Monday, January 31, 2011

Life after untethering - 6 days post op

Symptoms are changing around from day to day, which I expected but the surgical pain in still very much present.  I forget I can't do simple things like pull up my underwear in the bathroom, which is why, I suppose they invented the infamous "sexy" johnny hospital gowns.  They're not the most comfortable things in the world but they are functional.

I try to spend a little time up on my feet (with help, as I find I'm a little wobbly with the meds...) to get my "sea legs" back.  This is the tightest my back has felt in my entire life!  Funny, you un-tether the spinal cord so it's finally NOT under strain...and my lower back feels really tight.  It's just the surgery itself.  I know it will get better and resume it's hypermobile self in time.

I'm a little scared as I've had a few coughing spells today.  So far, still better than before but it hurts SO badly to cough because of the cervical discectomy that was done that it's miserable.  I can't imagine the pain if I couldn't stop the coughing!  I have moments when the ringing in my ears stop and for the first time in my life I hear - silence.  But I also have times when it comes back so I'm trying to remind myself that this is a major process of my body rearranging the nerves and relearning what it's like to live without the spinal strain and brainstem compression.  I think it's going to take several months for things to "refind" their way but the time will pass.

I had some issue with one of my ears bleeding after surgery and it's been "popping" strangely today but since this is mostly a place to write down some of the weird symptoms as they happen, just to keep a record, I figure it's worth mentioning.

Keeping fingers crossed that the meds allow me to sleep tonight. :)

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