Home again after spinal surgery.

 

So happy to see my little Scotty girl

 after being away from home for so long.

It's so wonderful to be home again, five weeks to the day.

How I have missed being in my own home and seeing my dear hubby and pets.

I had two vertabrae fused with titanium screws

and two new discs and bone grafts.

Last year I had one vertabrae receive the same treatment.

The healing is very different this time.

Less pain but less mobile.

Anyhow I'm hoping for the best and maintain my confidence.

Hopefully I will have less pain, more mobility and more freedom, as I have been mostly housebound for the last 19 years in varying degrees.

I may even be able to do some travel with my DH and hopefully even be able to drive myself around a little or a lot, I'll take either.

Thankyou to all who prayed for me.

I so appreciate it.

You are such gems!!!

 

 

 

Thankful

This vintage image courtesy of the Graphics Fairy

Would love to visit France one day....it's probably just a dream though.

MY YEAR my 2011.....a year I would probably rather forget.
Well tomorrow will be the first day of 2012.
What will this new year bring?
I have had a roller coaster of a year in 2011.
Housebound due to back pain.
Told there was nothing to be done to help me.
My Dad and Mum came up exactly one year ago to the day and said it was simply not good enough...I had no quality of life.
We looked up a certain neurosurgeon practise on the internet....
In 2010 one of the partners had operated on my brother and got him almost pain free and back to work.
One of the partners comes up to Toowoomba once a month.
I duly booked an appointment with him not expecting much...I had had so many doors closed to me over the last 17 years.
He said my back was 'a mess'...no surprises there....he could perform an operation on me that would help. He asked which part of my spine was causing me the most pain. I told him and he said that the MRI confirmed that fact.
A Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion or TLIF for short.
He could do it within the month...but in Brisbane
He was a lovely man....did not rush me or my shocked hubby.... Answered all and every question we could think of on the spot.
Such HUGE news for us....we walked out of that office and I burst into un-controllable sobbing....ushered into a side room to gather my emotions.....I walked out and all heads in the waiting room turned to me and I pronounced...it's all good.....it's good news not bad.... Walked out into the hot February sunshine...floating on air...We both were shocked, felt like we had won the lottery.

This image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

(Since 1994 my pain has progressed and worsened. Can't drive, hold down a job, do many household chores, can't queue, can't grocery shop, can't travel in vehicles very well, can't travel in a vehicle that is towing a caravan or trailer at all, can't sit much, can't garden, can't hold my nieces and nephews....the boring list goes on. Everything hurt in varying degrees but mainly everything just plain hurt).

The original operation was scheduled for March but ended up having it in May due to some problems with bladder infections interfering and holding things up etc.
Spent 10days in hospital...I won't lie the pain was cruel, but there was an end goal in sight...
Then spent 3 weeks at my parents house as we live about 3 hours drive from Brisbane and it was too much.
Arrived home about one month after the operation. Was walking everyday. It was deep winter so was VERY cold and walking was fun after all these years of suffering. It actually felt good to walk again. Before long I was walking so well that my husband was complaining that he could not keep up with me...just like years ago...YAY!
Was progressing really well. Could walk up to 3 kms in just over 30 minutes... a BIG indicator that the TLIF had worked.

THEN LIKE A FOOL...
Two months after the operation I fell over backwards and the pain was worse that it had ever been.

So now at 5 months since the fall, I have been back to see the Neurosurgeon twice. I have had a CT scan, bone scan and MRI. It seems I need two more TLIF's at levels above and below my original TLIF.....EWWWW!!!!!!

The first TLIF cost us roughly $13,000 after Medicare and Private Health Fund, but any more will only be bulk billed so that's a relief!!!
It's a lot to take in....

