Questions for anyone who has had a full spinal fusion

@jksawyers
Hey Jack, I’ve been thinking about you and praying for your successful surgery and healing. How are you doing?
Been a little worried that I haven’t heard from you.
Sherry

@jksawyers
Wow Jack, I didn’t realize your surgery was this Monday!

I’m going to attach two pictures of the Dulcolax chews and suppositories that I used. I’ve had several knee surgeries over the years and Colace and every other laxative that was recommended to me did nothing to help. Dulcolax has a variety of different strengths and options and it can be confusing to find the right one, but I just want to share what worked so well for me.

As for urinary issues, you will have a catheter of course, and they kept mine in for a couple extra days at my request. I’m not sure what your urinary tract issue is, but the good thing is that you will be at the hospital for them to address things as well as possible.

As for bending, they will tell you no BLT! That stands for no bending, lifting or twisting. What I learned to do early on was, as my physical therapist called it, “hinge at the hip”. So it’s important to always think about keeping your tailbone to your neck straight as you bend over. As I bend, I just put my hand on my knee to support my weight and reduce any strain on my back and it has worked very well. It has become a habit for me as I heal and it’s really hasn’t been that difficult.

Your fusion is going to lock your spine into your pelvic bone, which will limit twisting, and bending after you’re healed, but on a positive note 😊, you will not be susceptible to Degenerative Disc Disease. That is a concern of mine from my L4 and L5 because my spine is fusing from T 11 to L4. That puts a lot more wear and tear and strain on my L4-L5 disc.

I must say that I am concerned about what their plan is to manage your pain if you cannot take narcotics.

Which Mayo Clinic are you going to and who is your surgeon?
My surgery was at the Phoenix, Arizona Mayo Clinic and my surgeon was Dr. McClendon and he was absolutely amazing! I cannot say enough good things about him.
As for the after surgery care, please remember that you need to be your own advocate. If you are hurting, you need to tell them. If you need something, you need to tell them. You know your own body and you need to let them know if something isn’t working or if you need something else.

I journaled my surgery on this site from the time that I was being checked in and getting my IV put in until a few months ago. The link is at the bottom of this message. I hope there’s some good info in there for you. Also if you send me a direct message, I’ll send you my email address!

I remember being a couple days before surgery and having so many things running through my mind, but I prayed about it and knew it was all going to be ok. OpsO is having his spine fused on Tuesday and Bernie is having his fused on Friday, and I will be praying for each of you!

Keep sending questions if you have more!

****I just edited this message because I just got home from walking around a lake today, with no pain I might add! And I saw what Nadine responded to you with!!!. She recently underwent surgery and is a great source of information. I agree with everything that she said!

Wishing you the best!
Sherry
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/l4-to-t11-spinal-fusion-for-scoliosis/

Sending prayers to bless your surgeons hands and that all goes well for you and that you have a speedy recovery .🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

@sherrym25

Please listen to her. That mirelax and colace stuff does NOTHING! Constipation after surgery is the worst.

Sophie, I'll keep you in prayer. What's the date of your surgery? I'm 79 yrs. old and had a spinal fusion in March 2026 to correct scoliosis from birth. No issues until about 1-1/2 yrs ago. My surgery scar is from the shoulder blade to the bottom of spine which is now permanently fused to pelvic bone. Your surgery is more extensive. Doctor stated full recovery will be 2 years. My goal is to return to daily 4-mile walk by the time I reach 2 years. Since bending over is no longer an option for me, I use "grabbers" and keep them in several different areas at home. They come in 2 lengths. They usually do the trick but thin objects that fall on the floor can be difficult to pick up and it's a matter of trial and error (multiple times) with this type of item. Heavy or bulky items can also be somewhat difficult because the grabbers aren't made for this purpose. I find the most difficult thing to do each day is putting on socks. I use both a grabber and a dress tool to spread the socks apart to allow my foot to go into the sock. Even this is difficult on some days. I learned this past weekend that I can no longer buckle shoes because I can't twist to bend over enough to get the buckle attached. An aunt suggested taking buckle shoes to the shoe repair for transition to elastic or velcro straps. I've tried tying shoelaces and can fumble enough to get the job done but it's awkward at best. My guess is that you'll experience difficulty going to the bathroom. I was in rehab for 45 days and required someone to clean me because I couldn't reach to take care of myself. I also was wearing a hard shell brace 24/7 that required someone to assist me after going to the bathroom. About the 40th day in rehab (45 days total), I was able to awkwardly do the job myself and no longer require assistance. This experience in rehab was humbling because it required strangers (men and women) to help with this very personal task.

Bending, lifting, twisting (BLT) were no nos during early recovery. No BLT is still the case because mobility issues are now a lifetime consequence of extensive spine surgery. Speaking of consequence, there are consequences if a person chooses not to have surgery; and, there are consequences for having the surgery. I think it all comes down to which consequences we choose to live with. I'd rather have mobility limitations the rest of my life than be crippled and in pain. Most days are more or less "normal" although it's now a new definition of normal.

I don't know whether or not you had any mental/emotional fall out to deal with after your 1st surgery, but I certainly did. I've overcome the mental funk, but it took a while before feeling like myself again. So, be prepared to know what steps you can take to overcome depression in case it happens. I live alone and didn't have anybody to rely on to help me which didn't help with the sadness, loneliness, and feeling of isolation.

BTW: I only became confident enough to start driving in late July. Working up the courage to drive on the highway. You likely won't be able to turn your head left or right to view any oncoming cars if you want to change lanes. I have to rely on my rearview mirrors to judge if it's safe to change lanes.

If there's anything you want to ask, I'm happy to help in any way I can. Going through this recovery journey and using this chat forum can help others to know they are not alone.