The history of my back (tada!)
I was diagnosed in 7th grade through a school bend test. A year
later, my case was considered borderline (idopathic S-curve,
probably in the 40-degree range) so my parents decided not to
operate then. I wore a Milwaukee brace until my freshman year in
college.
Around age 37-38, I developed problems. I tired easily and my back
really ached after volleyball, running, jumping rope, or carrying
the kids on my shoulders. It took about three days for my back to
get back to normal. (The "tired" thing was a big clue. I had more
energy than anyone on the vball court. I had to catch my breath one
time and one of the ladies noticed that I never used to do that.) I
also noticed what felt like a pin being pushed into my back just to
the right of my left shoulder blade. So, in a word, my quality of
life was down the tubes, I was in pain, and I knew the time had come.
My curves had progressed to 60/48. March 1996, at age 39, I was
fused from T4-L4 with Luque rods, posterior only, 9 days in the
hospital, no brace, no PT. (Who still remember trying to sit up in
the hospital bed for the first time? Hoo boy! I also felt sort of
bad for Terri. I slept for most of visitor's hours and usually woke
up about 10 minutes before she had to leave.) Recovery was fairly
quick and I was out of work for *only* three months. Had depression
for a few months during recovery. To tear up at the drop of a hat
was sort of scary. When I came home, I remember Terri making
a "nest" out of pillows in our bed. I was pretty happy believing
that I would not fall out of bed.
Life was good for awhile. Once my year of recovery was up, I even
went back to playing volleyball. But about 1 1/2 years after
surgery, I started getting pretty strong aches in my lower back all
the way to my stomach. I eventually was diagnosed with a slight
case of flatback (which is why I joined these groups) and DDD (the
discs at L4-L5 and L5-S1 were both shot). I eventually couldn't
walk more than a couple hundered feet before needing to rest. I was
on pain meds which made it difficult to function as a programmer
(really embarassing when you had someone explain something and then
had to ask them to repeat themselves because your short-term memory
kind of quit on you). I slept with an entire quilt rolled up and
placed under my knees. I had a round of PT which didn't work at all.
Next fusion (Jan/Feb 2002, age 44) was from L3-S1 (L3-L4 was redone
because of pseudarthrosis), A/P, 14 days in the hospital, elastic
brace around the waist, PT afterwards (pool and land), 6 months
recovery. Brought a walker home with me which I used for a couple
of weeks. I also didn't use a toilet extension which I regret.
(Anterior surgery for men can be a problem if your surgeon doesn't
avoid cutting a certain nerve which causes impotence. I have a good
surgeon.)
This whole thing was more difficult than the previous surgery.
Sitting up was a little quicker (experience is good), but walking
around the coridor was hard. Having the tube down my nose caused
irritation in my throat which made me cough. (Not fun after your
innards have just been messed with.) I have a new found respect for
heart patients and women with C-sections.
I found out soon after that I had a vocal range of about 1 whole
step. (Yes, I have some singing skills...not a pro by any means,
but I hold my own in any group I've been with.) The voice came
back, but it took several months.
I also developed my depression again. This lasted longer than the
one after the first fusion. I saw a psychologist for a few months
but I felt that just waiting for the condition to clear itself would
have been just as good.
I had my nest in the bed again. I'm fortunate enough to have a
guest bedroom on the first floor which Terri and I used for a few
weeks. Getting up in the middle of the night was very difficult.
My body temperature was probably out of wack and I was freezing
trying to use the walker and get to the toilet. Terri scrambled to
find a robe which made it a little better.
A year later, I started developing some of the same symptoms as
before surgery (strong aches around the back and stomach area). The
ortho recommended PT. I was pretty apprehensive because PT had
*never* worked before. This was different, though. Turns out that
although my back muscles were strong, they had no endurance.
Another six weeks of pool and land PT, a new set of exercises, and
I'm doing okay.
A funny thing about the morphine pump I was hooked up to in the
hospital bed. It gave the meds correctly but the warning buzz came
on when it shouldn't. The warning buzz is supposed to tell you that
you kinked the line. I think my pump was infested with "pump
sprites" or the like. Since morphine affects people in, err,
interesting ways, I think the nurses expect this and probably don't
take a patient's opinion on what's wrong too seriously. I was
talking to the head nurse about the problem when it chose to start
buzzing. I hadn't moved my arm at all. The line wasn't kinked.
Vindicated!
Scott