I've made it 2 weeks!! Yesterday a nurse removed my sutures, and the incision looks great, no infection. I thought I was going to be given the green light to take a shower, but I was told I still needed to wait another 72 hours. I was very bummed about that!
In 2 more weeks I will see the neurosurgeon for my 4 week post op. When I think back and read over my recovery blogs these past two weeks, I'm hoping 4 weeks out I will be feeling much better.
It was stupid of me less than one week after my surgery to think I needed to start weaning myself from the pain medication. My nurse reminded me yesterday, "Dawn, you had SPINE surgery!"
I do feel better taking the medication exactly as prescribed. I was just worried I would run out. My prescription bottle said zero refills. The nurse explained that was because it is a narcotic and in my case it is expected I will need several refills. I just need to call and request them from the doctor, pick them up in person and have them filled. It is not uncommon for someone with spine surgery to need pain medication for several months.
I think I'm starting to get the hang of not twisting, not bending, not lifting. It makes a huge difference in my comfort level.
I don't know why I expect myself to recover so quickly. I'm sure a part of it is the pressure of wanting to do everything I did before. Its easy to feel like this is taking forever when all you can do is lay on pillows or slowly shuffle around the same areas of your house, but the reality is, looking at the calendar, its only been two weeks. My c-section took me 4-6 weeks to recover from and that was just muscle, fat and skin. I have to remember my spinal nerve was messed with and the disc area has very little blood flow for cell replacement. The tear in the disc will never actually heal because of this, and this is why many people re-herniate their discs when they are not careful.
My right foot is still numb, but the pain in my leg has been reduced. Its still there, but manageable. One thing I read is nerve recovery takes about 1 month for every inch damaged. I'm going to ask the doctor if that's true and does that mean for me, the area around where the herniated disc material surrounded my dislodged nerve or are we talking all the way down my leg into my foot? I'm still very hopeful in my case, the nerve damage will not be permanent.
1 comment:
It's almost like a light bulb went on for you!! You are doing so well after only two weeks! Surgery on your spine IS huge, and when you really have nothing to compare it to, I know it must be frustrating for you. Comparing it to the c-section is a great way to get past some of the frustration. Hang onto your firm determination to recover fully - and you will!!
You remain in my prayers, Dawn! Thank you for sharing this journey with us. I wish I lived closer and could stop in to visit and help in some way.
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