Spinal Fusion Surgery...

[Spooled-up]

Update

It turns out that the actual fusion surgery was the easiest part of the whole deal. The multiple catheterizations during my hospital stay turned out to be uncomfortable but bearable.



The real pain of this whole experience was the blood clot in my right lung 3 days ago. I felt uncomfortable pain in the right side of my chest and then the right side of my abdomen. I hadn't been able to take a deep breath for a couple of days. I went to stand up and got a sharp pain in my side which made me take a deep breath and started the most painful chain reaction I've ever felt. I'd have to take a deep breath because of the pain which would make me yell and I'd have to take another deep breath. The only way to stop this was to force myself to shallow my breathing and try to relax my chest and abdomen which took a couple of minutes - all the while yelling and taking painful deep breaths. I called my doctor and he told me to get to the emergency room. They took a few X-rays which started another chain reaction when I laid down on the table. I was determined to not let this happen again so I started telling everyone not to do anything to hurt me or make me take a deep breath without warning me first so I could keep it from happening. When I got to the cat scan room, they did the test and slid me back onto the gurney and I told them not to move me yet because I was on the verge of it happening again. Some knucklehead started pushing the gurney and hit a bump which started it up. I was pushed into the emergency room yelling in pain and the morphine helped stop the cycle this time. I have been successfully avoiding the deep breaths and I am feeling better now. I ended up staying in the hospital for 2 nights. I'm on blood thinners and I am hoping to take a deep breath in the next couple of days. I never want to spend the night in a hospital again!

 

[The patriot]

OHhh man that sounds PAINFUL!!!

Were still pullin for ya.

I spoke with my surgeon. My operation sounds like childs play compared to what you described.

3-4 hr surgery, 3 day hosp stay, month or so before I'm "back to normal" whatever that might mean. Phys therapy for "a while".

I have consumed so much dialaudid (sp?) and fentynil that I'm afraid it's not working anymore.

 

[Spooled-up]

Thanks Patriot.



I woke up this morning and my right lung feels kind of "squishy". That's all I can think of to describe it. It hurts less than before, so I think it's a step in the right direction.



What bugs me about the whole clot thing is that after I got home, I told my surgeon that I had a pain in my right leg that I could only describe as vascular - like there was pressure in one of my veins. He did nothing. I was given blood thinners during my stay in the hospital after surgery to prevent clots and they wrap your lower legs in these inflating cuffs that are supposed to keep the blood flowing in your legs to prevent clots. Doctors orders after I returned home were not to take asprin or any other type of blood thinner and only walk around the house 3 times a day.

You'd think if they are so worried about clots in the hospital that I should still be worried about it when I get home. I tell the doc about a vascular pain in my right leg and he ignores me, and 6 days later I have a blood clot in my right lung that they say most likely came from my leg!



Good luck with your surgery and I hope you don't get any of the "extras" that came with mine!

Let us know how it goes.

 

[mopars1]

Spooled, I don't like people that run to lawyers, but what would have happened when that doctor ignored you and the clot had found your heart instead of your lung? I would think that would be a VERY scary thought.

 

[Spooled-up]

I don't like lawyers either, but I've often wondered about what would have happened if I had lost more of my lung than just a tiny piece, or like you said, the clot had found my heart or brain. The problem would be, if the doctor didn't record my complaint of the pain in my right leg, then it's a problem of my word against his. This whole experience has taught me to be as educated as possible about my care and ask the doctor tons of questions even if it looks like he doesn't want to hear them. He's not the one that really has to deal with whatever goes wrong with the procedure.

 

[mopars1]

Yes indead, you have to protect yourself with all the knowledge you can get out of them. Sometimes that is almost impossible to do in my experience.