Discectomy - After the Operation

[Neil]

Hi,

Sorry to here about your pain When i read your post about going back to work after 3 weeks i was shocked I am two weeks out and there is no way i would go back next week not even to an office. Your body and nerves have had a big trauma and that can take a few months to total recover. My Doc has said to take 6 weeks off minimum.

Anyway it will be blip i am sure. Keep moving but rest as well, pain can take it out of you. Acupuncture is good i have this as well it can make you ache at first but it will relax your body. I am having some next Tuesday for my tight buttock.

Keep going mate

Keep in touch

Oliver

 

[Dan the Man]

Olli, Melza and Rod

I only went and turned ever so slightly (really slightly) today at work and have twisted my back, the pain nearly made me heave!

Olli...thanks for your message to keep positive, thank you, i will. I am keeping the faith that this won't go on forever and that this 2nd op will work. I really hope u get some relief from the acupuncture. My friend is having a look into acupuncture for me, his cousins hubby has it for his bad back and says really good things about it.

Melza...26 weeks will come round really quick, thank you for recommending tramadol, i am considering it on your advice but i am still apprehensive as i am a mental health support worker so am aware of the medications that cause drowsiness. Scares me, so i tend to just grit me teeth!
I really hope that your first surgery will be the beginning of the end of your suffering.

Rod...I am so sorry mate that your op hasn't worked, i absolutely know how upsetting this is. The process to be looked at again is so long, i didn't see my surgeon again until 5 months after i requested to see him, then i had my MRI 3 weeks ago and still waiting for my outpatient appointment for the results.

I really like this site, i get to vent my spleen, get good advice from people that know the score, and offer the same advice i myself recieved!!!

I have you guys in my thoughts and prayers, and really hope things start to improve for you

 

[murabiflowers]

Hi Fireolli

How are you doing? Only have a week to go now til my op and am very scared. I saw my surgeon yesterday to try and convince me I am doing the right thing by having surgery! He told me to take 8 weeks off teaching this time which I think is far more reasonable.
There are so many bad stories about back surgery on the internet that i have stopped reading them.
How are you doing after 2 weeks? How long were you in pain following the surgery? My husband being thoughtful has booked a holiday to Bulgaria for 2 weeks after my op! My surgeon said this is a good idea. You said you have clips in your back but i'm only having paper strips as the incision will be less than an inch long.
I really hope you are still making great progress in your recovery and have no pian and very little discomfort.
Speak soon
Fitbird xxxxxxxxx

 

[Baden]

Hi,

Things are ok, i am doing the exercises every day and doing two 25 min walks each day. I hope to get in the pool next week. Had a bit of a set back on Tuesday, my right buttock went into cramp and is making my leg throb but i am seeing the physio next Tuesday so i hope she will start to sort it out.

My back is also tight where they have cut me but again some massage will sort that out. If you are only getting an inch cut that is good mine is about 4/5 inch but then i had both sides of the disc removed so they may have had to make a bigger gap. After the op i found that i got the most pain from the clips, getting up or getting out of bed also sitting down was a bit sore but today i have managed to sit down for an hour. I think because my legs are still tight i am finding it a bit harder to do things but i hope they will loosen off soon.

8 weeks sounds better and i hope you will keep up on your exercises whilst you are on holiday. How long after the op are you going???

I am sure you will be fine and yes stop reading the stories on the internet they made me a lot worse and i just got upset all the time. I am glad i have had the op but i think it is going to be a long haul to get back to fitness to be able to do fire fighting again.

Keep in touch

Olli

 

[Told You So]

Saw acupuncturist on friday. She has unlocked all the tension in my back. I go to see her monday and she reckons that with the back relaxed she can sort the pain. She told me that I must stop the physio for a little while until she has sorted me out a bit more. This is my best hope at the moment. We shall see. Spending the weekend chilling after a week that has been exhausting what with work and all the pain. She reckoned that work is fine as I have my magic kneeling chair and I am desk based- which is great. The work really helps cheer me up as I love it and it stops me thinking about my back all the time and moping.

