Hi, my name is SallyEuston! Spinal Stenosis, is it worth having the operation ?

SallyEuston
SallyEuston Community member Posts: 1 Listener
edited July 26 in Talk about your impairment

Just been diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis, is it worth having the operation ?

Comments

  • Albus_Scope
    Albus_Scope Posts: 6,910 Online Community Coordinator

    Hey @SallyEuston and welcome to the community.

    I'm sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, that can be a tough thing to sit with. I'm afraid I cant give any advice on spinal stenosis, but hopefully some of our regulars will be able to help out with their tales?

  • Grammyof2
    Grammyof2 Community member Posts: 12 Listener

    I had lumbar spinal stenosis surgery October 14, 2023. It was a fabulous experience.

    My surgery was delayed for months because it took a long time to schedule someone to watch over my pacemaker (Maine does this in person rather than electronically like some other states do). So I was enduring a sensation like a volcano in my lumbar spine that poured red hot lava down the backs of my legs.

    Thank goodness, my surgeon prescribed oxycodone, even giving me refills, to manage the post-surgery pain—a person's body doesn't enjoy the healing process when muscle and nerves must be cut or pulled around to get at the stenosis. So I had no trouble riding home (90 minutes), and the only time my pain was really bad (I shrieked) was when I got out of bed the wrong way early on, not yet having mastered the log roll.

    For several weeks (I forget how many), I carefully followed instructions, using either my long or short grippers to avoid bending, never twisting my body, never lifting anything over a certain weight, etc. Now I'm past most of that.

    I was 76 years old, worn to a nub by pain, and felt immensely grateful every day, especially when I gradually started taking my daily walk.

    I still have some pain, but I think that's due to my spondylolisthesis. The surgeon said I need some fusion for that, but I'm so old I'd die under that much anesthetic… so we decided against fusion! Spondy rules prevent me from lifting too much, digging in my garden, and so on, so these days I hire teenagers to help me.

    I found a pain clinic some years ago, trying various thing like epidural injections and rhizotomies. Each helped for a while, but the stenosis kept getting worse… hence surgery.

    The pain clinic prescribes Suboxone, which I expect to take for the rest of my life. I hate the taste, but it works. :)

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