Lumbar laminectomy

MacMacMac

I just got out of surgery. I had a laminectomy of the L5/L6 lumbar spine.

I had a stenosis that caused pain to shoot down my legs when I walked. Apparently it was congenital ... but the pains first appeared in June 2019 at age 64. No symptoms prior to that.

Physical therapy did nothing to reduce the pain. Steroid injections helped ... for all of two days. Given my disdain for surgery I just lived with it for over two years. But I finally got fed up and went for the surgery.

It's quite amazing. I hobbled into the hospital with pain in my legs.
I exited with no leg pain at all!
The only pain was at the surgical site. That's entirely expected, of course. And it will abate with healing.

I'm still on meds ... and feeling just a bit loopy. We'll see how things are going after the meds wear off.
I have more meds ... but I'd like to assess the pain after the meds wear off.

No driving for two weeks.
No BLT ... bending, lifting, twisting ... for a month.
And no heavy lifting for three months.

Here's hoping that retirement will be enjoyable ... finally!
Fingers crossed.

Drew-r

MacMacMac

Get well soon! ❤️

David B

MacMacMac It's quite amazing. I hobbled into the hospital with pain in my legs.
I exited with no leg pain at all!

Amen! So happy to hear it.

MacMacMac I'm still on meds ... and feeling just a bit loopy.

No "drunk" posting about Pianoteq that you might regret latter. 😀

MacMacMac Here's hoping that retirement will be enjoyable ... finally!

No more pain, maybe a new N1X this year, life is great.

God Bless,
David

n-player

MacMacMac No BLT ... bending, lifting, twisting ... for a month.

My cousin worked on a shipping dock. The guys there said lift & twist was a main cause of injuries.

CyberGene

Get well, quick recovery!

Pete14

I’d like to join Drew-r and CG in wishing you a prompt and painless recovery, Mac.🙂

Frédéric L

I wish you a soon recovery.

vagfilm

Swift recovery and go easy with the painkillers: 5 days better than 6, 4 better than 5, 3 better than 4...
If you buy the n3 in the next month (or a CFX), do not unpack it alone 😊

Del Vento

I wish you quick and full recovery too.

vagfilm Swift recovery and go easy with the painkillers: 5 days better than 6, 4 better than 5, 3 better than 4...
If you buy the n3 in the next month (or a CFX), do not unpack it alone 😊

I second this one.

David B No "drunk" posting about Pianoteq that you might regret latter. 😀

And that, but I'm sure you won't regret it anyway 🤣

David B No more pain, maybe a new N1X this year, life is great.

👍️

MacMacMac

vagfilm Swift recovery and go easy with the painkillers:

I agree. I'm very conservative when it comes to narcotic pain medicine.

DPPianoPhil

Glad it went well. Take it easy for a while, and with the pain meds too. Take care.

navindra

MacMacMac I agree. I'm very conservative when it comes to narcotic pain medicine.

I've also maintained this philosophy of avoiding medications (like cough syrups or pain killers) that treat the symptoms but not the cause.

Even though I still avoid them personally, my stance has evolved on the matter. I've come to realize that once you understand the cause of the pain or symptom, and you have a plan to address the cause, then the pain has not only outlived its usefulness, but worse, has become a barrier to recovery by keeping the body in a constant state of stress.

From what I've seen, relieving the body from this pointless adrenaline flood, this fight/flight stress response, can help create more ideal conditions for the body to start healing and recovering.

I wouldn't feel bad about as-needed prescribed pain medication if it is effective and does the job it is meant to do.

MacMacMac

Thank you to all for the well wishes.

Ralphiano

This is great news! How cool it must have been to leave surgery without feeling those pains in the legs. That must have been a tremendous relief.

Enjoy your new life!

MacMacMac

Ralphiano Enjoy your new life!

Time will tell just how good things are in the long run. (It's only been eight hours.)

But it really does seem like a new life.

HZPiano

MacMacMac it really does seem like a new life.

All the best, may that well prove true!

Cheers and happy recovery,

MHirsch

MacMacMac

At the moment I think I have an augmented fourth in my lower back.
The surgical site is causing pain (as expected).
But the left leg and thigh (which had been suffering for nearly three years) is pain free.

Johnstaf

So far so good. I hope you recover quickly.

vagfilm

navindra I've come to realize that once you understand the cause of the pain or symptom, and you have a plan to address the cause

In many cases, medications ARE the correct way to "address the cause" even if indirectly. Prolonging unuseful pains also leads to the prolongation of the pain cause: symptoms are not independent from the disease. Each case is a case, and putting everything in the same bag is not a good approach.

Pete14

I was once on a prescribed “pain killer”, and I understood at that very moment why people get so addicted to it.

I felt as if cushioned by a cloud from all things life!

Nothing bothered me; not even the things that usually irritate me (other people); so yes, the pain was gone/subdued, and I suddenly found myself enjoying the company of “other people”, but it was that sense of floating above it all that I really liked.

Luckily enough, my doctor would not give in, and I couldn’t get my hands on more……….

These meds are now more strictly regulated, and that is a very good thing; because the truth is that it can happen to anyone, addiction to opioids!