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.  🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 

Neuro Stim System off ear / First look at incision (pictures included - you've been warned)

Today I removed the Neuro Stim System (NSS) from my ear.  If you read my previous blog post  you already know that I think it's a fascinating device.  When they placed it on my ear they told me to leave it on for 3-5 days.  All of the research I found said it worked up to 5 days... but I found one article that said it was being used for people with chronic pain and was changed every 7 days.  So, I decided to give it an extra day, just in case it was still working.  I definitely know that it worked for several days and will be requesting it for any future surgery.  Almost anything that takes away pain with the use of less narcotics is a great thing.

Here's a look at the device still on my ear:

It was definitely interesting being there.  I couldn't lay on that ear when sleeping or use that ear when talking on the phone, and I had to be careful doing things like brushing my hair.  But it was worth any adjustments I had to make for the pain relief it provided.  

Here's a look when I first started removing it - notice the tiny probe that was inserted into to my ear:

There were actually 4 electrodes attached to my ear, 3 on the front and 1 that was a different color on the back.  I assume the one in the back was a ground wire.

All of the electrodes had 1 tiny prong on them except 1 of them - that one had 4 little prongs:

The best part about removing the device was being able to wash my hair!!  

Dry shampoo can only do so much for so long.  😆

After surgery they told me to leave the bandage on for a week.  During the last surgery the bandage came off within a matter of days, but this time it was hanging on, and itching me like crazy.  So I decided 6 days was long enough and removed the bandage before my shower.  Thankfully the incision looks pretty good right now.  I'm really hoping it heals better than last time.  🤞 

It's pretty puffy around it, but that's to be expected.  And theres a pretty good bruise on the right side showing up too.

There are 12 staples total (there were 10 after the last surgery).  The top one has 2 in it - not sure what the deal is there.  Maybe a misfire?  Several of them are already trying to back out some too - especially those two on top.  Guess they don't want to be stuck in me.  Wonder if they will stay in until my post-op appointment.  🤔  You can really see how far out they are in this side view:

I'm scheduled to have the staples removed on the 19th.  with all the issues I had with the wound during the last surgery I'm going to be a little anxious until the staples come out and this wound heals.  And also until lots of time passes.  So far I think I'm doing pretty good.  It seems like the problem has been fixed so far... time will tell. 

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 - 6 weeks post-op **Pictures of x-rays and incision included**

Pictures of 6-week post-op x-rays and incision included - consider yourself warned. 😉

So I have reached the first big milestone in my TLIF surgery recovery - 6 weeks post-op.  Overall I've been doing well.  There have been a few bumps, but I suppose that's normal with a major surgery.

Last weekend our car club had our 8th Annual Car Show.  The day was beautiful and the show went well.  We were able to situate stuff so I could reach pretty much everything I needed to (meaning lots of stuff was on tables), and there were plenty of people on hand to help.  In addition to our members doing a fantastic job all day, my oldest daughter Ashlee was also on hand to help me out.  I'm very thankful for her helping out when she can.  Please check out the pictures from the show here: Florida Mopars

Work is still going well.  I've continued to be able to work full days most of the time.  The biggest problem with work continues to be the sitting.  Sitting puts so much pressure on the lower back, and is almost intolerable at times.  But thankfully, I'm able to walk around frequently.

My biggest complaint right now is still with my incision.  It is driving me crazy!!  If you have read my previous posts you know the incision has been an issue for me...well, it continues to be.  Before the staples were removed (at 2 weeks post-op) the incision looked pretty good.  It even looked good right after...but then things changed.  It started draining before the staples were removed, and is still draining!  It's now down to just a very small amount, but it's enough that I still have to keep a bandage on it.  Even though the drainage has lessened the incision itself just doesn't seem to want to heal...at least on the outside.  And it's very tender!!!  😧

The incision being so tender is causing a bigger issue - lack of sleep!!  It's extremely difficult to lean back on it because of the pain involved with that, so I do a lot of tossing and turning all night.  Initially after the surgery the most comfortable sleeping position was in the recliner on my back.  I'm still in the recliner but spend a good portion of the night trying to get pressure off of my incision.  Left side, right side, back again....repeat.  Uggg!  And then there's the issue with my right hip still hurting....makes being on the side next to impossible too.  I've tried sleeping on the couch...only made it through about an hour.  Same with the bed...it's just way too much pressure on my lower back.   Even though this part of the recovery has been rough, the overall experience honestly has not been horrible.  Overall I've been doing really well and am pretty pleased with my progress.

I had my 6 week check-up with the doc today.  I had x-rays done a few days ago so he could see if the fusion was working.  He said the x-rays looked perfect...woot woot!  At least the fusion is doing what it's supposed to do at this point.  More x-rays will be done in 6 more weeks to make sure it's still progressing.

