helps me realize how lucky I am with so many others who are not. I hope you’ll share your experience good or bad when you can. Good luck on your surgery.
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3 ReactionsI had my Laminectomy on 4/19/24. I was discharged on 4/21/24. After coming home I realized I had a UTI - obviously from the foley catheter used during surgery. I am currently on my 2nd Antibiotic to try and clear up this urinary tract infection which is making my life miserable. I still have back pain and I also have (R) leg pain, from the buttock to the ankle. This is similar to the Sciatic pain I had prior to surgery which caused the surgery to have to be done in the first place. I have not slept, the UTI has kept me up all night for over a week. I also came home with constipation. I have not really taken the Oxycodone for pain as I don't want to add to the constipation at home. So, all in all, right now I am feeling totally miserable with everything going on .
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1 ReactionI had a lot of leg pain after a laminectomy at L1/L2. much worse than before the surgery. Surgeon told me ahead of time about 20 percent have that reaction with the lateral approach he took because he had to go near the ganglion area. i had been on 60mgs of hydrocodone per day that didn't touch the pain. Doc ordered 900mg per day of Gabapentin and it knocked the pain out completely after about a few days. No problem at all after that.
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1 ReactionI had a TLIF with laminectomy, two rods and 4 posts at L4-L5. Recovery was two-pronged: 1) delight at having leg pain removed and movement made possible and 2) dismay at muscle aches, unexpected fatigue and moodiness. All of this came and went. Everyone reacts differently to trauma and there seems to be a wide range of severity in post-op symptoms. I found that getting active (shuffling, then walking) helped the mental state as well as physical recovery. But even with a smooth time I found the first month to be challenging. The healing does come with time. Patience and as much self care as possible go a long way! Don’t lose hope; we’ve all been there and are with you in your journey.
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