Staples Out!!! Stage 2 of Recovery. (Incision pictures included)

It's been 15 days since my second back surgery.  I am still feeling very confident about this one.  Of course I am still healing from the surgery and am quite sore in some areas, but the pain hasn't been horrible.  I haven't taken the "real" pain pills since last week as the pain has been tolerable with Tylenol or Motrin.  I do tend to have a pretty high pain tolerance, and the neurostim device definitely helped right after the surgery. 

A few days ago I photographed my incision again - y'all know how I have to keep notes on everything.  It has continued to heal well.  It's still puffy around it but so far doesn't seem to be retaining or collecting fluid as bad as last time.  That bruise you see on the right side... that area is definitely sore. 😬

I got curious about the incision was comparing to the last time so of course I had to do a comparison photo:

The photo on the left is from when I had the spinal fusion in January 2017.  The photo on the left is the most recent surgery.  This time the incision is a little longer.  I'm assuming this is because the doc explored the fusion and needed just a little more room.

Today I had my post-op appointment and thankfully got the staples out.  Wahoo!!!  Those things were driving me crazy.  Every move I made they were pulling on me.  Yikes!!  When the nurse was taking the staples out I asked about the top one - or should I say two since there were two in the same spot.  I laughed when I asked about it telling her I guess there was a misfire.  She snickered a little but said she was going to have to talk to the PA about that double whammy.  LOL

  
Because of where the incision is located I've had to keep it covered.  It's in a spot that is rubbed by my pants and I was terrified of pulling a staple out.  I had a lot of issues with tape irritation following the last surgery so we changed the type we were using.  As you can see my skin does not like it either.  OMG the itching!  Maybe now that the staples are out I can finally keep it uncovered.

Today I also got the hardware he took out of my back.  He couldn't give it to me the day of the surgery because it had to go through a sterilization process.  There is still an artificial disk cage and a screw that goes across diagonally through L4 and L5... those will remain in place indefinitely.  I took a photo of the hardware with my index finger next to it to give you an idea of the size of the screws that were in the vertebrae.  Wow.  

So... stage 2 of recovery begins now.  I return to the doctor in 4 weeks for another follow up.  I still have some restrictions with bending, lifting, and twisting as my back continues to heal.  And I'm hoping like crazy that the incision heals quicker than last time.  🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 

Take a look at this!! NSS - Neuro Stim System

Take a look at this!! 👀

This is one of the strangest, and most fascinating, devices. It’s called a NSS (Neuro-Stim System). It attaches to the peripheral nerves by the three electrodes and is an alternative to narcotics for pain relief. It supposedly provides at least 25% pain relief.... and possibly more depending on the person. It’s a fairly new concept with the purpose of keeping patients from taking too many narcotics for pain relief after surgery. The idea is that it stops pain receptors from reaching your brain, therefore you feel less pain and take fewer pain pills. I hate taking narcotics so I was willing to give it a try.

When they first attached it I felt the pulsing. It stopped later in the day and started again and then stopped again last night. I haven’t felt the pulsing at all since last night and was concerned it had stopped working. I called the surgery center and they contacted the company rep who called me within minutes. Turns out it is still working. She told me that typically people stop feeling it after about three cycles because your brain just accepts it. Fascinating.

And I’m pretty sure it’s working on my pain level too. They made no guarantees on how much pain it would relieve, but I had a major back surgery yesterday and have only taken four pain pills since the surgery! I think it’s definitely cut down on my pain level. I will wear it for five days and the cycle will be done. AND I remove it myself. It’s only in place with tiny little probes so it should come off easily. Again... what a fascinating device. 🙂

Back Surgery - again...

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted on here.  I've had good intentions but life has just kept me busy.  Anyway... I'm writing now because I've had another back surgery.  The TLIF last year was successful, however I had some issues that continued after that surgery that I, hopefully, have finally remedied.

