Discectomy - After the Operation

[?Mama of 3 boys?]

Hi Jess,

Relax and rest for a week or so try not to do anything. I had the restless legs for a long time and i still get a bit now. The withdrawals are poo and i had them for 3/4 weeks and then got a bad cold. I think the pains are going to come and go for a while yet, i still pains in my legs if i sit for too long and my bum and calf muscles are still very tight. I think after a week my right leg went into cramp and i felt the same as you infact i still do sometimes when i get a pulse of pain or i get any little ache.

You need to try and do a couple of 10min walks and a bit of stretching a day to keep you moving but other than that just relax.

Fact: A damaged nerve will heal 1mm everyday, if you have had pain in your foot then it has to heal all the way up your leg. For your nerve to fully recover it may take a year and i bet there will be a few aches and pains in that year.

If the problem gets worse then go to your doctor but i am sure you will be fine. I know you may not like taking the pain killers but the hospital and the physio i see told me to take them for the first 4 weeks just so i could relax and get a could restful sleep, believe me it all helps and you will feel a bit less knackered.

Hope this helps.

Olli

 

[Brazil]

thanks olli! i wish my printer worked so i could have that taped to the wall beside my bed for constant reassurance!

 

[unoriginalady]

thanks olli! i wish my printer worked so i could have that taped to the wall for constant reassurance!!
when people say to do nothing, does that literally mean lie down or sit down and only get up to go to the loo?? i am really struggling with that, in part because i am home alone quite a bit (and bored and stubborn) but also more so in the middle of the night when i really can't sleep. last night i was up and down like a yoyo and back and forwards to the living room and bedroom, standing up, sitting down, lying down, even watching the olympic archery. i think i over-did it and my body is telling me just that... hopefully that's all it is.
might try some nytol tonight.....
jess xx

 

[KainPhoenix]

jess,

Yes that means do nothing.

 

[Castile]

Things are getting really bad - watching the olympic archery is a serious condition it involves more permanent nerve damage than even the Judge Judy repetative episode syndrome. Worth a trip to A&E just to be sure...............

Doubting your recovery is natural. Due to severe post op pain, that the surgeon said rarely ocurrs, I was really really convinced that the prolapse had come back and that I was heading for another op. My mind obsessed about this for a while ie three weeks. Basically surgery is sophisticated but at the same time basically butchery that does knock you sideways for a while. Your body recovers but fairly slowly. Dont expect miracles at first.As Olli will no doubt testify it does take some working at. Dont worry about your self doubt but try to remain positive on a consistent basis. I believe you can affect the whole ting by your state of mind. I am now into my 13th week and would consider myself pretty much fully recovered. Still some way to go with stamina but pretty good.

I was told that exercise is critical. I still believe that this is the case but woudl suggest that if you are in pain, usually caused by swelling you shoudl chill until you feel ready. The first week post op apparently needs to be mainly bedrest with some walking and 20 mins sitting plus gentle physio. Thereafter little walks and physio can increase if you feel up to it.

Keep pushing, keep the faith you will recover. I am going to bore everyone (again) but for me acupuncture hastened my recovery significantly. Not cheap at £45 a go but worth every penny.

Rod

 

[anewstzs]

Rod,

Are you totally pain free now or do you still get some leg and back pain???. I am 5 weeks behind you with recovery and at the moment i am getting a lot of pulsing and muscle twitching in my legs, i think it from doing more and sitting more i also have a new stretch to do which has told me just hoew tight my legs are. Its funny because i have forgoten what it feels like to have a muscle ache and i think everything is nerve pain. I know the nerve may get angry sometimes but i always seem to think the worst.

Olli

 

[freebienutter]

Stay positive jess its ok
I to had the leg muscles that felt like they wanted to flex and get going again for the first few days. I sometimes think theres an ache or pins and needles coming back but I think I may be laying slightly twisted on my side as I am more relaxed and when I correct this or lay on my back it seems to go away. It was probably irritating the nerve that is repairing. I think the nerve can be quite swollen or even stuck to muscle tissue because it hasn't been moving through them. The surgery can damage the nerve a little to but its all normal.
Keep your back supported when sitting and do a few short walks (200yds) through out the day plus the physio. Although don't walk up and down to many stairs just yet, I know you live on the third floor!
Jay

 

[redsox fan36]

Just thought I would update you after seeing my consultant. Although he was very matter of fact he said my only option is surgery and all being well I should have the op next Thursday (21st). Am really relieved and also very nervous. I will now have to go back and read all the post op threads and hopefully start planning my life again...

