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Post-op Laminectomy. Week 2. This recovery is hard. Should it be?

Posted by denman55 @denman55, Apr 29 11:47am

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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ikcooley | @ikcooley | May 27 9:25am
In reply to @denman55 "I was just discharged from the hospital yesterday after having an L3-L5 spinal fusion. I am..." + (show)
@denman55

I was just discharged from the hospital yesterday after having an L3-L5 spinal fusion. I am on pain medication every 4-hours. I'm not moving to well and I'm moving slowly, with the help of a walker, and sleeping in a recliner. This is going to be a very long recovery, my surgeon told me it will take me all Summer and beyond to recover from this surgery. Wish me luck! Thanks for asking. I appreciate your kindness.

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Denman55,
So are you saying after your laminectomy and Discectomy you elect back into surgery for a fusion? I’m confused.

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1 reply
Phil, Alumni Mentor | @upstatephil | May 27 9:54am
In reply to @denman55 "I was just discharged from the hospital yesterday after having an L3-L5 spinal fusion. I am..." + (show)
@denman55

I was just discharged from the hospital yesterday after having an L3-L5 spinal fusion. I am on pain medication every 4-hours. I'm not moving to well and I'm moving slowly, with the help of a walker, and sleeping in a recliner. This is going to be a very long recovery, my surgeon told me it will take me all Summer and beyond to recover from this surgery. Wish me luck! Thanks for asking. I appreciate your kindness.

Jump to this post

@denman55 - Good luck in the early going! I think it's wise to set your recovery expectations to "longer term". Recovery includes new bone growth which is frustratingly slow plus there's very little you can do to speed-up the process.

Are you keeping a personal journal? I did and am very happy with that. The journal provided an easy outlet for my post-surgical frustrations (unfortunately, your recovery journey might include some frustrations as well) as well as serving to help me keep perspective that I was actually improving even though it often didn't seem like it.

Sitting inside looking out the window wishing you were "out there" can be its own frustration. Time to develop some new hobbies and ways to invest in new skills.

My best!

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1 reply
denman55 | @denman55 | May 27 9:56am
In reply to @ikcooley "Denman55, So are you saying after your laminectomy and Discectomy you elect back into surgery for..." + (show)
@ikcooley

Denman55,
So are you saying after your laminectomy and Discectomy you elect back into surgery for a fusion? I’m confused.

Jump to this post

No, No, No. I had a Laminectomy. Got home and after one week got hit with severe Sciatica down my (R) leg. My surgeon elected to take me back into surgery to perform the L3-L5 Spinal fusion.

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denman55 | @denman55 | May 27 10:04am
In reply to @upstatephil "@denman55 - Good luck in the early going! I think it's wise to set your recovery..." + (show)
@upstatephil

@denman55 - Good luck in the early going! I think it's wise to set your recovery expectations to "longer term". Recovery includes new bone growth which is frustratingly slow plus there's very little you can do to speed-up the process.

Are you keeping a personal journal? I did and am very happy with that. The journal provided an easy outlet for my post-surgical frustrations (unfortunately, your recovery journey might include some frustrations as well) as well as serving to help me keep perspective that I was actually improving even though it often didn't seem like it.

Sitting inside looking out the window wishing you were "out there" can be its own frustration. Time to develop some new hobbies and ways to invest in new skills.

My best!

Jump to this post

Thank you for your very kind reply. Yes, I've been home from the hospital only 2 days and already I notice changes in my body. I'm greatly frustrated with the pain because it seems no matter how I move, I experience pain and I worry that perhaps I'm not "healing" at all yet, but then again it hasn't even been a week since the surgery. I have a long road ahead of me.

The good thing for me is that I have loads of hobbies and interests to keep me busy, even if I can't "move" much. I'd just like to be able to do it all without the pain.

Thank you again!

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1 reply
dda1971 | @dda1971 | Jun 2 9:37am
In reply to @denman55 "Thank you for your very kind reply. Yes, I've been home from the hospital only 2..." + (show)
@denman55

Thank you for your very kind reply. Yes, I've been home from the hospital only 2 days and already I notice changes in my body. I'm greatly frustrated with the pain because it seems no matter how I move, I experience pain and I worry that perhaps I'm not "healing" at all yet, but then again it hasn't even been a week since the surgery. I have a long road ahead of me.

The good thing for me is that I have loads of hobbies and interests to keep me busy, even if I can't "move" much. I'd just like to be able to do it all without the pain.

Thank you again!

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Didn't you get any pain medication? I might be having Spinal Surgery this summer- Lumbar-Sacral. Just curious, b/c I am currently on Percuet for pain. Thank you. I am 70 years old; and was previously extremely active; run,swim,bike,triathlons,Even the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon- 3 times; I was in the top ten Women's division twice- 9th place & 7th place. I rode my bike 4,000 miles across the USA! Three years ago I got idiomatic Scoliosis- and it has gotten progressively worse. I am hopeful that the Spinal Fusion Surgery at Mayo will help me.
I wish you the best of luck and hope the pain disperses with time.

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1 reply
denman55 | @denman55 | Jun 2 9:46am
In reply to @dda1971 "Didn't you get any pain medication? I might be having Spinal Surgery this summer- Lumbar-Sacral. Just..." + (show)
@dda1971

Didn't you get any pain medication? I might be having Spinal Surgery this summer- Lumbar-Sacral. Just curious, b/c I am currently on Percuet for pain. Thank you. I am 70 years old; and was previously extremely active; run,swim,bike,triathlons,Even the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon- 3 times; I was in the top ten Women's division twice- 9th place & 7th place. I rode my bike 4,000 miles across the USA! Three years ago I got idiomatic Scoliosis- and it has gotten progressively worse. I am hopeful that the Spinal Fusion Surgery at Mayo will help me.
I wish you the best of luck and hope the pain disperses with time.

Jump to this post

Yes, I did receive pain medication following the surgery and was on it for 3-days after getting home, but I had a problem with constipation as a result of the Opioids and had to discontinue them. Currently, I am only taking Tylenol for pain/discomfort. Percocet is also an Opioid used for moderate/severe pain. What type of pain do you have along your spine? Does the Percocet help you? I am a 69 year old male. This is probably the most difficult and challenging surgery I have ever had. It will take months and up to one-year before this recovery is complete.
Thank you for your well wishes. I hope that should you chose to have the spinal surgery that it is successful and your health is much improved as a result.

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