He has no idea why my incision isn't healing quicker.  It's odd because I've always healed really quickly and there's no real reason for it to be taking so long (I don't smoke, I'm not diabetic, etc...). He said it's definitely healing from the inside, but for some reason the top portion is taking it's time. It even started bleeding some this week.  Why?  Who knows?  The options are we can keep waiting for it to heal on it's own...or he can open it up more and pack it. Ummm....I think I'll just keep waiting.  Hopefully it will heal soon...and stop being so tender.  

During this next 6 weeks I have the same restrictions as I have had: no bending, lifting, or twisting and still wear the brace.

Ok...so now for some pictures.

As I mentioned, I had x-rays done so the doc could see if the fusion was working.  I have no idea how he can tell if it's working or not (that's why he's paid the big bucks I guess)...but the x-rays look pretty cool anyway.  Here's a look at the hardware I now have in my back.  The hardware is located at L4-L5.  There are 2 pedicle screws on the right side with a connecting rod and 1 translaminar facet screw going diagonally.   There is also a cage placed where the disc was although you can only see the top and bottom of it highlighted on the x-ray.

And the incision....be warned it looks gross.  I've decided it looks like I have an oyster trying to come out of my back:

Man will I be glad when this stage of recovery is over!  Still staying positive though.  The pain I was having before the surgery is gone, so I consider it a success.  I just have to get through the long recovery and all the bumps that come with it.  Staying positive!

TLIF Surgery - Post-op 4 weeks (incision picture included)

First thing - Tomorrow is our car club's 8th Annual Car Show.  Come out and join us for some fun.  Enter your show vehicle or just come look at all the great rides and hang out with some great people.

Check us out here: Florida Mopars

So today makes 4 weeks since I had my TLIF surgery.  It's been a very interesting journey for sure.  For those that have followed my posts you know how I've been doing for the most part - especially in the beginning when I was posting daily.

I've been doing pretty good...so much better than I was worried I would be.  I've been back to work with "hours as tolerated" for 2 weeks now.  I've been able to work the entire work day most days because I have some flexibility with my work.  I work from home so I don't have to commute (which eliminates the driving issue) and I'm able to get up and walk around as much as needed (which is quite often).  Sitting is still the worst part of this whole ordeal.  Sitting puts a lot of pressure on the lower back...so imagine how it feels with an insicion, not to mention the items used for the fusion which I'm sure are causing some of the pressure.

I don't think I really feel any of the items used for the fusion (screws, rods...), and I hope that I don't.  I have no idea how much the fusion will affect the mobility in that area (L4-L5).  I know that the whole purpose is to stop movement there, but what I'm referring to is the mobility used with daily tasks.  As of what I'm allowed to do right now I don't think it will be much of an issue.

The issues I'm having right now are still mostly with the incision.  It is still draining, although it's far less than it has been in the past.  Now it's at a level where it's just enough that I have to keep a bandage on it...so at the aggravating stage.  The incision itself still looks crazy to me.  As you can see from this picture there is still a crazy section in the middle, but it's coming together.  The doc assures me that this is normal, in fact his words were that "it looks good".  Ummm, ok...

I'm assuming the yellowish section is scar tissue pulling the incision together...maybe?  It's very interesting because you can clearly see where the cut was made.  You can also see at the bottom where the tiny opening is - that's where the drainage keeps coming out.  While it is annoying, I would still rather it keep draining until there's nothing left.  Better out than in!

I'm still having the burning and occasional pain in the right hip and right leg.  I think it's just nerve pain but I will definitely be monitoring it.  Really hoping I don't have an entirely new issue.

I'm still sleeping in the recliner because it's still the most comfortable.  This week I've had a difficult time getting comfortable at night.  Since the surgery I've only been comfortable sleeping on my back propped up.  This week I've not been able to be on my back for long periods...not even when sitting...because when I lean back it causes a burning, primarily in the incision area. Being uncomfortable while trying to sleep makes for difficult days to follow, which is why I missed some work this week.  Wednesday morning I just simply could not get up when it was time for work because I had such an uncomfortable night.  Having issues being on my back meant that this week is the first time I've slept on my side for any length of time.  That's an ordeal in itself.  I have to "log roll to get into position.  Whoever said that was easy obviously hadn't had back surgery.  The good thing about getting on my side though is I can do it in the bed. So I've slept for a few hours this week actually in my bed.  Not ready to give up the recliner yet though.

I take very few of the narcotics now...only an occasional one at night when I am extremely uncomfortable.  Tylenol has been taking care of any pain that my happen.  There hasn't been too much pain (thankfully).  This week I've had more muscle cramps, but they seem to be alleviated by the muscle relaxer.

I'm still adapting to doing things differently.  I'm a pretty independent person so depending on others, even my hubby, is hard sometimes.  Tomorrow our car club is having it's 8th Annual Car Show.  Typically I do a lot of stuff during it.  I've had to really think about how to do things...or even what I will be doing.  I think I have it all figured out...and I know that there will be plenty of people to help out (and help keep from over doing it).  But it is odd to have to depend on others.