 

[Lila Surbia]

Viv well done. The op if fine nothing to be afraid of...trust me.

Olli. Frankly I think acupuncture is essential at your stage. I hit a plateau and didnt improve with twitches and great pain. I know you have tried it and it aoint cheap but I really think it helped. Also dont try to push yourself too much physically...all in its own time. Keep taking the sodium diclofenac, it is essential.Just keep beileving the pain reduces and slowly gets less every day. Keep your confidence up.

Rod

 

[Pompal 09.]

Hi

Forgot to confirm, I am 99% pain free and cycling swimming walking. Sometimes get twinges but after pushing myself; then I take the sodium diclofenac which I sall always keep at hand just in case. These next few weeks really make a difference, you have to learn to trust your back again - once more thats where the acupuncture came in.

Rod

 

[GoodgirlgoneBad]

Hey folks!

I am writing this to you all from my hospital bed (internet in hospital=fab!)
My severe pain in my back and right leg in the early hours of saturday ended up with a trip to A&E, followed by a transfer to another hospital and admission to an orthopaedic ward.
I was examined by a doctor and there is definite weakness in my right leg, even though i knew that already, and i am on everything to help with the pain.
My surgeon is based here and he was supposed to see me yesterday with the results of the MRI scan i had in June, but surprise surprise, he wasn't here!
Was sent for another scan, with the dye injection, and my surgeon should (and i use that term loosely!) be here friday to tell me what happens next.
At the moment, my mobility is not great, i am getting around on crutches, so at least will have fab toned upper arms!
Always a positive in everything!

Viv...good luck with your op, dont be scared, you'll be just fine

 

[bvezdugmidyiqcezn]

Hello, Newbie here. I am 2 1/2 weeks post op L4/5 and no sciatica pain. I rolled my truck last November, this is when the pain started. My GP kept telling me it's just bruised muscles and because my job requires a lot of labor the muscles are not able to heal. He finally sent me for a CT scan in May. I went to see the surgeon on July 22. He showed me the CT scan and the disc was bulging out so much I could only see the edge of the section of my spine. He told me the only option is surgery and if I don't get it done soon I could eventually be in a wheelchair.(Here in Alberta Canada they don't want to do back surgery unless it is absolutely necessary) I got a call that Friday telling me to be at the hospital Monday morning. When he said he was going to get me in as soon as possible, I didn't think it would be that quick. I had no time to really think about it. After the surgery was done the pain in my left hip and leg was completely gone. Had my staples taken out 7 days after. Right now my biggest symptom is a stiff back and I get a numbness in my right foot when I put my sneakers on. I'm not yet able to kneel, sit on a soft or low surface, or drive my truck. I can stand for about an hour and can walk a fair distance. As for painkillers, I was on Morphine for the first 2 days then switched to percocet (2 every 4 hours). I'm now taking them when needed which is 2 once or twice a day. Usually at bed time. I too have the restless legs, but find the painkillers help control it.

For anyone considering having the op, I am glad I did, just can't wait to get back to work. Sitting or should I say laying at home gets boring quick. The surgeon tells me 3 months befoe I can go back. \

 

[rubblyjubbly]

Hello Caper 29, it's good to hear from the people who are post op, their experiences are a great help to all of us.

Unfortunately I've been getting a bit boring in here, always whingeing about something or other, but I just want to quickly mention something the consultant said to me. I asked him about the results of my upper back scan, he told me I had a lot of wear and tear but that an epidural will sort it out. I looked extremely sceptical so he explained that he strongly advised against neck surgery...he shocked me when he said that. I would have expected him to look at my medical history before he came to a conclussion, and this had only two medical conditions...one of them was a thyroidectomy. This gland is tucked away behind the vocal cords and so I have a nice big scar on my neck, and if he'd seen that he would have worded it differently, I know I would have done. Really not happy with this man and will try to get a second opinion.