Prior to the TLIF my pain went through my lower back and all the way down my left leg.  That was corrected immediately.  I had a pain in my right hip while still in the hospital, but we thought it may be from the uncomfortable hospital bed.  The pain in my right hip continued over time, steadily getting worse.  It kind of moved around and at one time we thought it might be my SI joints.  The doc said it was common after a TLIF for the SI joints to be stressed.  So we tried bilateral SI injections.  Then we followed that with another one on just the right side.  Time passed... more x-rays... more pain... more questions.

The pain increased and started going down my right leg eventually to my knee. But... the biggest problem was that I started getting these random jolts / shocks through my lower back going into the right hip and down the leg.  Intense ones... like being hit with a cattle prod.  We thought maybe it was the hardware causing some issues and the doc suggested removing some of it...but I had to wait until it had been in for a year.  So I dealt with it.

Then this past January (2018) I returned to the doctor because the pain and shocks just continued to get worse.  We tried an epidural - no affect at all.  MRI done...then CT Scan.  Nothing conclusive but images were difficult to read because of the blur caused by hardware.  The doc talked to me some about possibly implanting a spinal cord stimulator, but I wasn't ready to go that route without knowing for sure if the hardware was causing a problem or not.  So we opted for hardware removal and fusion exploration with decompression of any nerve if needed.

So back into surgery I went on April 4.  This one wasn't near as difficult as the TLIF so I was able to have it on an outpatient basis at Northwest Florida Surgery Center.  The doc removed some of the hardware but not all.  Obviously the artificial disc stayed in place.  He also left the screw that is in diagonal from L4-L5.  While he was in there he discovered that the bone graft was growing around a nerve.  He took care of this and hopefully that was the problem.  At least I know I'm not crazy, well, not about this anyway.

I was able to go home after a few hours in recovery... and a horrible time throwing up.  Man that anesthesia messes with me.  It was good to go home though.  It's so much more comfortable at home than in a hospital bed.

Just like with the TLIF, I decided to NOT sleep in the bed.  I didn't even bother trying this time.  Since last year we have got a sectional with a recliner on the end.  I decided to sleep in the recliner.  I just can imagine having Ron or Diesel bump my back.  😲 Not sure how long I will stay in the recliner... possibly up to when the staples are removed (in two weeks).  We shall see.

And so the back journey continues....

TLIF Surgery - Post-op Day 7

8am morning update  / TLIF surgery Post-op Day 7...
1 week ago today I had the surgery.
I didn't sleep as well last night as I have been. I still managed to get in a little more than 5 hours, but it was a very uncomfortable time. I was in the same position I have been in on nights before, and tried the ice pack, but just couldn't get my darn back and hips to stop hurting/aching. I took a Percocet / Phenergan cocktail at 10pm last night (the same thing that has been working) but it didn't do the ...job this time. So this morning as I do my walking I'm reevaluating yesterday and think I have figured out the problem (hopefully). Yesterday was a pretty good day. I was uncomfortable but not in a lot of pain...so I didn't take a lot of pain meds. In fact, when I looked back at my notes (yes, I keep up with when I take stuff) I skipped one dose entirely. I think that was probably a mistake. So today instead of being "Ms. Tough Girl" I'm going to stay on schedule. If I'm not in a lot of pain I will not take a narcotic, but will take some Tylenol instead. Hopefully this will keep the pain pushed away enough and I will sleep well again tonight. Live and learn, right? Still staying positive. I know my back is healing because it's itching like crazy! 😜 Now to get my pup out of my chair so I can rest some more. He sure loves the new recliner.


12:00 noon - The day is going well.  The pain is under control thankfully...and I plan to keep it that way if possible. Same routine as the previous days - resting and walking.  And I have the best nurse in the world:





4pm - Holy crapola!! I was trying to get situated in my chair and pushed up with my right arm.  Apparently I didn't have my spine neutral enough and it sent an excruciating pain through me!!!  Mostly through my right side...Yikes it hurt!!!  Got up and walked it off...walked right to where my meds are kept, got a pill (thankfully it was almost time for it anyway)...and then walked some more.  So thankful the pain went away.  Yikes!!!



