Hi Diane,

I am so glad you are doing well with your recovery. I have been thinking about you a lot over the last few days. May your recovery be a speedy one.

Larry

Hiya Diane!

Me too, so GLADDDDD to hear. 5 minutes ago (here at work) I was looking at the calendar thinking ... I'm sure Toots said surgery on Dec. 7 (last Thurs) so I was just abt to come in here & post if anyone had be in touch w/ you or heard anything; and here you are.

So very glad for you! Looking forward to hearing more when you're able. Pls. know that I'm pulling for ya from afar.

Karen

Glad to hear yoyu are doing well!

Now here is a sad state of affairs-I can't lift the watering can to water my plants-it puts a strain on my neck! So dh is helping me.

All in all, I am doing fairly well. I can't look at the key board comfortably so please excuse my typos.

I am afraid my neck might be longer now. My appetite is way down so weight loss could happen-yeh! they put a limit on my pain meds-boo hoo. I had a terrible time with pain control in the hospital, I ended up staying 2 nights. The first night I threw up all night and the second night I was in pain because the pain meds they were giving me had tylenol in them and that limited me to taking them every 6 hours. I pleaded with the Pain nazi nurse to give me something that was not tied to tylenol. Finally, upon discharge I was given 5 mg tabs of oxycodone that I could take up to 3 tabs every 4 hours-which I did. After the first dose the nazi nurse came into the room and said, my doesn't she look comfortable. (I do plan to write a complaint about her) So for the next 36 hours I was merrily lounging in a fair amount of comfort-only to find out that I am still limited to 8 tabs a day. Fortunately, I am much more comfortable but very bored. Computer time remains limited as it causes a pain in my neck. Reading isn't so great either so it's movie time for me! I think I will start a new post re: movie suggestions.

Again, thanks for your kind thoughts. This has been the scariest thing I have ever gone thru!

Diane

YAY, TOOTS!!!!

Surgery is scary, isn't it? I've only ever had one, and that was only on my foot, but I was scared poopyless. Couldn't *imagine* braving it through what you've had done. You are one tough gal...

Good luck with your fight against the Evil Nurse of Pain. She sounds like a real treat.

Best Movie Ever: Moonstruck
But I also highly recommend Northern Exposure reruns.

Happy recuperating, honey! And keep us updated as your neck gets better!

S.

Nothern Exposure reruns sound great-I hope I can find them. If you watch a movie in the morning, afternoon and at night your day goes by really quickly-and I don't have to feel guilty for all the lounging. I will be keeping an eye out for moonstruck.

I can brush my teeth much more comfortably if I am on my knees in the bathroom. (I plan to hire a housekeeper to keep my floors clean.) I can push things around on the floor and it is not lifting so that is how I am decorating for Christmas-of course all of our entertaining will be on @ floor level-I better get going on the housekeeper idea.

Now that's going to be some interesting decorating and entertaining. Floor level doesn't usually happen until after the party. Glad you're coming along well and your wonderful sense of humor is still intact. Sandy

It will be a month on thursday since my surgery and I would like to be back to normal but now I realyze that normal will include a scar down my neck and hardware inside it. It's a bit of a drag but I have just made acceptance my New Years resolution.

I was able to party thru the holiday season quite well, but going back to work will not be so easy. I tried to catch up a bit yesterday and only lasted a couple of hours and as I write this I feel my muscles tightening up-looking down is hard. I got a heating pad yesterday-should I sit at my desk with the heating pad or stay at home and sit in my rocking chair. My plan today will be both plus call the Doctor for more advice. I actually think I am doing well but need reassurance I guess that I am on track for recovery. Fortunately, pain is not the issue too much as I can get my muscles to relax resting.

Starting the New Year with this is ???????!

Toots, Don't knock heating pads. They really help and are so comforting. Haven't tried the Thermacare products yet but if they work as well that would be great for more active days.