Rod

 

[Ann-G]

Hi Rod,

Nice one, I told you it would be a blip I am chopping at the bit to see my physio my legs are getting tighter every day. I find it hard to tell the difference between a muscle ache and if the sciatic pain is coming back. My legs are week as i have not used them for a few months so i think they are in shock, My hamstrings are very week going up stairs or going up a bit of a hill on my walk is hard work.

Anyway i am still keeping my head up and saying as positive as i can I am just so scared of any little pain.

Keep in touch

Olli

 

[weddingdress_xtryan]

Once I found I had a disc distorting my spinal cord I did a frantic flick through the internet.....and now I think we should all agree that none of us will ever do that ever again! For me it said that any kind of trauma could leave me (and people like me) as a quadraplegic...oh great! But I'm not panicking at all, I just hope the consultant is having a super holiday!

I know that Alih78 is anxiously waiting for MRI results and wonder if I was any better off sneaking into work and printing my own results off. Alih78 has a tense time wondering what her results will be and I am frantic cause I know what mine are. So which one of us is better off?

Oh, and I'm very sensitive to any kind of sedative and was relieved to find there was a minimal effect with tramadol. But take it a little while before you go out anywhere. The tramadol with diazepam is a completely different story though.

The meditation has been attempted but as soon as I relax I remember the washing is still on the line or there's a bill I need to pay asap...need to work on the technique a bit more perhaps.

Thanks everyone...always comforting to read these posts (except for the unlucky few who have to go through the process twice...my sympathies).

 

[TheTicklishTickler]

Hi All,

Things are still good, I am improving slowly. I still have no pain in my left leg and just a little in my right. Legs are still tight but i am seeing the physio tonight and i hope we can get going on some good sessions, I have only had one session as she said i need time for my body to recover but i feel ready to rock 'n roll now. My stretching is getting better and i am now doing between 2-4 miles a day walking. My back is a bit stiff but again the physio and the pool with sort it out.

All in all i am still pleaseed with results.

I had a little drive the other day for the first time which felt ok, i do think i am going to have to get a different car, i have a sports car and its very low so i think i will change it to something like a Focus or an AstraOh well my back is more important.

@fitbird, I hope everything goes well with your op it can't be long now.

@Rod_1, Hope you are better after your blip the other week.

Olli

 

[JoseBZ]

Hi

I have been in very very bad pain at work for ten days. I have had two acupuncture sessions. Wow, what a difference. The first time she unlocked my back tension, the second unblocked my froont. This has had an incredibly profound effect. She gave me posture lessons and explained how my body has over the injury and op forgotten how to handle itself and be in balance. The day after I drank loads and loads of water which was strange. The bottom line is after the second session my back feels manifestly better; I had thought it was all going south and worrying loads.

The bottom line is to you and anyone else reading this is that I have seen the light and am utterly converted to acupuncture. I believe that for me it is the key to recovery and a swifter one too.

Basically I have been abandoned by both NHS and GP and told I just have to take the pain and am now being treated by a Chinese lady who has relieved teh pain massively. I would strongly urge anyone who is suffering with pain to really seriously consider its like a miracle and doesnt hurt.

Rod

 

[Medina]

HI,

Nice one, i am off to get some acupuncture tonight and a bit of a massage. I couldn't believe the difference when i first had it, it helped a lot when my back first went bad about a year ago.

There are a few different types of acupuncture do you know what type this lady is using on you???

The lady i see uses deep muscle acupuncture its a little different to the chinese acupuncture. The needles she uses are very long and she doesn't leave them in for very long other wise she said i would ache too much the next day. Iam not bothered as long as it has a good long term effect.

