Hi Mike,

I am so sorry that you are dealing with alot of pain right now. Please bear in mind that what I am about to share doesn't mean that you will have the same experience as me as everyone is different.

I have had 3 back surgeries. The first one was to re-align my spine. I had fractures that were a result of being hit by a drunk driver. It took an enitire YEAR to recover from that surgery, and even then, I was not 100%, however, I did manage to return to work for 5 yrs and had 2 children.

My 2nd & 3rd surgeries were both a result of Spinal Stenosis. They were approx. 7 yrs apart. When I had the 2nd surgery, I initially felt great, like you did, however, everything went down hill about 8 weeks post-op and as a result, I became perm. disabled and have lived with chronic pain 24/7 ever since. I have ALOT of metal in my back, which I believe, is causing alot of my pain. I also have "nerve root entrapment" which is a build up of scar tissue that is putting pressure on the ligaments to both of my legs, causing severe nerve pain. I cannot be on my feet for more than 10-15 minutes nor can I sit for the same length of time. I am basically bedridden and have to rely on a cane and a wheelchair to get around. BTW, I was only 40 yrs old when I became disabled. I am 49 yrs now.

I wish I had more encouraging words for you. Everyone IS different though, so it is possible that you will still have a good recovery. I pray that you do, because no one deserves to be in pain. It just takes alot of time before you can really determine if the surgery was successful. I hope that your doctor has prescribed something for your pain?

Take care & Good Luck Mike. Keep us posted on your progress.

Hugs,

Carrie

It takes a long time to recover from back surgeries, usually months. You definitely have to be patient. Fortunately with this being your first surgery you shouldn't have the scar tissue issues that the previous poster wrote about. All pain is not bad pain, it does take a while for the nerves to get back to their usual function.

Kat

Hi Mike. I know how scary it is after surgery, not knowing if your pain is 'normal' and part of the healing process and i really hope you have a good outcome. Before my surgery i was told I would be in heaps of pain for the first 3 mths and would have ups and downs after that for a year.

I ended feeling great for the first couple of months than it was all down hill from there. I'm unfortunately like Carrie and ended up with nerve damage and still have back pain cause of the titanium disk in my back but, than again, i've never really had much luck lol..

Like Kat said, everyone is different and heals at different rates but i would advise that, if your not happy with your post op care and your pain seems to be getting worse, go and get a second opinion about the meds your on or the physio your current doc is giving you.

Take it easy and take care, I really hope this turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to you and you get your life back.

Regards,
Maddy

It takes a year to recover from any surgery. I know.. a recent number three this year put my in serious trouble. Even minor surgery can turn serious.

Try to be patient and rest more than normal to allow your body to heal.

I don't know what's normal but based on my experiences my pain from the surgical site and chief pain site usually lessened by two weeks. If it continues I think you should call your surgeon. Good luck.

Mike,

Sorry you're suffering so much. Unfortunately everyone is different after surgery. I've had numerous back surgeries in the last 23 years. My original one came after a fall down a lot of stairs. 2 or 3 months laterI had first laminectomy at L4/5. Unfortunately my pain was nuch worse after surgery. Now after numerous surgeries for both cervical & lumbar disc problems, i am still suffering. Some days are better than others, what we call tolerable, but pain just the same. I've been disabled since i was 28, walk with a.cane,, sometimes walker, cannot work, but I've learned to accept what it is. I go to a.pain clinic and.have a pain pump inside me which sends pain meds to my spinal cord.

I've known some people who have had luck with surgeries, but I eas always told that it would be a good year before knowing for sure id it worked. The fact that you're in more pain now is a little troublesome ro ne. I would think you would have at least a little relief,but hope its just taking a while for the nerves and swelling, etc to calm down.

I pray that you just need more time to heal. You'll be able to get a lot of help and support here if you need it. Prayers for a speedy recovery.

Hugs,

Mary Ellen