Discectomy - After the Operation

[CHA0S on URANUS]

Hi everyone, I posted a few pages ago as i was scared of the op i was going to have. Discectomy L4/L5.

To all the other posters on here, thanks very much for sharing your stories, good and bad, helped me no end, seriously.

I was fortunate to get a phone call last tuesday offering me a slot on sat to have my operation, it all went very well i woke up in a bit of pain but nothing too severe and very little leg pain, the only 'drugs' iv'e had since the op are paracetamol and some anti-inflammatories. the wound is healing very well and i'm now only in a small amount of pain, the only time it really effects me is when i try to get to sleep but once asleep it's fine. Saying that my wife kneed my in the back lastnight whilst sleeping, jesus it hurt and she was beside herself poor lass! hence she is now in the spare room!

For anyone reading this and going for the operation the best advice i received was to stay very positive, and know exactly what is going to happen for you. I researched the discectomy on the web for days and found out all i could now about the procedure. I feel that really helped me in hospital. I was relaxed nothing came as a surprise, well the pain did as in the lack of it, i was expecting the worst and that i would be in servere pain and making full use of the morhpine on tap, but no.

Altho i'm only 4 days post op and i'm very stiff etc, no leg pain at all, just the back achy pain which is just from the op, i'm still very positive and am doing all the physio etc i'm asked to do. But it's a long road to recovery, as they say, and i'm fully aware that it'll be a while before i can even bend over, but off to a good start!

Also another thing to do is prepare the house before you go in, i know it sounds strange, but i set up the xbox, laptop, tv etc and made sure i could reach everything i wanted to when lying in bed. i makes all the difference when you come out, feel more relaxed that everything you want is at hand. Also you'll need a place you eat you meals at while standing, eating when lying in bed isn't a good idea. So find a place in your house that is at a good height where you and comfortably stand and eat.

Thanks again to the people on this site.

Danny

 

[2ndInCommand]

Well hello there everyone, i am just 1 day post op, still in hospital and can safely say that i am in so much pain i almost wish i didnt have the surgery!! But that is because it wasnt as straight forward as first thought, oh no, it wasnt a simple prolapse they were dealing with....i was absolutely riddled with adhesions from scar tissue from the last op....so much scar tissue and adhesions, that the prolapsed disc was in fact STUCK to the bloody sciatic nerve!!! that was a bit of a shock i can tell you!!! I was comfortable when i came round in recovery cos i was on a patient controlled morphine pump....the cruel gits took it away this morning and so am having an extremely sleepless very painful night. They put me on paracetamol and 10mg oramorph....i had a tantrum so they added codeine phosphate to that....to no effect. They are bringing me a big fat dose of oramorph every hour till i am assessed by the pain team in the morning......and thats me!!!.......Melza, glad you are finally getting some sleep, saw Mr Von Arx this morning whilst he was on his rounds! But it was in fact our little friend Mr H who did my surgery. I have to compliment him though, he said he would push me up the list and he did. I reckon he will have done a good job as well, as he said my back was pretty messed up with everything. He said my nerve is quite badly scarred as well from having to be pulled apart from the disc....sounds gross doesnt it! Tracey, not long now hun, i will be thinking of you hun...sending lots of love and hugs 2u.....and Monkeywaffle....am really glad you have found a sympathetic doctor who is going to help, i feel really relieved for you and so do your friends on this here forum....i'm really glad i have all you guys to talk to and your words of encouragement have always helped so thank you all very much, from this tired, tearful, emotional, pain riddled, now 2nd time post-opper!!!! Just had my hourly oramorph....its gonna be a LONG night!!! Will be updating you real soon! Night night, hugs n stuff to y'all xxxxxxxxxx

 

[Charl?tte]

It's amazing what a good nights sleep can do to lift your spirit.

Good luck for tonight and hope you drift off easily! I'm hoping i'll get a good nights sleep too!

 

[wiemercats]

Glad to hear that your op is over ALiH78 but very sorry to hear of your current troubles and pain. Fingers crossed your are soon feeling relief from your pain.

Good to hear that you have had your op too Dannyk. There is a lot of very wise advice in your post.

 

[wuffer]

Morning all!....Well I have been on the oramorph ALL night , have not had a wink of kip all night, and feel pretty grotty now! On the plus side, my pain is a little better, seeing the pain team in a while. The nurse in charge last night said that she reckons that they will probably put me on Gabapentin cos everything in my back is so inflamed. I had it pre-op on tuesday (Have never taken it before previously), but didnt really notice it doing much. My dad has had it before, when he had shingles. I think he said it helped him with his pain. Lets hope it helps with mine! Monkeywaffle....I hope you again managed a proper decent nights rest and feel refreshed and comfortable pain-wise. Melza....How are you this morning? I too hope that you had a restful and comfy night. I must try to get some shut eye for a bit, Ta Ta for now!!!

