Wishing you luck on your surgery. Enjoy your downtime!

One of our guests just had this surgery a couple of months ago. He's happy he had it done. All pain is done and he's seeing improvements every day. He's still stiff but happy it went well. I wish the same improvement for you dear!

I want to clarify what I posted. I feel bad I posted; but as I said, I'd feel worst if I didn't post and she ended up in the failed fusion bunch.

Igloo, what your friend is experiencing, is normal. Those of us with failed fusions also had less pain, no pain following surgery. With both surgeries I never needed a walker; a cane was fine. I did not drive for 8 months following surgery #2.

Things were great the 1st year with #1. I was happy I had it done. Fusion 1, it was at the 1 year mark where the pain started coming back. By the 2 year mark, the metal rubbing bone started. It went downhill after that. Pain meds were increased. Tried everything; including a TENS & MENS unit. I did not take my 2nd surgery lightly.. I suffered for years before making the decision to add rods.

Fusion 2 - I was ok (but still on low dose pain meds) for maybe 6 to 8 months. Surgery took away the metal rubbing bone feeling. The rods eventually started hurting me; they say because I am thin. My pain meds were increased a year after surgery, and increased again 6 months after that. They have been trying to figure out what to do with me. Both of my Dr's say that removing the rods may or may not help.

At pain management, most of the patients have had some part of their back fused.

The guy that originally had surgery with my 1st surgeon had also had 2 surgeries. He was told by surgeon #2 that the original one used old technology.

I've been to my 1st surgeons web site - found it on medscape or one of those medical sites; he was listed as one of the only ones to do the new flexible disks in my state. What he didn't tell me at the time was that he was being trained for the flexible disks. I kick myself for not waiting. He's had all sorts of articles written about him; how great of a surgeon he is; but the patients they write about are always during the 1st year of healing.

I don't know why some people don't have luck with back surgery. I've heard that some people's bodies can't handle foreign objects.

Best advice I can give is research, speak to patients that have had similar surgery if you can. You want to speak to people in about the 2 year mark.

Also see if you can find out what new surgeries are in clinical trials; that will give you an idea of how much or how little is coming. For me, finding the flexible disk clinical trial 4 weeks out of surgery really ticked me off. Something kept telling me to wait but I did not.

Roslvr- Thank you for taking the time to post when you are dealing with so much in your life right now. It is very much appreciated especially it is not serious as what your husband is facing. I am sending good thoughts to you and your husband in this difficult time.

thanks all for the kind words, it does help immensely. My DH took me out for a marvelous dinner last night, so that was very fun and not something we do often. I am looking forward to not being so numb and weak,in my hands especially.
Sue

Sending you prayers & best wishes for a well-done procedure & a smooth & speedy recovery.

Btw, CB...we're not imaginary friends-we're real!

OMG. I am gone for a few weeks and I come back to find you having surgery. And what is this "imaginary" friend crap? We are not your imaginary friends, we are all your real friends. Just because we are not there in person doesn't mean we are imaginary. We will be here thinking of you, praying for you and hoping you will get better ASAP so we can read your posts. (I will especially miss your silly ones. Which is the bulk of them.)

Can your hubby make some kind of contraption so you don't need your hands to be on the GW? I am thinking?.... a long beak?.... strapped on your head?.......... Not sure how you would manipulate the mouse. Maybe the beak would need a suction cup?

Back to the your recovery. Let everyone take care of you! You are a wonderful lady and I am sure there are many who will wait on you - hand and foot if you let them.

I agree with kitchenkelly...imaginary my foot !! We are your friends !! PLease take it easy and follow all the inst. they give you. I have a friend who had it several years ago and he is pain free and very glad he had it done. You will be in my thoughts. I am in N.O. with family but will check back regularly. c

Hugs to you, CB -- hopes and prayers that your surgery will be totally successful and so routine that it's boring!

You're in my thoughts and sending good wishes your way.

My thoughts and prayers are with you for a smooth surgery and recovery!

Hope you have a speedy recovery. You will be missed here. Perhaps you can dictate to someone who will post for you. :)

Though you may only have soup for Thanksgiving, I hope it is still a great day for you. (Just less to cook!)

((Cooper)) Wishing you a very successful surgery, and full and healthy recovery. All the best. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.

Cooper!

I just saw you post on another thread.

How are you feeling?

Nervous waiting for Monday, and achy. Thinking its not too late to back out.... DH just rolls his eyes at me. Thanks for asking.

I'd be nervous too. Anyone would, I bet. I hope it works out just as you hope it will. Pain is not a fun thing to live with. Nice pun, though.