And just to prove how really annoying I can be, my op on the 12th was cancelled because I had caught some sort of virus...this is the life! Someone told me it was a sign, and I agree.

I hope Ali is okay and they finally show her some mercy. Good luck to everyone else.

 

[Daz Dillinger]

hi im looking for some advise , i have had a discectomy and im still getting the same pains i had before i had the opperation , will this ever go away or is it going to be a case that its something i have to live with , i had my op in may 08 and ive just been for my check up and i have to wait now for another mri scan as im still having the same problems , im on strong pain killers and ive tried to come off them but im get in to much pain , i have had this problem for 6 years now and ive been unable to go back to work now and have been away from work for nearly 4 years , if anyone can understand me or give me some advise on the same problems im having that would be great
thank you for reading
regards nigel

 

[Dean]

Hey all,

Still in hospital, they said i will get my scan results tomorrow. Lets hope that is the case, seeing as i was supposed to know what was happening on tueday!
Have had an overhaul of my pain relief and am now on slow release morphine capsules and oramorph, so am feeling a little better pain-wise.
My right leg is so weak now, i can no longer weight bear on it, it gives way when i try, so am getting around on crutches. The snag of that however, is that it puts pressure on my back, in turn causing more leg pain!!!!!

Nigel....all this is happening, and i too am post op (last october).
It has taken 8 months of badgering, and my back and leg just gave out in the end. The only advice really i can give, is to pester them. There are endless threads on here from people fighting tooth and nail to get appointments with surgeons...and they all just kept on and on at the doctors, i did this too...but it was too late for me and i ended up in hospital!

I hope you can get an appointment real soon buddy

 

[ovmxdzhc]

Hey y'all

Got my scan results (finally!)

My disc hasnt prolapsed as i thought, its in fact degenerated, meaning its jiggling and wobbling around whacking my sciatic nerve causing all this pain, weakness and dodgy bladder stuff.
My disc did not heal properly following my discectomy last year, thats why it is buggered now.
Have to have another caudal epidural while i am still here in hosital, then when i can eventually get home (i.e. when i can walk properly courtesy of adequate pain control), see him in outpatients to discuss spinal fusion surgery. This is where they will remove the knackered disc and then fuse my spine together. (Well its a bit more complicated than that but too complicated to go into right now!)

Hey Nige...hows it going? Any news yet?
Viv...how are you feeling ahead of your surgery next week?
Melza....how are you doing hun?

Sending my best wishes to all you guys

 

[Sophie marie Holmessers]

Hi Ali
Poor you what a nightmare, I hope they get you sorted ASAP.
I'm not too bad at the moment although I keep wondering if I'm doing the right thing especially when I read stories like yours. I guess I just have to put my faith in the consultant, I went to see my GP today and she assured me that he is very good so fingers crossed.
Try to keep positive Ali, I'm thinking of you.

 

[quegreeceak]

Hey Viv,

Trying to keep positive, just am aware that a long road of treatment and surgery lies agead of me once again. Have been through all this once already!

You will be fine, i was just one of the unluckies....you said you have faith in your surgeon, hold onto it! And do keep us posted on how you are doing with your recovery.
Remember to follow rigidly all instructions and advice from docs and physio's, and if something doesnt feel as it should, dont be afraid to see your GP or ring your surgeon.
Be strong girl....you can do this!!!

Lots of love and prayers to you xxxx

 

[MadMan]

Hi all, just thought I tell you how I'm getting on.

I have been doing great since the op, but I went to work on thursday as a supervisory roll and you know what happens you start doing stuff and it all takes longer than anticipated, so I did to much and my back got stiff afterwards and getting up felt like it did after surgery.

Sorry to hear your news Ali, hopefully your be all fixed finally soon. I will take your experience and do everything to make sure my disc heals properly so I'm going to make sure I rest it properly and not work for at least a few more weeks.

Everyones experiences are great advice, thank you.

Jayboy

 

[MrSelfDestruct]

Hi guys,

9 1/2 weeks post op. Everything is ok. i still am getting a little ache in my right leg but i still feel i am getting stronger. The physio was not worried about my ache, she said the right nerve was more damaged than the left and it will take time for it to get used to work.

For everyone who is in pain, keep going and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Olli