 

[SneakersPeepers]

Ali, very sorry to hear your in much pain, but glad it's getting better even if it's very slight. Fingers crossed that the Gabapentin will help relieve some of the pain and the inflammation will settle. You seem in good spirits considering mate, well done. It's half the battle.

Danny

 

[DAMIAN]

Hi All,

Ok the first 4 days of work are over and i have a few days off now. Well i wish i could say that it was a pain free few days but it wasn't. I was sore and ached after the first day but it wasn't too bad. Now that i have finished a full 4 shifts my right leg is giving me some jip, i keep getting a pulse of pain from bum to my knee. I keep doing loads of stretching to try and keep my legs loose but it feels like my bum is tightening up. I have booked to see the physio today so i hope she can sort it out.

I know its early days but it still gets me down when all i seem to do is worry about having pain in my legs again. The problem is in my job is i cannot control when and what muscles i need to use when i am on a job, in the gym its all controlled what i do.

I have taken 1 pain killer today and whilst i am at work i may have to take them until my body gets used to the work i do.

I was reading some post below and someone said something about scar tissue. The physio thinks that i may have some of this as i get this pulling feeling in my leg if i move too fast, she thinks the nerve may be just touching the scar tissue.

I will let you know how i get on and if anything happens in the next couple of weeks.

See ya soon

Olli

 

[Nashwa]

You survived too Ali! Things are looking up! I have to say you're problems sound truly gruesome and I am so sorry you had to wait so long for someone to get in there. I've heard several good reports on Hilton as a surgeon, the girl next to me had just had metal rods put in her back by him....he's so kind. I would never question his medical skills, I just couldn't stand his rudeness.

The question now is, did I sleep last night.....NO! My back was okay and my legs were fairly okay but my neck and shoulders were agony. Damn and blast it as they say....this all just goes on and on and on. Going to take an afternoon kip now, this is getting so sad!

Looks like sleep is a real issue this week folks.

Love to all

 

[mr_know_it_all]

hey post-oppers!!! congratulations to those of you who have recently had the surgery. i am so glad your wait is finally over, but sorry to hear about some lingering side effects.

Ali - I hope your pain is soon under control. they need to remember that your body was dependent on a lot of pain killers prior to surgery and for a very long period of time, so it needs to be gently coaxed back into the real world. that book i mentioned a few weeks ago talked a lot about pain receptors and the fact that when you have had chronic pain, the pain receptors in your brain are really fired up and hyper-sensitive, which makes your experience of pain even more intense, even when the physical problems are relatively minor. not sure i completely agree with all the book said, but that bit makes sense to me. their helpful solution was to keep reminding yourself of this fact and reassuring yourself with the phrase "just because i am in pain, doesn't mean i am causing damage to myself". again, this isn't always easy to believe, even 3 months post op! but i hope it kinda helps some of you...

Like Olli i have now been back doing full duties at work - nothing like as strenuous as fire fighting, but i am feeling the effects with an achy leg and sore coxyx/tail bone for some reason. still waiting on the special chair... i am also absolutely exhausted. despite getting up every day when i was off (and able to) and trying to maintain a routine, being back at work has been one hell of a shock to the system!

which is in direct contrast to the 2 weeks of NO sleep i had post op....i am really, really feeling for you temporary insomniacs....i think the impact of not sleeping is harder to take emotionally than the sciatic pain. i struggled on with this to the detriment of my recovery from the op so my advice is to definitely ask for something to help...temazepam for a week sorted me out. can't recommend it enough.

monkeywaffle...glad the amitriptyline is working out for you. i found it knocked me out but then i was really sore in the morning from not moving around at all at night - would wake up in exactly the position i had fallen asleep in! so if you can bear for someone to give you a gentle nudge in the night, i recommend moving around a bit.

and finally...dannyk - my husband was banished to the spare room for my 2 weeks of insomnia and we still sleep with a pillow between us, just in case!

good luck all. lots of love xxx

 

[Shafiq Hud]

MonkeyWaffle- Amazing the difference it makes when a medical practitioner actively listens, I'm so happy that you managed some sleep, it makes a difference!!!!
Danny - I encountered the elbow in the back after my 1st op which led to my hubby spending 2 weeks on the sofa he felt so guilty!!!!
Ali- My consultant has spoken to me about the possibility of there being considerable adhesions. I am going to cling onto my morphine for as long as I can!!!!
Olli & Jess- So good to hear about your returns to work. It gives me something positive to look forward to!!!!
Melza - Keep your chin up, Really feel for you hun.
Good luck to all pre & post oppers. I'm so glad I came across this site its (kinda) keeping me sane!!!!
xx
6 more sleeps to go. (can't believe i'm on a countdown like a child at xmas over a bloody op, lol)

 

[charlotte g]

I agree with others. This site has been so much of a help - it is great to hear the experiences of people who have been going through the same issues.