Sue~I just saw this ~so sorry you are going thru this. I hope it is successful and you are pain free after the surgery. Feel free to email me thru my GW email - I'm not to far from you ~ if you need a "real friend" from G'Web.

Wishing you a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!

It will be a huge success! Good vibes going out to you!

Best of luck to you tomorrow, coop! Your friends in the ethernet will be wishing you well wishing you a speedy recovery.

Yikes, cooperbailey--it's so amazing the imaginative ways our bodies can figure out to mess us up...I hope you have a complication free surgery and recovery and maybe your family can read you threads in case quitting g'web cold turkey proves too difficult :)

Sue, if something is telling you to back out; call & postpone surgery. Your surgery is later in the day; there's enough time to change your mind.

Try to figure out what's bothering you. Is it that you'll be down for the holiday's? Do you feel like you don't have enough done to be down for 6+ weeks? Is it something else?

Figure out what your fear is; and if you need to reschedule, do so. Very scary having someone playing around with your spine. You wouldn't believe the thoughts I had. Both surgeries I was crying in the car ride to the hospital.

hugs

Sue (yes, my name too)

Thinking of you today and sending positive vibes out into the universe for that imaginery CooperBailey that we all love so much.

All the best today. Stay calm and take care of yourself these next few weeks!

(((((Sue))))) Wishing you the very best. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

My thoughts and prayers are with you today as you have your surgery and during your recovery period, as well. Take care and know that we're here rooting for you!
Lynn

So it's about that time, now. God be watching over you, CooperBailey.

Good luck!

God bless cooperbailey! Come back when you can!

....Jane

We miss you already!

Just checking in to say I'm thinking of your back surgery tomorrow.

Sue is my middle name. Does that count?

I'm wishing you again a speedy recovery and total success !!
almost a full day since surgery.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
My name isn't Sue
But I'm thinking of you (hon).

Hope all is well, CB!

Hope your surgery was successful Cooperbaily and we hear from you soon!

Sending healing vibes your way. Happy Thanksgiving!

OK, Amy. I assume it is safe to say that if I go look on the "What do you do for a living?" post, you are not making a living as a poet.

CB Sue, Hope you are doing well my friend!

chuckle chucklesize=1>

Happy thanksgiving! got home late yesterday napped most of the evening. stayed extra day in hospital for nausea ( nuff said)the surgeon is very pleased with how things went and I can feel my fingers!!. a little tired of soup and my DH is going to scramble some soft eggs for me. a friend dropped off some homemade breads and a cute little pumpkin pie with piecrust leaves on it! I will have that for dinner only soft stuff for me, yeah its all a bout the food.
I feeL I already had my thanksgivien with my kids and DH at the hospital with me- so good to see their smiling facces.
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, they are very much appreciated. Sue

Hey CooperBailey-Sue! Welcome home!! So glad to hear your body is already responding well to the surgery. Cheers to happy fingers and happy toes on this Thanksgiving Day :D

So glad you're doing well and on the road to recovery! Don't try to do too much, too soon. Take it easy and rest up.

CooperBailey, Good to hear that everything went well, now you just have to focus on relaxing and letting your body do it's healing magic.

Hey there, Cooperbailey, my surgery-sisa! I'm so glad to hear you are home and feeling better--that is wonderful! Get plenty of rest and try to just relax. Happy turkey-day, and enjoy your soup!

That's great news, CB. Please rest up, now. You probably have lots of swelling in your spine from the surgery, so please take it easy so you heal extra-good.

Great news !! take it easy............

Hooray! You are back. I knew you would be just fine but it is wonderful to have you sign in and confirm it.

I agree with the others. Take care of yourself and rest!

I am SO glad that you are home and on the road to recovery . Take care and rest and please keep us in the loop as to how it is going. c

That's wonderful news CB, so glad you are home and well on your way to recovery. It's amazing what the love and smiling faces of our family can do for us! It's the best soul medicine there is! Take care, Lukki

and pie, my DD made pumpkin pie for me today! yummy

Welcome home! Glad you are feeling OK. Hope you get to eat real food soon!
Course I could live on pumpkin pie for a day or two myself.

Welcome home! Welcome back!

I'm sorry Sue! I missed this earlier. Hope you are coming along well with your recovery. We miss you here!!

Take care of yourself. . .

tina

That's wonderful, cooperbailey. Hope your recovery remains problem-free from now on. Won't it be amazing to have your hands back!

Sorry I missed all this - we were in Disney and I couldn't wait to get back to my "imaginary" friends. No time til today.

Glad you are doing well, you need those fingers to type LOL! Take it easy though, don't want you to do too much too soon.