Recently saw a Pain Management Specialist in Toowoomba at the suggestion of my Neurosurgeon....he performed a diagnostic facet joint injection procedure in Day Surgery.
He thought that indicated enough of a result to go ahead with a Radiofrequency Ablation at one level below and 2 levels above the L5/L6 TLIF one week later.
Had the RFA 2 and a half weeks ago. Not much to report.
Still much the same pain as before.
So either it's taking its own sweet time to work or or it's not going to work at all.
I heard it can take up to 6 weeks to work....

My daughter is due to have her baby in 5 weeks. She lives a 3 hr car crive away. I really want and she really wants me to be there for her.
It's not too much to desire it it?

I have been housebound for the entire year except for medical appointments.
I have done nothing fun out of the house.
I don't know how I have not gone mad.
I did have my 50th this year and there were 17 here all up to celebrate.

That was before I fell over and wrecked the surgery.
Anyhow I am hoping for a better 2012 than my 2011...it's only a date on the calender, but I would really like to draw a line under 2011 and hope for better things to come.

Some pretty 50th birthday cards I'd like to share, after all I'll only turn 50 once.

       Here are the cards I received for my 50th birthday last weekend.

       They are all lovely that's why I'd like to share them with you.

I love pink and green especially.

-----------------------------------------------------

This 50th card is from my DH,

      I think it's lovely and so sweet of him

 to choose something so pretty. He's a good fella.



Well it's quite warm here today compared to the last month or so. It's already 18c and about 70% humidity so it feels warmer than it really is. Let's just say that from wearing up to 6 layers of clothing, today I have only a t-shirt and cords on. It feels quite liberating actually. It's starting to cloud up again so let's hope we get some rain, as it's much needed here on The Darling Downs at least.

I am becoming SO frustrated now. 9 weeks post op TLIF and still quite a lot of pain, so continuing with pain killers. I am walking briskly up to 30 mins most days so that is a major break through but sitting is not good at all, and it's not getting any easier so that is annoying, not to mention that car travel is far too painful so none of that either. Therefore I am even slightly more housebound than before the operation, hence you can see where the frustration is coming from.

I still can't even put my lace-ups on, not to mention basics like cutting toe nails etc. The only trim I've had in 9 weeks was performed by my father. The shape of my nails still tells the tale.....LOL

Bemoaning the lack of a good coffee shop.

I had a lot of fun taking part in 'the hop' courtesy of Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. I was not fortunate enough to win one of the prizes on offer, oh well maybe another time.
I have never been on 'a hop' before so it was great to find new blogs that are inspirational and just so beautiful to look at.
Well it's the 4th of July. To anyone in the USA that means Independence Day and to me it means 2 years since my daughter's wedding. What a an EXTRA busy time that was. I am so grateful to GOD for the grace of being able to do what was required then, as less than a year later I would have been physically unable. I have high hopes that the TLIF will be a successful and am thankful that I was steered in the direction of the neurosurgeon who performed it. He is a lovely man. Approachable and capable even though I would estimate him to be 20 or so yrs younger than me. I still wonder why I have ended up in this little town that to me is not inspirational or overly friendly. It is not artistically stimulating and I yearn to live in a place that would be all that to me. If the TLIF 'works' then we will be heading off to such an area, hopefully north of Toowoomba. I have lived here for nearly 2 yrs now and it is still like a foreign land. I can contribute that mostly I guess to the fact that I am all but house bound due to my physical constraints. However going by the times I have gone out and about a little bit I am constantly looking for something to fulfill my need for a sense of place. There is not even one coffee shop here...by that I mean a charming one that makes good coffee, has pleasant ambience etc etc. Just because an establishment has a coffee machine sitting on their bench does not a 'coffee shop' make. The butterfly card is for my SIL.

Slowly seeing some improvement

7 weeks post op TLIF now. I am now able to kneel and carry out such thrilling tasks as brushing the dog and cleaning the toilet....Yay for me! 

 I have also done 2 x small wash ups this week.

Anyhow it's all progress.

Would not have been able to do this even one week ago.

Walking a bit further as well.