Has anyone else felt like this post op...? I'm a few weeks post op now and all is going (medically) well. I am able to walk a little more each day. I really don't have much pain. I get the occasional tiny twinge of what feels like sciatica, but as I say, it's tiny, and then it goes away. The drugs I have keep the pain at bay and I am diligent about my daily walking.

When I first got home from hospital I was so elated that the operation was over and that it was all behind me, and I was thrilled to be home. Each day I walked a bit further I felt was a bit more of an achievement. And people visitied, emailed etc which was uplifting.

But now I just feel frustrated. I am still basically housebound. I can't drive. I'm not working. I can't do any of my usual pursuits. The cost of all the medical procedures is huge (even with private health insurance). I saw a group of friends yesterday and hardly any of them asked how the op had gone or how I was feeling now, which I found really upsetting. (It is the first time I have seen this group of people since the operation). I know it is unreasonable to expect any more in terms of the recovery process, that's just how it is. But has anyone else felt anything like this frustration?

PS- there was one of those medical tv shows on last night which featured 'our' operation. I couldn't bring myself to watch the op part, but it was interesting to hear the surgeons talking about what they were doing.

Hope all of you are going well.

 

[gamesezdgtym]

Subi, I can relate to the feelings your having. I got that after my last discectomy & also after I had abdominal surgery a few years ago. My GP told me it happens quite frequently post operatively. As for your friends not asking i've been there too. People seem to think thats it now you've had the op get on with it. If only we could!!!!!!!!!
Keep your chin up, it will improve & you'll soon be doing things you took for granted before xx

 

[Pompal 09.]

Grumpy me back again, just don't ask! Anyway, it amuses me (a bit) that friends made a fuss about any post op pain I was having, where have they been the last 16 months? It was hurting all that time too. Feeling glum myself today, still coughing and not sleeping.....I'm ready to beg for any kind of drugs. On the other hand, I gave myself a chat about toughening up and cutting down on drugs now that surgery is completed. I'm confusing myself! Six weeks seems such a long time to have these restrictions when we all just want a taste of 'normal' living again. Right now I can't even contemplate xmas so will probably end up doing panic buying again. My two boys suffered last year with outsize clothing (?) and one of them is still disappointed with his pack of 6 Y front pants. I was really hoping to do much better this year.

'Deck the hall with boughs of holly, tra la la la, tra la la la....'

Thinking about your ticking clock Tracey, I'm sending good vibes! Hope you're still hanging in there Ali

xx

 

[Abby Berlin]

Hi All,

First of all i am feeling much better after my physio visit, she stuck some needles in my leg and bum and its relaxed the muscle's.

Now i am going to give everyone a telling off.

Whats with all the doom and gloom. A lot of of you have had the op and yes it takes a long time for you to recover, get over it!!! relax and go with the flow, if you are doing your exerscies i am sure you guys will improve. You have to remember your bodies have been through a lot and your nerves will still be tender. Its not a case of having an op and the next day or even the next month you will be better. People heal at different rates, i am 33 and will/should heal quicker than someone who is 55.

You have to remember as well that your nerves will get sore just like your muscle do after a workout but now that they are damaged or week they do not work properly. It take a muscle about 4-6 weeks to start loosing it strength but it only takes a damaged nerve days to start getting sore again. I know its hard but you must do the exercises, these will help heal the nerve and get it back to sending the right signals to your muscles, its a battle you will have to do for the rest of your life. stretching as well is important as this will help to simulate the nerve and ease the tightness in your muscles.

I know everyone is different and have different problems but i believe 100% that exerscie will help you recover. so come on get your arse out of bed and get on with it.

Olli

Olli

 

[BilligCialis]

Well thanks for that Olli - although i dont think it helps to be told off when people are experiencing low points. Yes i know on here it sounds like all i do is moan. But that is why i have liked this message board. I 'moan' to my friends and family, and as helpful as they try to be - i dont think anyone really understands unless they have experienced the same or similar themselves.

Secondly - no, i did not expect miracles post surgery, and i knew it would take time for my body to recover. But after so many months/years of intense pain increasing by the day, and after a surgeon promises the pain will ease after surgery, i didnt quite expect to be in THIS much pain still. Unable to stand let alone walk. Waking myself up in the night simply by rolling over. Scared to even contemplate stepping out of front door as when i do manage to walk its more of a stumble. Unable to fully complete stretching exercises as the pain is that excrutiating! I am only 26 and there is nothing I would like to do better than "get my arse out of bed and get on with it"...sometimes things arent that simple! I still cry with the pain! And yes, with this does come a sense of self-pity perhaps. But do you know what - i think im entitled to every now and then! I have never EVER felt so down, so alone and so out of the loop (friendship wise, work wise, emotion wise etc).

