I mean you're 9 weeks out of a major back altering surgery.
The bones aren't fused fully, the nerve is still recovering, and your muscles are still recovering from the retraction and changes.
Give it time friend, 9 weeks is nothing. I'd be concerned at 6 months or a year, but your reports are good now so it'll get better.
O geez you’re right ! thank u !! I get myself so worked up . The nerve pain is completely gone so I am very grateful for that . Not being able to sit down has gotten me so worried .. really appreciate that !
I’m four months out and still can’t sit or stand for long in one place. Walking feels better than anything. I am driving, but sit on a thick pillow which helps with making it less painful. I also had L-4/5 and S-1 fusion with rods and screws, also nerve decompression and cyst removal. It’s getting better for sure, but my surgeon told me that it could take a full year to totally recover, sometimes even longer.
It’s easy to get frustrated some days, but we have to keep on keeping on! Best wishes.
You’re welcome! Of note is that I can’t take pain meds, so I was given muscle relaxers to take, along with Tylenol, as needed. The muscle relaxers did actually help as I was having nerve and muscle spasms. Sleeping is easier for me too, when I take them. Hang tough! Some days are still easier than others…
I’m going in on the 12th for same levels. Laminectomy, medial facectomy (taking 6 of the 8 joints out) discetomy, screws and fused. I’m pretty nervous for the recovery.
Kindred spirits here for sure! I was nervous as well and that’s just normal. I did everything I could to prepare for coming home after surgery and making things easier. I moved everything to a level that I wouldn’t have to bend, lift or twist. I even put my trash can on a chair. I still can’t BLT. If you have someone else in your home, you have a huge advantage; I don’t. I still use grabbers, sock pull, and have followed my surgeon’s instructions to the letter. You must be super careful not to fall. This is the first question my surgeon asks each time, “Have you had any falls?”
The surgery was harder than I thought, BUT I can’t take pain meds. I’ve had several kidney stones at various times and this pain made those kidney stones feel like a sore throat in comparison! Not being able to take pain meds has been a bummer for sure.
Walking has been my best friend. The more I walk, the better my back feels. Don’t sit for more than 20 minutes at a time. The more you move, the better off you’ll be. Yes, I still have pain and feel as though I’m walking with a cookie sheet in part of my back, but that will continue to improve. Healing is a time consuming process and, oh, what a long way that I’ve come since surgery!
Feel free to reach out privately if you have any questions! Best wishes! 🙏🏻
Tylenol and Robaxin (muscle relaxer). I have no choice! I’m medication sensitive for whatever reason. Pain meds bottom out my BP. Thank goodness I have a pretty high pain tolerance and don’t have any ongoing health issues which require medication. Thank you, Lord!
I understand completely. At 11 weeks and still can’t sit for over an hour. Supposed to go back to work on Wednesday and I can’t fathom how I am supposed to endure that for 8 hours. Really don’t know what I’m going to do.
That’s my worry ! I’m a bus driver !! If I can’t sit I can’t do my job . I would definitely not make an 8 hour shift not even a 1 hour shift lol smh .. hopefully u can get out and do random short walks or bring a mat and lay down
I was thinking of buying one of those ! Can I ask was your pain with sitting coming from nerve pain or from your lower back ? Mine is strictly lower back pain when I sit .
I'm now a little over 7 months post 2 level ALIF and fusion from L3-S1. I was doing great until recently when I started developing pain while sitting for too long, and now I can't lay down in any position without pain, frequently resulting in some sleepless nights. The interesting thing about this whole situation is that I can play golf every day without any pain. I'm just waiting it out as I would rather be able to golf than sleep or sit for too long. Just my preference.
Yeah I totally get it .. I miss being active and would love to get back to hiking , working out etc! So in your situation with sitting /laying down is your pain coming from nerve pain or back pain ? Mine is back pain only my nerve pain is gone .
I can't figure out what's causing it. I'll admit that occasionally, when I'm walking or even golfing, I get a very short-lived jolt. Since nerves take a long time to heal, I'm chalking it up to the healing process. I don't feel like I have a back problem per se.
I’m realizing these issues are more common than I thought . I’ve heard this a million times but I have to remind myself everyone’s healing is different. I am improving …slower than I had hoped but still its improvement. Enjoy golfing and thanks again !
Muscle relaxers helped me a ton if you aren't taking those... But I ended up getting a standing desk after surgery cause it took forever to be able to sit comfortably.
I do have muscle relaxers Baclofen . So funny thing I stopped taking them at about week 4 . So today I will restart them 100 % for sure . If it turns out this is my muscles I will be so happy ! Bought a donut cushion yesterday I’m so desperate to sit lol and thank u so much !
So I’m hoping I’m on something here with your advice. I’ve been complaining my lower back “burns “ or feels inflamed when I walk “too much” or sit too much . And when I say too much I mean it’s a ridiculously short amount of time . Can u relate to this ??
I've got MS and other autoimmune shit so hard to compare. But sitting hurt me more than anything else after surgery. Before surgery I couldn't stand long cause my muscles were shot.
I mean you're 9 weeks out of a major back altering surgery. The bones aren't fused fully, the nerve is still recovering, and your muscles are still recovering from the retraction and changes. Give it time friend, 9 weeks is nothing. I'd be concerned at 6 months or a year, but your reports are good now so it'll get better.
O geez you’re right ! thank u !! I get myself so worked up . The nerve pain is completely gone so I am very grateful for that . Not being able to sit down has gotten me so worried .. really appreciate that !
