L5 S1 fusion, laminectomy and bilateral foraminotomy

[Jeaniem130]

I am coming up on 3 months post op. I go to therapy 2 x a week and can walk moderately for 15-30 minutes a day but every time I think I am making progress as far as being pain free I have a bad spell needing meds, ice and heat again. I am 60 and may just be slow to heal?

[Poppy_Ann]

Hi there, like you I have a bad back which was damaged in a accident around 40 years ago, at the time I was in the army on exercise when we were recovering a class 90 roadway which is used to get a airfield operating after being bombed and I ended up with my head pushed to the side my hands pin'd on my shoulders with the track way resting on my shoulders in the end they fetched a bulldozer to take the strain so they could get me out and over the years they have tried just about everything except operating as they told me for every bone they fuse they have to do the one above and the one below and as a have L1, L2, L3, and L4 cracked that would mean they would have to fuse 6 of them then they added that for every one they fuse there is a 10% chance of crippling me which at the time I was nothing like I am now at the time I could still walk and run without a problem so at the time there was a 60/40 chance of not being able to stand up, walk or run so I said that I would leave it at the time and if it got to the stage where I could not stand or walk I would take another look at it but now it is a lot worse they will not operate due to the week state of the bones so I am stuck with only just able to walk or stand up for the last month my back keeps having spasms which if I am not holding onto anything I hit the floor I have had spasms in the past but it use to only be a few at a time but over the last 5 or 6 weeks they have kept on coming over the years I think I have had just about every pain medication that there is I can cope with the pain but the spasms are killing me I have made a appointment with my doctor but the first one that there is free is 9th of June so I will just have to cope until then.

Good luck finding somthing that works for you having a bad back is just about the worst thing you could have.

Regards Poppy Ann

[rabbits65 in reply to Poppy_Ann]

The 9 th June that is disgusting . Why don’t you write a letter to the practise manager and say just how much your suffering . It’s so unfair for you .

[Emma2017]

Hi there again. I was nearly 59 when I had my fusion of the L5/S1 and laminectomy of the L2/L3. After 3 months I was nowhere near as good as I am now. I had my ops 2 years ago now and it takes a lot longer than you have given yourself so far. It took me a year before I could walk some decent distances. I had a lot of hassle before this op as I woke up with a lame leg after the first microdiscectomy 2 years earlier followed by 2 more microdiscectomies. So maybe my recovery took slightly longer than normal. But just be patient and all you can do is slowly increase the amount of time you walk and the distance you cover. I gave up on the physio as I felt AT and dtm helped me more coupled with lots of walks. It’s a major operation and they say in general it takes a year to get over it during which time the fusion solidifies.

[Jeaniem130 in reply to Emma2017]

Emma, Do you mean aqua therapy? If so, was it formal or did you go on your own. My PT is mostly stretching and ab work. I do feel like it helps a bit and gives me guidance but it is starting to feel redundant and I think I will soon just stop going and make sure I continue to do the exercises at home.

[Emma2017 in reply to Jeaniem130]

No I mean Alexander Technique. If you can find a really good teacher then you can learn a lot from her or him in the way you can stretch your body in good ways and walk in a better way etc. It’s quite gentle but at the same time good. My teacher combines it with meridian exercises which makes you stretch in unimaginable ways but it loosens you up. I might attempt to go back to pilates again soon which is different but would compliment it nicely as my fusion has fused good now. It’s all to do with time after a fusion. Most of us think that after three months we should be able to do more but it takes a lot longer. It’s why they wait a full year before they take a ct scan to see if it has fused properly and it will keep on fusing further after that I was told.

[Jeaniem130 in reply to Emma2017]

PT said she will probably discharge me next week or reduce my visits. Did you get the crepitus? I can feel at times like something is shifting at the fusion site. PT said not to worry about it unless it is painful. My sister in law said it happened with her fusion.

[Emma2017 in reply to Jeaniem130]

Hi I had a lot of pain and a shifting feeling at the fusion site for a while and the physio asked the surgeon for an MRI. I got one but it was all ok. The pain subsided and this weird clicking/shifting sensation did too. It still gets tired quickly and does hurt at times but overall it’s a lot better now. As I understand it the fusion is now stronger than the area was before, the only thing that could go wrong now is the disc above it but hey that is just a pessimistic outlook. Better to think it will stay fine forever now 😃

[Jeaniem130 in reply to Emma2017]

Yeah, my ct scan a month after the surgery stated the above disc has a mild bulge.😐

[Emma2017 in reply to Jeaniem130]

Just keep to mild exercises, little but often, you don’t want another op 😷

[Jeaniem130]

Thank you both. I hope we all find relief and can be as active as possible.