I saw my surgeon for the 6 weeks post op checkup and he was very encouraging.

I left feeling as though I was walking on air.

He said just the way I walked into his room was great.

He was also very impressed that I am taking only over the counter pain killers.

He told me a lot of other patients take morphine based pain relief for up to 6 months.

WOW!

I only took that sort of medication for 2 1/2 weeks.

I have to say that the side effects from coming off Endone and Oxycontin were horrendous.

Thumping heart beats, insomnia, anxiety etc.

Not good.

Only lasted for 2 days but was just terrible.

Anyhow Dr said not to expect too much for at least 3-6 months and probably more like 12 months.

Will see him then with a follow up CT scan.

The fuse is not even expected to 'take' for at least 6 months.

This week also had a surprise visit from my parents.

I was out walking, a car horn tooted at me, I looked up and saw them, did a double take, it was funny.

They decided to go for a long drive, 1 1/2 hrs from Karrabin to Oakey, so came up to see me.

Mum and I went for a long walk after lunch and ended up at the local cemetery which is always an interesting place to visit.

I have not been living here for very long and the names are not familiar to me but they are still similar to the names from home.

 A mix of german, irish, scottish & english, so the same mix as my home area of Rosewood/Ipswich.

Mum also brought my show winning cards and prize money from the Rosewood Show 2011.

I won 7 x 1sts, 2 x 2nds, and Champion Off Page Scrapbooking for a 70th birthday box I made for Mum in 2010.

$71 prize money does not sound like a lot but it is in the needlework section. LOL

Started a card for my SIL yesterday. She is not well atm, so I thought it might cheer her somewhat. I am having trouble as usual trying to fit too many elements onto one card. So I clear it all and try to keep it simple. I'll post a photo of the card if I am happy enough with it.

Warmer here on The Downs this morning so that is welcome. Only wearing 3 layers instead of the usual 5-6. We are in the dead centre of winter atm so there is sure to be lots more cold weather ahead.

Talk soon.

6 weeks today

Today marks 6 weeks since my TLIF (single level L5/6). I am now walking twice a day again. Hopefully last week's 4 day glitch will not be repeated. I am less than impressed with the fact that I cannot sit for very long, it is worse than before the surgery in fact.
However I can definitely walk much further and without pain so that really is a breakthrough. The full name of my operation is Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion and it was performed by a Brisbane Neurosurgeon.
I am itching to get back into some sewing, gardening, and/or papercrafting. It's getting very frustrating.

I still cannot bend or pick much of anything up, like for instance my scotty Liza, who weights 8 kg and who needs to be brushed regularly. I still can't wash up or do housework but do cook the evening meal with some help lifting heavy things. It is very cold atm but that is to be expected here on the Darling Downs in the middle of winter.

Giving walking another go

It's been a slow process of recovery since my major back surgery on 13th May this year. After staying with my parents for 3 weeks after 10 days in hospital I finally arrived home 11 days ago. Was up to 2 x 20 minute walks per day and then last Friday that all stopped. I had new pain and was not up to walking around much at all. This morning my DH put my lace ups on for me and I went for a little walk of about 6 mins. I was not walking as fast as before last Friday and it all felt quite tender but never-the-less I did it.

Sitting is still a big problem, I just don't like doing it at all. Sick of lying, sick of it all quite frankly.
I don't think this cold weather is helping any either. Wish I could fast forward a few months. I was very hopeful of a new life after this surgery until last Friday when it all seemed to go pear shaped. Only time will tell of course.
My neurosurgeon said recovery could take up to 12 months. Even though my walking has deteriorated in the last 5 days it is still better than before the TLIF so I suppose that is something isn't it?
My weight loss still continues, even though it is hard going at the moment in such cold weather.
Since I first found out about this surgery on 7th February this year I have lost approximately 9kgs. All my own doing, and hardly any exercise (due to back pain and disability).
If you want to find out how I lost the weight, just ask me.