Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me. I am very happy to read that at 77 you feel great and have a lot of life left as you do. I see my mother giving up at 79 now 81 and it has been a rough one on me , and my dad who is 87. I am pretty tough, as I can tell you are, and I do not let Drs ideas and decsions about my future determine my outcome. If I did I would have curled up in a ball 9 years ago with a pretty lousy cancer and I would not be here,, I will push through most everything , well actually everything thrown at me,,
I agree , second opinions are important, Prior to my surgery last year I spent 2 years seeking opinions from Orthopedic Surgeons,, who wanted to jump in there and do a 10 hour surgery with a 6 to 8 month recovery, I said no. We have one Neuro surgeon in this city of misfit Drs,,. he is a very good Surgeon.. He is the one I ultimately saw about doing the least invasive , which would be the laminectomy,,, So I did it,,. As I said the surgery pain was bad for 1 whole day and night, but I had relief for months from the actual pain, the rest of the surgery pain was nothing compared to the spinal pain,, I do admit I have done too much,, I went back to yard work and mowing my grass, I drew the line on pulling weeds!!! These were things I loved to do .. Sadly we had the hottest summer this year and I had no desire to go outside other than from car to place and home.. Now it is too cold for my bones, . 18 months of constant chemotherapy went straight to my bones,, I asked my Drs if I should be getting shots to help my bones, over my primaries head.. Most of what I do I advocate for myself as the medical where I live is less than adequate. I know some of my issues are genetic, (the scoliosis) I actually have it worse than my mom... Since the pain came back 10 fold and I had the new MRi I have been very good to my back,. No more heels for the day, i thought wedges would be safe , but they caused too much strain on my spine,,, no more rowing machine, I think that was the worse.. no more lifting 50 lbs of waters or shipping boxes.. I have to delegate , , I wish I had a rent a butler,. It is funny as I have always had a man in my life , useless or good I had one,, but from my cancer to now I propel them , I just dont want one, I am and always have been quite happy with myself and have always been a self supporter.. I must admit this is one time I have thoughts I wish I had someone to help me on a daily basis,, but paying my employee to help me with stuff is actually less of a hassle than having to deal with a man lol... I do have 2 tens units I forget I have so thank you for the reminder. I do have certain trigger points I believe using the machine on them may help... I am not keen on a second surgery, i would have to go up to Albuquerque a 4 hour drive for a second opinion, it may be worth it.. I don;t thin my surgeon here was all gung ho to get me into surgery,, I had misunderstand our chat about the MRI when he is talking about coming in to go over it I was talking about surgery in 3 weeks,.. Until I realized there was no way I could close my biz before xmas and take the time,,, so he was happy I took a step back,..and now I see him in January to go ovr everything,,, since then I have been better, because I looked at all possible triggers,, I have not had an extreme sciatica attack in 3 weeks. little ones but not severe.. If I can keep it that way it would be nice but I would still like to take walks., I want to go back to Europe, when I do i walk everywhere, for hours and hours, I want to be abe to do that again,,,I* am on a mission to get that part of my life back,, I wish you well... you keep going no matter what comes your way!!! I love a determined survivor and you seem to be just that,,, Happy Holidays!!
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.
Thank you for responding. One of the reasons I chose L3-4-5 laminectomy was my legs were numb when walking and I was told it could progress to Cauda equine. Just before surgery I had one episode on saddle numbness on
the left.
Right now the pain from surgery has subsided a little and I have more mobility in standing up , rolling over, sitting down. This first week was horrible, but I can see improvement.
I don’t think I was adequately informed about the pain following surgery. It was more like you will walk out of here the next day. This is going to be a long process but finally see some improvements.
You'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?
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?
I 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.
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?
I 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.
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?
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?
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.
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?
I 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 .
I 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 .
I 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.
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?
I 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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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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Helpful -
Hug
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?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
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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Helpful -
Hug
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.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
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 .
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
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.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
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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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions