An eye opener.
I’m sure at least some readers are as tired of hearing about my recent surgery as I am of thinking about it. But others have been asking a lot of questions about it and many of my family and friends rely on my blog for updates on how I’m doing. Thus, today’s post.
Yesterday morning I had my first post-op appointment with my orthopedic surgeon after having 4-level spinal fusion surgery 17 days ago. The PA ordered two x-rays so immediately after they were taken I asked the technician to use my phone to photograph both of them. They aren’t the best photos (especially the second one) but they’re good enough to make the cause of my continuing pain and discomfort perfectly obvious.
This is a frontal view of the metal rods and screws used to anchor my L1 – L5 vertebrae into more normal positions relative to each other. The natural discs between those vertebrae are virtually gone, so before the hardware was installed the vertebrae were tipped at angles that impinged on the spinal nerves coming out of them, resulting in unfortunate symptoms in my feet, legs, hips and lower back.
This is a side view, taken while I was laying on my left side. As a result of the surgery, the disc spaces are now much closer to level relative to each other so, theoretically at least, there should eventually (after inflammation has subsided and healing has occurred) be significantly less pressure on my spinal nerves.
But the other issue was my almost nonexistent discs that are supposed to pad the spaces between my vertebrae. So during the procedure my surgeon dug out the remnants of my natural discs and replaced them with grafting material. In the coming months, if everything goes according to plan, the grafts will grow and heal and eventually help the rods and screws keep my vertebrae at angles relative to each other that will mitigate my previous spinal nerve impingement.
But in spinal fusions everything doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes the grafts don’t “take”, resulting in failed fusions.
So, besides my handy-dandy ice machine, my back brace, my cane, my ‘picker-upper’ and my ‘rope-a-dope’, this infernal contraption is a new gadget I’ll be wearing for two hours each day for months. It’s called a SpinalStim and its function is spinal fusion therapy. When used as intended, its electrical stimulation increases both the rate and the amount of spinal graft growth (fusion) by 20%, thus reducing the chances of failed fusions.
So that’s where I am at the moment. As disconcerting as it is for me to look at these x-rays and realize that I have all of that hardware in me, I also find them to be reassuring. The pain and discomfort in the lower half of my body are significant enough that until I saw the x-rays I couldn’t help but worry that something went wrong, or was going wrong, with the surgery.
But seeing all that hardware, in my spine no less, gave me a more realistic view of the trauma my body has endured and continues to endure. It’s no wonder I feel like crap. My surgeon and his PA have both assured me that I’ll feel better down the road.
It’s just gonna take time.
Ron
Notes:
- I was also reassured by something else I learned at my post-op appointment yesterday. The PA told me that recovery pain from lumbar fusion is normally significant enough that the typical patient is forced to recalibrate their personal interpretation of the pain scale. I’d be much more concerned if the pain I’m going through wasn’t ‘normal’ for the procedure I had.
- I apologize if it sounds like I’m whining about pain in this post, and maybe I am. But significant pain is a normal result of spinal fusion and it’s one of the primary issues that potential fusion patients are concerned about, so it made no sense to minimize it.
Whining? Hardly. Venting, yes! And that’s fine by me. 😀
Not feeling what you must be feeling, I nevertheless think my awe about what can be done ‘technically’ is on par with my awe about the way you deal with it all, a deep bow! Fingers crossed all works according to plan. For now, take a deep breath, relax and keep us posted 😉 .. All the best from The Netherlands, Hans
I think after going through that you should get to complain about pain for as long as you like!
All the best for your continuing recovery & I hope it feels better soon.
I’m late to this post (company arrived yesterday) but wanted to share my concern for your current “predicament” and my fervent hope that the pain will subside to a more tolerable level very soon. With any luck, that SpinalStim will become your new best friend as it proves its worth in healing. ❤️🩹
While not the kind of post we have grown accustomed too, what kind of fine feathered friends would we be if we weren’t anxious to know how you are faring?
Boy, those X-rays say it all. It amazes me what can be done to help us.
Thanks for checking in and I’d never call you a whiner 😊
Stay well Ron
Thank you, Diana.
Thank you for sharing! Best wishes for pain maintenance. Being in pain is the worst!! Had ankle surgery in July to re-attach torn ligaments. Two screws inserted into my ankle that are NOT metal – they’re biodegradable and become part of the ankle bone. Looking at your x-rays am thankful and amazed at the progress the medical profession. Keep kickin’ Ron 🙂
Kickin’ hurts, Kathleen – at least the literal kind does. I’ll continue to do the other kind.
Thanks Ron. I know you don’t like to fly and with all that hardware if you do again you will set up off the metal detectors dramatically.
I do hope that the stimulator helps. Big time.
And you are DEFINITELY not whinging.
“if you do again”
I won’t EC, not if I can help it!
Good Morning Ron. Good to see you are making some progress since the surgery. You might look into acupuncture as a way to relieve some of your pain. Most Physicians have changed their positions on this type of Medical help, and some Insurances pay on this. Since you don’t want to take a lot of pain killers. Pain does get to every one of us at sometime in our lives. Grit you teeth and know there will be better days!
Thanks for the suggestion, Trudy.
OWOWOW! Here’s hoping the graphs fill in and your vertebrae stay where they belong. The stimu-brace should help with that. I’m surprised that they didn’t give you an immobilization brace like my friend had to wear with her fusion, although hers included a couple of T vertebrae. Glad all your jury-rigging is working out.
Here’s another look at the pain scale: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/02/boyfriend-doesnt-have-ebola-probably.html
And it’s not whining (or whinging for those who put an extra “u” in certain words 😉) for you to share your experiences. We’re all here for you. ❤️
Give us our daily whinge is one of my mantras. Bottling things up does no good in the long term. I think it was Murphy Brown who said ‘want do you want me to do? Take it like a man, bottle it up and have a heart attack?’
Marty, they did issue me a back brace but I refuse to wear it. I’ve had one for all three surgeries but only wore it briefly for a couple of reasons: 1, it’s meant to prevent bending, lifting and twisting (my doc said it mostly serves as a reminder) but after 3 back surgeries I don’t need the brace to remember and 2, I HATE wearing the damn thing!
That’s quite a bit of hardware.
Thanks for the peek. My concerns and sympathies for you.
I guess the good news is that we live in a time where such procedures are possible, and that there are pain meds and other such things to help with post-op/recovery issues. Imagine the alternative; like it would be in granddad’s days!
Keeping you in mind and heart.
“Imagine the alternative; like it would be in granddad’s days.”
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, Michael. No wonder life spans were so short back in the day.
Thank you for the update, Ron. So interesting about having to reset your pain scale perception post-op. I bet having the xrays to refer to can help with that reset – brilliant idea to take those shots! Are those little short vertical radio-opaque structures between the vertebrae the bone grafting material? With your analytical mind, being able to visualize what is going on in your back will help. The SpinalStim is interesting, too. And then you’ve always got Lyle who can rig you up with his wires and electrical socket! Sending all good thoughts your way.
Carolyn, I keep wondering what they are but I didn’t think to ask until I’d arrived home and it was too late. I have another appointment in two weeks so I’ll ask then.
I pray for your continued recovery. I am sure you will be back behind the camera in no time. For nature photographers, practicing the craft is like Oxygen…we can’t go without it for too long.
Take Care and heal on!
“we can’t go without it for too long”
It’s driving me nuts, Rene. All these beautiful days we’ve been having and I’m stuck at home.
That electrical stim should do the trick! Forty-five years ago I broke the metatarsal bone my hand. For 5 years of pain, x-rays didn’t pick up the break – I finally found it was broken about 1/2 inch after a supercompetent technician changed the angles. I was put in a cast for 3 months and it was about healed when a woman friend, who had too much “elixir” broke it again while dancing with me at my wedding reception. My arm was put back in a cast but the bones didn’t heal at all for 4 months. Then my doc affixed an electic stim on the cast above the break and 3 months later it almost completely healed. Hopefully it will work for you as well as it did for me!
Your story is encouraging, Kent. Thanks for telling it.
Jeez, it hurts just looking at all that hardware. On the bright side your resale value just went way up with all that titanium on board. Reminds me of that old movie “The Tingler” with Vincent Price.
SpinalStim – I wonder how much some ad man got paid to come up with that gem. Let me know if it doesn’t work. I’m sure I could rig something up with two wires and an electrical outlet. Just give me a call. Anything to get you back in the sadd…uh, truck. Our feathered friends are waiting. Well, at least I am.
Lyle, the SpinalStim is FDA approved with research backing up its results and insurance is paying for most of it so there must be something to it.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll contact you. Or not…
Let’s hope for your sake that “down the road” comes quickly. All this looks very uncomfortable and painful Ron. Hoping and praying that all of this does what it is supposed to and someday soon you will be fully recovered and back out taking photos again.
“Let’s hope for your sake that “down the road” comes quickly.”
My thoughts exactly, Everett.
In the past, you’ve commented that you’ve tried audio books and didn’t care
for the experience. From the point of view of a lifelong addicted reader, I
can tell you that the quality of th narrator is almost as critical as that of the
writer in giving you a good experience ( surprisingly, the author of the work is frequently the worst choice of narrator! ).A good audio can take you “right out of your body”, which would be of immense help right now– you wouldn’t have to hold the book or maintain a position. Based on what I perceive of your upbringing and spirit, I hope that someone could bring you “The Boys in the Boat”–the older version narrated by Edward Hermann–one of the very best in the business.If you have a Utah library card, you can get it on Beehive Overdrive and listen to it on your computer…..do you have a friend up there in SLC who can help you with this ? Or you can e-mail me and I’ll walk you through it .
Kris, actually I do have a good friend (my ex-wife) who is going to help me with it as soon as I feel well enough to tackle it.
Oh wow! These photos bring me to tears, they certainly show why there is so much pain. I hope your recovery is fast and it is a complete recovery.
Take Care,
Kaye
Thank you, Kaye.
Hi Ron, I am so glad you wrote all of this. I think if you went to school with Betty Knapp, that you and I are close to the same age, as I am 6 mos. older than she is. At any rate, I have been dealing with spinal stenosis for over 25 years and my first clue other than mild back pain then, was loss of 3 ” in height. Currently like you, there is no disk material in the intervertebral spaces of L2-5. Obviously the pain, spasms and limitations have increased to the point where the doc says “there’s only one alternative left….” Yeah right”. I keep telling myself that as long as I can function, I will keep going. So can you tell me, is the paIn you are having right now, worse than the pain you dealt with pre- op? I realize pain is subjective and you are only 17 days post -op. I guess what I am asking is…at this point would you do it again? I sure would appreciate periodic updates on your progress. Thank you so much.
Connie, the way I look at it I’d reached the point where I didn’t have much choice but to have the surgery. We’ll see how I feel about it a few months down the road.
So sorry for all the pain. Hopefully the end result will be fantastic. Our Golden years are so golden. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Ellen.
Sounds like you’re doing everything right that you can. Did your Ortho folks talk about any kind of modality or therapy to help you deal with the pain? (Some of the big medical facilities in the country have a whole department devoted to that field.)
I really hope your pain begins to diminish soon, Ron.
Nope, so far the PT folks haven’t mentioned anything they can do to help me deal with the pain.
WOW! The X-Ray’s certainly DO let you know “why” you’re having so much pain and the time it may take to get better! 🙁 Hopefully the stimulation will help things along.
You certainly would/will set the machines off at the airport! 😉
Hang in there – like you have other options! 😉
“You certainly would/will set the machines off at the airport! ”
Judy, I keep wondering what the effect all this hardware might have if/when I need another MRI.
THAT could get exciting! Hopefully you won’t have that situation arise! 😉
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Not sure you completely “get” whining, though – nothing you’ve said here is even whining-adjacent. If anything, just more proof that you’re a teacher to the core.
As to books, if you haven’t read Chernow’s Hamilton, that might be one for you when the time comes. Meanwhile, someone (I’m sorry, I don’t remember who) recommended How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson. Ms. Richardson is a professor of history at my dad’s alma mater, Boston College. She has a wonderful ability to pull together social and political history in a way that both illuminates the past and connects it to today. She’s written a slew of books, but more pertinent at the moment, she’s posted whole series of lectures on YouTube that you might be able to enjoy now.
Thanks for the recommendations, Robyn.
This is an education for all of us and thank you for sharing what you have been through and what is still ahead. I joined your posts a year ago, recommended by a member of my camera club in Tucson AZ. Who knew there was a real person behind those impeccable bird photos. Heal properly and timely, it’s clear no one wants to go through this a second time. I continue to tune in to every post and will follow them through your progress. My sincerest well-wishes.
Yup, I’m a real person Deb, foibles and all. Thanks for your good wishes.
It is obviously difficult for you, but I admire the way you are putting your pain in a positive context. Hoping for continued improvement and correction of the source of your problem.
Thank you, Kenneth.
Wow! I’m not sure if I would ever be that brave. I have zero cartilage or padding in my right knee, very little in my left knee and from the on again, off again pains in my back and left leg I’m thinking the back may be going that way too soon enough. But all of that is manageable with Tylenol, Aleve, Voltaren and hot water bottles and frequent changes in position so I am hoping beyond hope that I can maintain it at that level because pain like you describe and what I witnessed when my sister had a knee replacement is more than I can think about while staying sane. It has me wondering if the cure is worse than the disease? I sincerely hope it won’t be that much longer until you get significant relief. The ability to endure you are showing in the most horrifically painful circumstances is awe inspiring. Thinking of you and wishing for a much lighter load for you to carry very soon. (Thinking to get those photos was genius and typical of your attention to detail. It seems they helped settle your mind. Evidence is always calming.)
Who says I’m “staying sane”, Granny Pat? 🙂
https://www.thefarside.com/ You may get a bit of amusement from these.
Thanks, Suzanne. I’ll check them out.
Did they take the grafts from your hip/ thigh bones? With my cervical they did and that was one of the more painful things about the recovery. I feel so much empathy for your pain. You need a large dose of Gary Larsen FarSide comic pages to cheer you up.
No, prior to surgery he told me the grafting material might be from a cadaver but I don’t know what its source turned out to be. It wasn’t me though.
Oh, Ron – If you believe in Heaven, you must be going because you are getting your HELL on earth!! I have back problems, but they definitely don’t come close to what you are dealing with. I haven’t forgot your request for book recommendation’s. I read a lot of police procedurals by Michael Connelly & Robert Crais. But I have some great history titles for you which will be coming soon.
Thanks in advance for any history titles you may be sending me, Joann. Hopefully I’ll be able to do some serious reading soon.
Oh my, Ron! Thanks for the update. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but this certainly gives me an idea! I’ve been wondering if any of our book recommendations have made their way onto your bedside table? Thinking good thoughts for a quick, uneventful, nature-filled recovery.
“I’ve been wondering if any of our book recommendations have made their way onto your bedside table?”
Not yet, Diane. At this point it’s still too painful to sit for the long periods of time required for reading books. Hopefully I’ll get there soon.
Thanks for the update. I’m sorry for your pain and I do hope that everything works according to plan so that you won’t have pain some day. Is there anything you need? Just ask.
Thanks, Sue. I appreciate your kind offer but at this point I think I have everything under as much control as is possible.