Olli

 

[GibShaiauu]

Hi Fireolli

Well it's the night before my op and i feel surprisingly calm about it all. I think I have resigned myself to the fact it's the only way forward and come what may i'll survive. This acupuncture sounds fantastic, I think i'll definately look up someone in my area that does it.
So pleased you are doing so well and really on the way to a full recovery. You'll soon be fighting those fires i'm sure!

Will come back in a couple of days when I've had the op to let you know how it went etc!

Bye for now and all the best to all
Fitbird
xxx

 

[jandy - Spanks the Yanks]

Hi,

Well i am sure all will go well and good luck

Saw my physio the other day and got some treatment, she said i am doing well am to keep going at a nice steady pace. I am now swimming as well i just do 10 lengths and some walking in the water, it does make me ache but swimming hits all the body.

As for pain i am doing well and i hardly have any pain now just a few aches.

I think the key is to do the exercises but don't do to much too soon. I was told no work for 6 weeks and no long sitting for about 4 weeks, i am following this to the letter and if it takes me a bit longer then so be it.

Take it easy for your first week or so and don't get to worried if you still feel a bit of pain your body needs time to get over the op and all the stress its been going through. I think i slept about 12-14 hours a day for the first 4 days my body was mashed, also the sergeon told me to take what ever pain relief i needed in the first 2 weeks before i started to cut the tablets down.

Good luck and keep in touch

Olli

 

[Going with Logic!]

Hi All,

@Rod_1 How are you doing? Have you got rid of that pain yet?

@Fitbird How did your op go?

Coming up to 4 weeks and things are still great. Doing a bit more about the house and walking faster and for longer. Swimming is good as well, i love to get into the water and get a good workout. As for the pain there is very little any more, My back aches from doing the house stuff but it will get used to it in time. I am driving as well which is good as i can get out and about a bit more. Over all i am very happy with the way things are going, if i keep going at this nice steady level i should be back on light duties in the next couple of weeks.

Olli

 

[Jungle Fever]

Hi Olli

Sounds like things are going well. You have come a long way from the earlier posts!

I am walking upright and having acupuncture still. It really helps and frankly dont know how I would have got through the last couple of weeks without.

My work's health insurance covers me for retrospectuive conditions - so now I have a safety net.

I still get twinges - for some reason my left hand had pins and needles all day. Still the old leg remains sorted (fingers crossed)

The acupuncture lady now allows me gentle exercise now things have stabalised a bit.

Still get pain but it is manageable.

It will be a great boost to you to get back to the lads at work - I am pleased for you .

Hope fitbird os ok after her op??

Rod

 

[BeautyCrush]

Still waiting for my op - have been told it won't be until mid Oct at the earliest as I'm going on holiday in Aug and they wont operate within 6 weeks either side. I got a letter from the hospital last week saying they oculd operate within 3 and a half weeks, but then they found out I was on certain meds and said I need to be off them for a month before the op, so cancelled it. I was a bit annoyed at the time hey ho.

In the meantime, I've started noticing odd sensations down both legs. It's a warm feeling, as if I've spilt warm water on my legs. It happens on one leg at a time and doesn't go any lower than the knee. Only lasts a second or two but I wondered if it might be linked to my disc or not. Any ideas?

Wol

 

[srwlhtfa]

hi fireolli and all.

Day 5 following surgery and I feel ok. No pain to speak of really just achey. Turns out following surgery I have 2 spinal nerves in one hole where most people have just 1! Because of this I had double the amount of pain before surgery as 2 nerves inflamed. 1 was cherry red and very swollen and angry. It will of course now take 2 nerves longer to heal but was told it would not have got better without the op. Am doing lots or resting and pottering around the house when I feel like it.
What I find bizarre and quite disturbing is the difference of opinion surgeons and hospitals have following back surgery. I was not given any exercises to do and my surgeon said to do none and absolutely no physio!! He does not feel there is any need and physio can do more harm than good to spinal patients. It makes me quite cross as you want to do whats best but when the info given is different depending on the surgeon you feel at a lose end.
I am so pleased you are doing so well ollie and hope your great recovery continues.
I am going to try a short walk tomorrow, just 10 minutes or so and see how it feels. Have been told not to sit for a couple of weeks but lying becomes uncomfortable after a few days!!
I do have clips too but the scar is less than an inch long, lying on my back is very difficult with the clips and this also hurts those 2 nerves! Never realised how boring daytime tv is too!
Any way take care all bye for now
Fitbird
xxx

 

[hcwzcebm]

Hi,

Its great that you are feeling ok. I know what you mean about the clips but when you have them out it will feel great.