So i am grateful that i can let off steam in here and have people there who understand and offer comfort. Thank you to those people.

Now that i have that off my chest I hope i havnt offended anyone.

Hoping everyone is having a 'good' day!
Monkeyx

 

[Ragina]

Sorry if i upset you Monkeywaffle.

Olli

 

[Darci]

You didnt...i just needed a rant is all.
x

 

[Jehosephat]

the physio i saw in hospital warned me about the "post-op blues" and predicted i would be a little emotional for the first week after surgery. big understatement. i cried at just about anything! my husband blamed the physio, thinking she had put the idea into my head, but in actual fact, she just made it ok to let it all out. so i advise you all to do the same, be it on here, in front of the tv or your friends and family. i think coming off a whole bunch of psycho-active drugs probably has something to do with it too. and (sorry boys), my hormones were all over the place for some bizarre reason - had skipped 2 periods leading up to the op and was terrified i was pregnant with a 2-headed baby after all the x-ray radiation, mri scan and crazy drugs. but perhaps was just another way my body dealt with not being quite right.

so anyway....what i wanted to say is it will get better. and it will be soon. look forward to xmas because you will all be feeling soooooo much more yourselves by then, i am sure of it!!

 

[California Girl!]

Hey all!

I came home yesterday afternoon. They completely stressed me out though, I had the doctor telling me one thing, the anaesthetist and pain specialist telling me another, and no one was telling me facts about what was going to happen pain control-wise and at one point I just cried with sheer frustration.

The doctor said i was going to be discharged and the arrangements were made for transport, then i saw the anaesthetist who was so patronising and spoke to me like an idiot, and his pain nurse wasnt much better. I asked if they were going to give me gabapentin and she just shook her head. I was thinking 'are you going to stop shaking your head and actually tell me WHY you are shaking your head?' Stupid woman. Anyways, they said i cant have gabapentin because its for nerve pain in the legs and i dont have this any more. So then i said that the doctor said i cant have ibuprofen because of post op bleeding and the pain nurse said i CAN have it....i just lost the plot then....Everyone was contradicting themselves and it didnt help that i had not slept all night due to the pain and having oramorph hourly all night, i was feeling knackered and emotional and just wanted to know what was happening once and for all!!!
The nurse on duty who was giving me the hourly oramorph said that i was unlikely to be discharged as my post op pain was really bad and not well managed, and said that they shouldnt have taken me off the morphine pump until my pain was better managed.
The doctor was told all this and told that i didnt sleep due to the really awful pain, but he along with pretty much everyone else, didnt listen, as per usual and sent me home anyway.
After all that, i couldnt wait to get out of there, as i was so upset and felt really angry.
I have been discharged with oramorph, codiene phosphate, paracetamol and ibuprofen. Its helping in terms of the pain is tolerable so i am feeling ok at the moment.

I am really surprised that this happened, as last time, they were all so lovely and helpful, thats why i got so upset.

Anyways, i see the wound nurse next week, then have my post-op follow up in 6 weeks. I am going to ask that they monitor me for a bit longer, due to my 2nd prolapse a fornight after the last 6 week check.
They said that they might be able to accommodate this, so at least thats something.
I panicked last night, i felt a twinge behind my knee and thought 'oh noooo!!!', but fortunately it passed. But i am trying to keep rational and realise that i may have sciatic twinges due to my poor nerve being battered around!!!

Melza, I hope that things have been a bit better for you today. We have been on such strong medication for a long time, but now we are finally post-op, hopefully we can start reducing them soon eh? Have been thinking of you

Tracey, Not long now my lovely! I will also be thinking of you!
Make sure you get the pain relief you need, and I really hope everything goes well for you. Look forward to hearing how it went

Monkey, Hey hun, i know exactly how you feel. This forum is fabulous for venting your spleen! I have always found great advice on here and its really lovely to have people who understand exactly what you are going through. I hope that day by day, things will get better for you

And thank you to everyone else for your kind messages, sending my very best wishes to you all

Love from Ali xxx

 

[Zylasn]

I appear to be about where you are in post op terms Olli. I went back to work 7 weeks post op (positive thinking lol) but I am beginning to wonder if it was a bit too soon. Whilst your job is an active one; mine is pretty desk bound!! I found that I didn't need to take the painkillers anymore about 8 days post op but, since being back at work (graduated return) I think I may need to start taking them again. This feels like a backward step to me but a necessary one. I am a very positive person and believe my mental attitude is what has got me through all this so quickly but I am beginning to feel fed up with it all. I just want to be back to normal !!!!!!!!! I do the physio (although I'm not as dilligent as you) and I live life as normally as I can (although I can't wait to have a dance with 'the girls' on a night out ) but I do wonder when am I gonna be 'me' again???
Good Luck to all of you awaiting your ops & speedy recoveries to the new 2nd time around post oppers xx