Amazon delivery for me today!  😁 Isnt' that the cutest little cuddle bear?  My coworker Judy said she made sure that the bear's robe matched mine too...LOL.



Feeling the love today...received these cards too.  The 2 cards in the back are from other co-workers and the post card is from the agency.  More TV time....too funny!  
📺
4pm - Decided it was finally time to take a real shower.  There's only so long I can stand doing the bed side bath and I really need to wash my hair!  I've been using dry shampoo but it can only help for so long.  So....I took the bandage off...thankfully, it came off easily.  It appears that the incision hasn't bled much at all.  
The shower felt amazing.  It's crazy how water can refresh you so much.  I feel so clean now!  😊 
After the shower I was able to get a really good look at the incision...well, as best as possible with a mirror.  Then my hubby took a picture for me.  10 staples - only 2 inches long.  I have quite a bit of swelling, especially on the right side, and funny indentions but I'm sure it's just part of the healing process.  I can't wait to see how it changes as it heals...at least I hope it changes.  😜



It's absolutely amazing that they can go through such a small incision to do all the work they did!

TLIF Surgery - Post-op Day 6

**Posting this blog entry after the fact based on notes I made on my phone the day of surgery and posts I made on social media sites.**

post-op day 6... Moving forward in my recovery. No more nausea or throwing up yesterday or last night. Woot woot! Pain is not too bad today - uncomfortable for sure, but tolerable. Fitbit says I slept for 6 and 1/2 hours last night between my two sleep spells (I got up when Ron left at 4am for a bit). Will probably nap some more today between my strolls. Worse complaint right now is that the pain meds are messing with my normal bodily functions and my vision. But, today is better than yesterday...plan to continue that trend. *** Notice the boy doesn't have his blanket or pillow. He took them out of his bed yesterday when Jane came to visit...along with the couch pillows. He's been so good for me I guess he figured if someone else was here he would show out. 🐶 (posted originally on FB at 9:29am)



Luckily the vision issues are very temporary. I think they are probably caused by the Percocet since I only notice it first thing in the morning.  It also seems to give me a bit of a headache.  However, it's very effective on the pain so taking it at night will continue for now.

I know I'm supposed to be blogging about my TLIF surgery, but this boy is part of my recovery.  He has my heart for sure!










Today was a pretty good day.  Still very uncomfortable but the pain is tolerable.  So glad the recovery is going better than I expected.

TLIF Surgery - Post-op Day 5

**Posting this blog entry after the fact based on notes I made on my phone the day of surgery and posts I made on social media sites.**

Early morning update ~ Post-op Day 5
Didn't sleep to bad last night. Fitbit says I got a little over 5 hours and I'm about to attempt to snooze some more. Only got up to see Ron off and do a little stroll. Yesterday wasn't too bad. The worst part of the day was yesterday morning because the Percocet ended up making me sick. I can deal with pain much more than nausea and throwing up!! Thankfully I had some Phenergan too so by the afternoon it had passed. Obviously I can't take the Percocet without the anti-nausea meds too. 😱
I managed to get in just over 3000 steps yesterday. They were slow ones but steps nonetheless. I'm on the move now. 😂 Every day has been a little better than the day before and I'm hoping that trend continues. I've had to rethink how I do things - and not do some things at all. The no bending, lifting, or twisting rule is difficult but I'm sticking to it! I definitely want this fusion to work and to hopefully be pain-free.
Thanks to everyone that has checked in on me and Ron. We have some great friends and family.  (originally posted on FB at 5:16am on Feb 1)



Changed my medications up some....I'll stick to Lortab during the day and only take the Percocet at night (with Phenergan).  Hopefully that will take care of the pain and the nausea.  
Diezel continues to love the new recliner!!  😊😊😊😊