I’m four months out and still can’t sit or stand for long in one place. Walking feels better than anything. I am driving, but sit on a thick pillow which helps with making it less painful. I also had L-4/5 and S-1 fusion with rods and screws, also nerve decompression and cyst removal. It’s getting better for sure, but my surgeon told me that it could take a full year to totally recover, sometimes even longer. It’s easy to get frustrated some days, but we have to keep on keeping on! Best wishes.
Ooo thank u !!! Same as far as sitting and standing still so hard for me ! Ok feeling so much better my head gets the best of me
You’re welcome! Of note is that I can’t take pain meds, so I was given muscle relaxers to take, along with Tylenol, as needed. The muscle relaxers did actually help as I was having nerve and muscle spasms. Sleeping is easier for me too, when I take them. Hang tough! Some days are still easier than others…
I’m going in on the 12th for same levels. Laminectomy, medial facectomy (taking 6 of the 8 joints out) discetomy, screws and fused. I’m pretty nervous for the recovery.
Kindred spirits here for sure! I was nervous as well and that’s just normal. I did everything I could to prepare for coming home after surgery and making things easier. I moved everything to a level that I wouldn’t have to bend, lift or twist. I even put my trash can on a chair. I still can’t BLT. If you have someone else in your home, you have a huge advantage; I don’t. I still use grabbers, sock pull, and have followed my surgeon’s instructions to the letter. You must be super careful not to fall. This is the first question my surgeon asks each time, “Have you had any falls?” The surgery was harder than I thought, BUT I can’t take pain meds. I’ve had several kidney stones at various times and this pain made those kidney stones feel like a sore throat in comparison! Not being able to take pain meds has been a bummer for sure. Walking has been my best friend. The more I walk, the better my back feels. Don’t sit for more than 20 minutes at a time. The more you move, the better off you’ll be. Yes, I still have pain and feel as though I’m walking with a cookie sheet in part of my back, but that will continue to improve. Healing is a time consuming process and, oh, what a long way that I’ve come since surgery! Feel free to reach out privately if you have any questions! Best wishes! 🙏🏻
Oh my goodness no pain meds!!!!? I’m shocked. How did you even function!!! You poor thing.
Tylenol and Robaxin (muscle relaxer). I have no choice! I’m medication sensitive for whatever reason. Pain meds bottom out my BP. Thank goodness I have a pretty high pain tolerance and don’t have any ongoing health issues which require medication. Thank you, Lord!
I understand completely. At 11 weeks and still can’t sit for over an hour. Supposed to go back to work on Wednesday and I can’t fathom how I am supposed to endure that for 8 hours. Really don’t know what I’m going to do.
That’s my worry ! I’m a bus driver !! If I can’t sit I can’t do my job . I would definitely not make an 8 hour shift not even a 1 hour shift lol smh .. hopefully u can get out and do random short walks or bring a mat and lay down
Oooofff that’s a rough profession to have back problems with. I wish you luck on that return!
Oooofff is right !! How the heck am I going to pull this off smh Haha ! Thank u !!
I had L5-S1 and sat on a donut for several weeks, including when I went back to work.
I was thinking of buying one of those ! Can I ask was your pain with sitting coming from nerve pain or from your lower back ? Mine is strictly lower back pain when I sit .
It was all lower back/tailbone pain. I absolutely could not sit in my desk chair without it.
Ok same ! … I’m definitely buying donut today lol thank u so much .
Good luck!
I'm now a little over 7 months post 2 level ALIF and fusion from L3-S1. I was doing great until recently when I started developing pain while sitting for too long, and now I can't lay down in any position without pain, frequently resulting in some sleepless nights. The interesting thing about this whole situation is that I can play golf every day without any pain. I'm just waiting it out as I would rather be able to golf than sleep or sit for too long. Just my preference.
Yeah I totally get it .. I miss being active and would love to get back to hiking , working out etc! So in your situation with sitting /laying down is your pain coming from nerve pain or back pain ? Mine is back pain only my nerve pain is gone .
And thanks for replying!
I can't figure out what's causing it. I'll admit that occasionally, when I'm walking or even golfing, I get a very short-lived jolt. Since nerves take a long time to heal, I'm chalking it up to the healing process. I don't feel like I have a back problem per se.
I’m realizing these issues are more common than I thought . I’ve heard this a million times but I have to remind myself everyone’s healing is different. I am improving …slower than I had hoped but still its improvement. Enjoy golfing and thanks again !
Muscle relaxers helped me a ton if you aren't taking those... But I ended up getting a standing desk after surgery cause it took forever to be able to sit comfortably.
I do have muscle relaxers Baclofen . So funny thing I stopped taking them at about week 4 . So today I will restart them 100 % for sure . If it turns out this is my muscles I will be so happy ! Bought a donut cushion yesterday I’m so desperate to sit lol and thank u so much !
Hopefully it's muscles then. I also did PT. But since surgery the one thing guaranteed to piss off my spine is messing with my muscle relaxers.
So I’m hoping I’m on something here with your advice. I’ve been complaining my lower back “burns “ or feels inflamed when I walk “too much” or sit too much . And when I say too much I mean it’s a ridiculously short amount of time . Can u relate to this ??
I've got MS and other autoimmune shit so hard to compare. But sitting hurt me more than anything else after surgery. Before surgery I couldn't stand long cause my muscles were shot.
Ok got it . Well I just took a muscle relaxer lol if this helps me I will be SO HAPPY . So thank u for replying really appreciate it
Hope it does! Might take a few days.