Pushing Through Pain

Today marks THREE weeks since my surgery. Spinal fusion is an extremely invasive procedure with a long recovery. Muscles are cut, screws are drilled into the spine, nerves are irritated and the skeletal system is realigned. If you watch an actual video of this type of surgery, it looks very brutal (yes, I watched real videos before both of my surgeries and it looks almost like they are working on a car or some type of a machine with all of the drilling and chiseling). Also, bone graft was harvested from my left hip. They basically scrape the bone from the hip and that is what hurt the most during the first 2 weeks. Swelling and inflammation can cause nerves to be compressed, leading to more pain. The lack of movement of the spine can also cause increased stress on other joints, such as the hips. If I sit too long, I get stiff and if I walk too much, I get sore. I am increasing my walking each day to help with the stiffness. I will be starting physical therapy soon with a focus on core strengthening to support my back.

During this critical time in my recovery, I cannot bend, lift, or twist. I have to keep my back straight and wear a brace 22 hours a day. I even have to sleep in my brace. I have to sleep on my back all night and I cannot turn to my sides. It’s not comfortable, but I’m getting used to it. It can take a while for the bone to actually fuse together and I have to be careful not to damage that process. I have to wear a bone growth stimulator over my brace for 2 hours a day to help promote bone healing. Failure to fuse can cause a whole new set of problems that I do not even want to think about.

My recovery is going more smoothly than the first one and I am learning to cope with my temporary limitations. My amazing husband has played an important role in my recovery process and I am so thankful for him. I also think that my fitness level prior to surgery has proven to be beneficial in my recovery process. I was already walking half a mile on the treadmill 10 days after surgery. The doctor said I should be back to normal around 6 weeks post-op, but I will still have to wear a brace for a couple of months as the bone continues to fuse. 

Here is a quick overview of my first three weeks after surgery:

Week 1- The WORST week. If you can make it through the first week after spinal fusion surgery, you will feel like you can make it through almost anything. It was absolutely awful.

Week 2- Anesthesia has worn off and the soreness really sets in. Still very bloated and swollen. Walking helps, even though it hurts. Each day gets better.

Week 3- Feeling MUCH better, but still tire easily. Can definitely feel if I overdo it. 

Side view of my titanium spine.
Everything below the break is new hardware.

Recovery

The actual surgery was the easiest part of this journey because I don’t remember any of it. The difficulty comes when you wake up and begin the recovery process. I remember waking up, but not being able to see what exactly was going on around me. I could hear the nurse moving around and other people nearby. I remember talking a lot, but I don’t really remember what I was saying. I do recall asking several times when I could see Matt (my husband). They kept saying that I would get to see him when I wake up more. The next thing I remember is being brought to my room. I finally got to see Matt and my family and friends that were there.

Inpatient Hospital Stay

The first night, I did not feel a lot of pain. I was connected to an IV pain pump that I had to press every 10 minutes to release the pain medicine. During the night, one of my nurses removed the pump because my blood pressure and heart rate kept dropping. They switched me to oral pain medicine and I began feeling the soreness. Bone graft was harvested from my left hip and I could definitely feel the soreness from where the bone was scraped. The first time I sat up, I felt awful. I was stiff, dizzy, and nauseated. It was difficult to sit up because I couldn’t bend my back or use any of my back muscles. In order to get up after spinal fusion surgery, you have to rely on your leg and abdominal muscles (good thing I ran a lot before surgery).

Once I was a little more coherent, my anesthesiologist came to my room and informed me that I took a long time to come out of the sedative they gave me. He said some people lack an enzyme to break down that particular type of medication. They use some sort of paralytic to place your trachea tube and nerve monitoring stimulators. Most people come out of it in about 5-7 minutes. He said I was paralyzed for close to an hour before I came out of it. They provided me with some information on it in case I ever need anesthesia again.

My Graduation Ceremony

The next couple of days involved pain, headaches, light sensitivity, nausea, vomiting and walking the hospital halls. My husband stayed with me in my hospital room and slept on the couch beside my bed. The Friday after my surgery was my graduation day. I graduated with my M.Ed. in School Counseling. I had to miss my graduation ceremony, but I was able to put on my cap and gown to walk the hospital halls. My mother-in-law and father-in-law brought me a graduation gift and some decorations to put in my hospital room. It was nice to have my own little ceremony, even though I wasn't feeling well that night. 

The third day after surgery was my worst day. I was dizzy, nauseated and very weak. My blood work showed that my hemoglobin levels were very low. I lost a lot of blood during surgery and continued to lose blood over the next couple of days through my incision drainage tubes. The doctor ordered a blood transfusion and it made me feel much better. The transfusion took most of the day and I was released the next day.

I was in the hospital for 4 days after my surgery. Right before I was discharged, my surgeon came by to visit me. He said that he could not be more pleased with the surgery and that everything went great! My recovery process is now continuing at home.The dizziness and nausea lasted almost a week and I'm still dealing the stiffness and soreness. It takes time to recover from this type of surgery and I will get there soon. 

Blood Transfusion

Going Home

Brace Yourself: Spinal Fusion #2

The week before my surgery, we drove to Houston for my pre-op appointment. Our first stop was the Spine Associates office. I had an EKG to check my heart and a physical exam to clear me for surgery. Next, I had to go to the hospital for blood work and a chest X-Ray. The hospital was able draw blood for my blood work, but they said I would have to come back to have more blood taken for the blood type and cross. The type and cross is done to make sure you receive the correct blood if a transfusion is needed. The last stop for the day was to go get fitted for my brace. I was told that I would have to wear a brace for 3 months after surgery, so I asked if they could make it pretty! They brought me some color samples and I chose a brightly colored pattern for my brace.

On the way home, I began thinking about the robotic surgery and wondering why I had not gotten any information about it. I called the surgery scheduler and she informed me that the hospital I am going to does not have the robotic arm at that site. My doctor performs surgeries at a few different hospitals and the only one that my insurance would cover is the one without the robot. At first, I was really upset to hear this because I knew that the robotic procedure helped to reduce many risks. I got over it and just moved forward with the surgery.

The day before surgery, we drove back to Houston to get my blood drawn for the type and cross and we stayed in a hotel close to the hospital. I was so nervous the entire day before surgery. Every time I would think about it, my stomach would turn a flip!

On the day of surgery, I arrived at 5:00am to get prepped. I changed into my hospital gown and the nurse tried to get my IV started. I am a big baby when it comes to needles. The thought of having screws drilled into my spine does not freak me out as much as needles (I know, that is weird). The nurse tried twice and blew two of my veins because I was so tense and I was crying. She had another nurse come try because she did not want to poke me a third time. They usually don’t let family come back until the IV is going, but the nurse called for my husband to come into the room to calm me down. He held my hand while they tried again to place the IV and it helped.

Before Surgery

Over the next couple of hours, I sat in the pre-op/holding area and waited my turn to go back. I had several doctors and nurses come talk to me and ask me questions. I spoke with my surgeon and he informed me that he would not have to remove all of the hardware I had put in during my previous surgery. He said he would just remove enough of it to make room for the new hardware. I also spoke with the anesthesiologist and the doctor that monitored my nerve functioning. He put wires around my hands and feet and explained that he would have needles in my head, hands, and feet to monitor my spinal cord and nerves while the surgeon worked on my spine.

Waiting to be brought back to the operating room is absolutely terrifying. They finally gave me some medication through my IV to begin the sedation. I told my husband goodbye and they wheeled me to the operating room. I remember telling them, “I’m not asleep yet” as they brought me to the operating room. The nurse said that I will go to sleep soon and that’s the last thing I remember before waking up in the recovery room.