When i came out of hospital i was only given 3 exercises to do and was told to walk about 5-10 min each day to make sure scare tissue didn't build up.

It was my physio who gave me extra stretching exercises but i have only seen her twice in 4 weeks. I think you will know what you can do. For example i went to a party last night and lasted about 3 hours before i started to ache too much but today went shopping with the wife and because its all slow walking i was aching after about 20 min.

I think for the first 2 weeks doing very little is ok but after that if all is ok i think you need to try a do things like longer walks, sitting for bit (maybe just at meal times). Also reducing the pain killers is good thing so you know how your body is feeling.

Keep in touch and don't over do it.

Olli

 

[LMF_Eddie]

Hi Olli

Just had a lecture from acupuncture lady along the lines of - proper walking slowly with rhythm is good, even a long one - walking and stopping (like in shopping ) is bad as it is stressful.

The clear moral of the story is men are not made for shopping............

Hope all goes well with you. Acupuncture is saving my life!!!!!!

Rod

 

[Sk8rgirl]

Hi Olli

I am getting stiffer by the day. What were the stretches the physio gave you please? Was it a hamstring stretch and were you to do it lying, standing or sitting? I need to get my flexibility back soon so be very grateful for your help. Did massage help to relieve any stiffness?
Otherwise I feel good, get tired quickly but ok other than that.

Went for a walk yesterday to my local shops and felt great, feel I could do more but am so scared to do anything I shouldn't!

Rod, acupuncture sounds fab, gonna try it when my clips are out next week and that is a poor excuse not to shop!!!

Take care all
Fitbird
xxx

 

[Caboose]

Ok Stretches,

Walk- 2 X 10-15min a day.

After walk,

Back Extentions: Lay on front and push your upper body up with your arms making sure your hips stay on the floor. Do 10.

Back Extentions: The same as above but do not use your arms try and raise your upper body with your arms by your side. Do 10

Leg raises: Still on your front with arms by your side. Raise your leg up one at a time not too high just a little bit. 5 on each leg.

Cat stretch: On all fours arch your back and hold for 10, do that twice.

Rolls: Lay on your back with knee's bent, slowly lower your knee's to the floor left and right. Do 10.

bridges: Lay on your back with knee's bent, pull core muscles in, tilt pelvis up (should fell your back muscles pull), raise pelvis up as much as you can and hold for 3 seconds then lower. Do 8

Bum stretch: Lay on back and bend one leg, put bent leg over straight leg as high as you can, hold knee and pull towards floor. Hold for 30 seconds then swap legs. Do 3 on each leg.

Hamstring stretch: Lay on back and bend one leg, Rest the other leg on the bent leg (You should now have a bent leg and the top of the other legs calf muscle should be resting on the bent legs knee). Try and straighten your top leg if its too hard it doesn't matter just do your best. Once you have it as straight as you can pump your foot backwards and forwards 30 times and then hold for a few seconds at the end. Do 3 stretches on each leg.

Thats it, hope it helps. You will be mashed by the end of it and maybe a bit sore but it has helped me loads so keep with it. Do this for a couple of weeks trying to do a little more walking and things in the house each day.

If you have any problems in understanding what i have written let me know.

When i get some more exercise's i will tell you. Yes massage does help. Get your legs and back massaged once the clips are out.


Keep in touch and take it easy.

Olli.

Edit: Do not do any stretches sitting down, its not good believe me.