Glad you're doing well. Sandy

After my post yesterday, I went to work for a couple of hours, Went home to rest with a heating pad, went back to work for a bit over an hour....then it hit...a terrible muscle spasm with shooting pain. I thought a little walk to see the sunset might help...wrong...more pain. I was sure my muscles had pulled away from my spine. I was sure loose screws and plates were causeing my pain.

My life felt ruined, this surgery was a mistake. I went to bed in tears.

When I woke up, I was pain free. I called the clinic and was reassured by the nurse that I am doing good. I had major major surgery one month ago from today. My main activity should be walking and resting. I am doing to much. I should not be thinking about going back to work. I should not be using heat. Ice is to be my best friend. She called in another script for flexeril and she is happy that I am not taking many narcs. Motrin works better for the pain. But I told her the vicodin makes me feel happier-I did not get a refill on those (shoot) I do have several doses on reserve as I know I will over do it and need "to feel happier" down the road. So I walked to work today, put my neck collar on, took a flexeril, did a little bit of work, walked home, iced my back and watched On Golden Pond.

I'm feeling much better-if only my little pinky wasn't numb. I am pretty amazed that all I have taken for pain today is a flexeril, one motrin and one aspirin as I am out of motrin. Who would have thought I would be doing this well one month out.

Boy, this place is dead over here. I have this very site bookmarked so whenever I come to the garden web, I stop here first. So I guess I will go on and on about myself.

I went for my 6 week check up and guess what...I can resume all my activities...no weight restrictions, I can go back to curves, I can be myself again. If this were summer, I could garden. Since it is winter, I can shovel snow...oh yippee. I still have a bit of numbness but the doc says the numbness is the last thing to go. We talked about how having surgery to help your spinal cord can be a "mind" thing. I can talk myself into being a physical wreck...I mean a wreck!!!!!!!! but when I call the clinic and find out what I am feeling is normal, I feel normal for the rest of the day and then I will feel something pop and become a wreck again. But I feel great right now. I have pretty much been doing all my activities including shoveling since this wonderful snow that finally hit Wisconsin. I put my Christmas lights on and went for a walk on a quiet winter night after a bit of shoveling and felt....great!

So where is everyone...gone gone gone

Hi Diane,

I am so glad to hear that your recovery is pretty much over and that you are able to resume the normal activities of life.

Yes, I also come over here quite often and I'm sorry to see that not much is happening. It sure is different than it was a couple of years ago. This place was really hopping. They say that the only certainty in life is change. I guess nothing lasts forever. I am curious, though, how many people have left because of the iVillage takeover. I have a feeling that it was quite a few.

Larry

Thanks Larry!

Want to know soemthing really weird. I was not ready for the doc to tell me I can go back to all my original activities. This whole thing happened so fast that many people don't have any idea that I am 7 weeks out from a serious spinal operation. I think I still deserve more sympathy...but no...I can go back to work full time, I can lift, I can clean, I can shovel. Gosh darn it-today I went to meetings starting my day at 7:45 and ending it at 5 and I feel fine. I have to give up my cozy spot in the best chair in front of the TV because Gil works harder than I do and he has a herniated disc so I really should be taking care of him! I am jesting of course!!!! (kind of) What a blessing that I really don't need sympathy any longer.

This was an eye opening experience for sure. Facing a serious health concern and letting it be in the hands of someone you do not really know has ?????????? I have not figured out what, exactly.

Hi Diane,

Seven weeks from major spinal surgery and you are done rehabilitating. That seems amazing. I agree with you. I would think that you could have gotten a lot more mileage out of that. lol In reality I guess it is better. It's better than the alternative; that you would be in pain and not able to do normal activities. Soon this will all be just a memory for you and will make a great story.

Larry

Glad to hear you're feeling better!

I come in here pretty regularly still too but it is disappointing to see the lack of activity. Does anyone visit the other site that some GWers jumped ship for?

I go over there a bit but it is just not the same. The discussion side of this forum is really active though. I feel like a bit of a newby since I don't know who everyone is!