Still working the hubby pretty hard.  He's having to do pretty much everything, but he committed to this journey also.  We both know that it will be worth it.  I did a lot of walking today too....well, not a lot compared to what I was doing before the surgery, but a lot for recovery.  The Doc told me to walk as much as I could.  Walking promotes healing and it feels better when I'm walking too.  
Today was a good day.  Not too much pain and NO nausea.  Woot Woot!!!  I think I have figures out the right way to do the pain meds.  Jane came out to visit.  Bless her heart she always wants to do something.  She brought me lunch and spent some time just visiting.  Diezel showed out some while she was here.  He's been so good for me, I guess he just needed to get it out of his system.  😂

TLIF Surgery - Post-op Day 4

**Posting this blog entry after the fact based on notes I made on my phone the day of surgery and posts I made on social media sites.**

Early Tuesday morning update... I slept much better in the new recliner. Woot woot! Ron is returning to work today and I have lots of friends and family on standby if I need them. We got everything situated where I could reach it I think, and the hubby hooked me up with lots of ready made salads and protein packs, so I should be good. The pain isn't horrible right now. I haven't taken a pain pill since 10pm last night but that's about to change. Once I woke up and started moving around I can feel the pain creeping back in. I plan to spend the day watching TV and movies, flipping through magazines, doing my little walks, and getting plenty of rest. Diezel will join me at some point I'm sure. 🐶😀😴 Happy Tuesday!







Diezel decided if I was going to sleep in "his" chair, he would join me.  He's such a mess!!









Nausea from the pain meds started causing some issues today.  I can deal with pain so much better than nausea!  And throwing up is the absolute worst.  I can tell you first hand that throwing up with an incision in your back is not a pleasant experience!






FedEX delivered the flowers today.  Of course they had to sit in the box on the porch until my hubby got home since I can't bend or lift.  So sweet.  And the card cracked me up.
Talked to the nurse at my Doc's office today. Post-op is scheduled for the 9th.  I'll get the staples out then. I told her about the pain I was having in my right hip and leg, some of which feels like a muscle spasm.  I already have a prescription for Robaxin, a muscle relaxer, so she told me take it as needed and hopefully it would take care of the hip pain.  Also talked with her about showering and my bandage.  She told me to wait at least one more day before showering and to try to take at least a couple of showers before my post-op visit because the showering would soften the scabs making it easier for the staples to be removed (which makes me squirm just thinking about it).  For the bandage she said it was ok to let the incision air dry but it might be more comfortable to keep it covered most of the time (and especially at night), and that if I left the house for any reason to 100% have the incision covered.

TLIF surgery - Post-op Day 3

**Posting this blog entry after the fact based on notes I made on my phone the day of surgery and posts I made on social media sites.**

So sleeping was interesting.  I tried to get situated on the bed and pain was intense...actually brought tears to my eyes!! Ended up back on the couch with every pillow imaginable propping me up.  Our couch has a recliner on each end but I couldn't use the recliner because I'm not able to push it back in. Still having the new pain in my right hip and leg that I'm hoping was caused by how I had to sleep in the hospital.  Certainly don't want to have traded in one problem for another.

Nurse Diezel keeing a watchful eye.

This pup is something else!!!

This is what happens when you can't get up and answer the door...LOL.  Yep, that delivery had to wait for Ron to get back.

Ron went out and about today to see if he could find my meds again.  Thankfully he was able to.  And, being the awesome hubby that he is, he also bought a new recliner so I can hopefully get some sleep!  He went to like 6 different furniture stores and ended up with one from Badcock.  It's an oversized recliner that is motorized so there is plenty of room for my boy to be up there with me, and I don't have to put the foot prop down.  Woot Woot!! The hubby came home a little grumpy...but I'll let it slide this time...LOL.  He's been so great, I know he's ready to go back to work so he can rest.  Now hopefully the next few days will be more comfortable for me so I can get some rest and heal.

Diezel absolutely loves the new recliner!!  He fits perfect right beside me and everytime I get up he takes it for his own.