I'm still staying positive about my recovery and the outcome of it.  While it is a long recovery, I am doing my best to follow all the rules.  One thing is for certain...I had no idea how much stuff I dropped before this surgery!  Thank goodness for that handy grabber tool! 😄

TLIF Surgery - Post-op Day 19 (incision pictures included)

**Incision pictures included at the end of this post.  Consider yourself warned...LOL.**

It's been a few days since I've posted.  I've been meaning to take a minute and update this blog but it seems that things have been very busy lately.  For the most part that's a good thing.  Ron laughs at me for everything I've been sharing.  I'm not sure how many people will even read my blog, but I wanted to share this journey just in case it could help someone else.  When I was preparing for my surgery I read everything I could possibly find and really found the personal stories helpful.

So, here's a rundown of how things have been going.

Saturday morning I decided to finally step back on the scale.  I haven't weighed myself since the day of the surgery.  Obviously I haven't been able to maintain the same amount of exercising that I was before the surgery, so I was very concerned that I had gained quite a bit.  I have tried to walk as much as possible but it's nothing like before...way fewer steps and much slower.  I was VERY pleased when I weighed!!!  I had only gained 1.7 pounds!  Woot Woot!  You have no idea how happy I was.  Maybe I can actually get through this recovery without messing up my lifestyle changes too bad.  😁

Our car club has it's 8th Annual Car Show coming up on Saturday, Feb 25.  Usually I prepare all of the goody bags for our shows.  I tried to get as much together as I could prior to the surgery, but there was no way I could get the bags done because stuff was still coming in for them.  So...we planned a Pizza Party for the club to come over this past Saturday to put the bags together.  We had 7 members come over and pretty much had an assembly line.  It was an interesting time for me.  I'm such an independent person that it's hard for me to have other people do things I feel like I should be doing. Not being able to bend or twist and only able to lift very light things, I was at a disadvantage.  I pretty much had to just delegate.  And while I've never been one to back down from bossing people around, it was still odd to be mainly on the sidelines.  The group did awesome and we got those bags together pretty quick.  And we had some yummy pizza from Marco's too!!

I was still feeling pretty good after the Pizza Party...and since Ron has also been cooped up in the house...we decided to go to the movies Saturday night.  I was concerned about sitting through the entire movie so we sat on the edge so I get out of my seat as needed.  I took a pillow with me (in a tote bag) and spent a good portion during the middle of the movie pacing at the side of the theater, but I made it through the movie.  The movie was excellent too - John Wick: Chapter 2 - Go see it if you get the chance.  

We even had a short game night after the movie.

Sunday I spent the day doing the version of housework I have to do recovering from back surgery...which means I did very little but still accomplish a few things.  Ashlee came over and brought her baby Lettie for a play date with Diezel.  They played well together and Lettie only jumped on me a few times so all was well.

Monday was my first day back at work.  Many people aren't able to return to work at only 2 weeks out from fusion surgery, but I have the advantage of working from home.  Since I don't have to commute and have the flexibility to get up as often as I need to, the doc released me to return to work with some limitations - hours as tolerated / no bending, lifting, or twisting.

Returning to work was interesting to say the least.  After being out of the office for 2 weeks my email inbox was jam packed!  I did the best I could but at 3pm I had to call it a day.  My job is primarily a desk job, so there's only so much I can do while pacing, and sitting was really get to me.  After work I don't think I sat back down for hours.  In fact I decided to try the treadmill for the first time since before the surgery.  Obviously I had to do it a very low speed and with no incline, but I managed to walk a mile on it.  It took me 35 minutes to walk that mile but I did it and it felt great to just walk. 

Tuesday I managed to make it a whole day at work.  Still not moving at full speed but at least I'm working.  And I'm sure I'll get into the swing of things soon.  It's kind of nice to get back to some form of a normal routine.

Tuesday night when I took my shower and did the usual incision check I became a little worried.  The incision is still draining so I have to keep a bandage on it all the time, which of course means it staying wet.  The look of it is not pleasant and it's becoming more tender.  We were a little worried that it might be getting infected.  This picture is a comparison of the incision on Feb 10 (the day after the staples were removed) and today (Feb 15).  See why it freaked me out??

First thing today I called the doctors office and of course they wanted me to come in so they could take a look at it.  Ron left work early and took me (because I'm still not driving).  They had to work me in between patients so I waited a little longer than usual but they were still pretty quick.  Both Brittany (the nurse) and the doc told me that the incision looks fine to them.  I asked the doc was this what it was supposed to look like and he said there's not one way it's supposed to look but mine is doing fine.  He said I needed to keep doing what I was doing...keep it clean...keep it dry.  So basically, I was being overly cautious.  I really don't want the incision to get infected and would much rather be overly cautious and nothing be wrong than the opposite.  Ron asked if I was going to tell everyone about my "false alarm".  I guess the answer to that is yes since I just put it in this blog.   😄

I guess the point of sharing this is so people can see that there really isn't a "normal" when healing.  It just takes time and it's going to go through many stages.  I just wish some of these stages weren't so gross looking or tender.