6 Month Post-Op Exam

Well Thursday I had my 6 month check up. It seemed to go really well. My bones actually did start fusing. He was sure one side was solid, but the other side still looks grainy on the x-ray. We discussed my continued pain, he believes it is either the one side not fusing or I'm not adjusting well to the hardware. He suggested 2 options. The first was a thin slice ct to get a better look at the bones. The second was wait 6 months, then do the CT. I chose to wait the six months because he said he wouldn't revise the fusion until then if it was the bones not completely fused, and the longer I kept the hardware the better my chances are of a truly solid fusion. He did a quick rundown of a revison surgery with new bigger hardware and a quick rundown of hardware removal if the bones were healed. He gave a prescription for lortab because he didn't like the idea of me hitting high pain levels and not having any kind of relief. He even said to stretch them out as far as I could. I almost laughed because I've been without painkillers for almost 3 months. It's been very hard not to quit my job and sit and cry some days. The pain is different than before surgery. That is why he thinks it is the hardware. No sciatic pain unless I get to high pain levels for long periods so we think the inflamation is causing pressure on nerves. I'm so in love with my doctor it is sick. He actually lectured me on my habit of not calling when the pain is bad. How many doctors think that way? I believe he doesn't think his job is done unless you are almost completely out of pain.




If anyone has experience with hardware causing pain I could use some stories. I'm not surprised by his thought of the hardware. I honestly thought I had broken one of the screws on the right side. I'm kind of happy and sad at the same time. The surgery did work it accomplished what we set out to do, remove the instability and fix the sciatic pain. The pain in my back as I said is different but it sucks all the same. Guess I'm in the cycle of pain that it seems a lot of us get stuck in, but I have hope. I'm still much better than I was.