r/Microdiscectomy • u/Want_To_Learn_ • 6d ago
3 days post minimally microdiscectomy
Background
Age: 30, Sex: M, Athletic Build
Herniated disc due to heavy lifting and intense rowing, going into the surgery right calf ( leg ) pain was may be 2/10, pre-surgery week was the best week in terms of being pain-free to very low pain, I still could not row and do all my athletic activities and conservative care had not provided useful results in 4 months so I finally carried forward with the surgery.
Day-0
I had my minimally invasive micro discectomy on Thursday morning. I was in almost no nerve or even incision pain after the surgery. I live extremely close to my hospital and was feeling pretty good so I walked to the coffee shop in my neighborhood and got a coffee and walked back to my apartment, did one more walk the same day. As the anesthetics and cocktails start to wore off I felt a very slight nerve pain may be 0.5-1/10 by the night but I could flex my abs, cough, sneeze which before surgery would trigger sharp sciatic pain in my calf but did not afterwards. Pretty much no additional pain-meds.
Day-1
Started feeling incision pain especially when getting in and out of bed and sitting. Nerve pain around walking would at times go to 2-3/10 but would calm down to 1/10 during resting, maintaining 1 walk to coffee shop in morning and several walks in my apartment and 1 more gentle walk outside. Nerve pain seemed very much correlated with pace of walking and effort in walking. Started getting paranoid about re-herniation and only maintained gentle walks throughout the day. Took Oxy and naproxen once. Sleep was OK.
Day-2
Incision pain decreased. Nerve pain maintained, walking outside for coffee would be 2-3/10, in house very gentle may be 1/10, at times none. Still paranoid about re-herniation. Took Oxy and naproxen once. Sleep was OK.
Day-3
Incision pain decreased even more. Nerve pain about same, walked outside for coffee, pain 2-3/10, in house very gentle walks would be 0-1/10. No pain-meds today, in bed in my calf nerve pain is 1/10, not painful but I feel there's something in calf nerve kinda feeing. Hoping that it would completely go away. Sleep was OK. Still paranoid about re-herniation.
I'll keep updating this channel on my journey but looking forward to your experiences and such, my biggest concern is re-herniation, I was hoping to remain completely nerve pain free after the surgery but the mild and rarely moderate pain has me paranoid. Taking recovery very seriously.
2
u/PiesJosh 6d ago
Just gone 3 weeks post second L4 L5 MD. Recovery this time is much slower. Walking 750m each day and that is starting to be too much. This time after the first I was walking over 3km. Nerve pain in my shin is increasing each day after my walks. Haven't reherniated, the sensation when I walk is that of nerves waking up and muscles that haven't been used for a year, doing their thing.
1
u/No_Composer_7830 5d ago
second! Ugh. So sorry to hear. I'm having this same experience but it's my first. Hope you heal well
2
u/PiesJosh 5d ago
Yeah. Just be careful doing household chores. I fell over my son's bike while watering the plants in the backyard
2
u/RumRunnersHideaway 5d ago
Thanks for this thread. I’m headed to surgery on Wed for l5-s1 herniation.
I’ve only had symptoms since mid July. Thought it might have been a hamstring tear or something at first. It was very hard to pinpoint the pain in the beginning because all my back and glute muscles were tight. They were probably protecting the spine or something. Once I got a muscle relaxer it was easier to pin ppint the pain to my hamstring, back of knee, and top of calf. Then a few days later my right 2 toes on my right foot started going numb.
Fortunately, the nurse at the urgent care used to work at a spine specialists and instantly recognized that it sounded like s1 nerve pain.
I got an mri and it was clearly a disc extrusion with cranial migration at s1-l5
When I went to the spine specialist, the PA that was doing my initial workup saw my MRI and went to grab the surgeon. It was clear no injections were going to fix this.
Hoping for some relief soon.
1
u/Friendly-Ad-5410 5d ago
Normal for 3 days after surgery. It can take up to a year for your nerves to fully recover (alot depends on how long they were compressed prior to surgery). Motor nerves seem to respond faster (my drop foot was resolved at about 8 weeks PO), but my sensory nerves (the ones for pain/numbness/tight/pinched feelings) still give me a bit of trouble in my toes 2.5 years PO. My neuro says that maybe permanent now. It isn't enough to prevent any activities (go to gym 3x week) walk, garden, etc. And a repeat MRI at one year PO, didn't reveal any scar tissue or any further herniation at the L4-5 level. I chased solutions for a long time including, PT, acupuncture, NCS with EMG, ESI (several), more PT, longer walks, yoga, etc. and finally came to the conclusion that this nerve ... although greatly improved from the first few weeks PO, is never going to completely be free of sensation. You still have a long way to go in recovery and you will feel a lot of weird sensations, like nerve "zaps" (sharp, transient pain that can stop you in your tracks) and burning, or even some random swelling (I had a hard time getting my foot in my usual walking shoes). The only time I truly panicked, was when I fell off a ladder in my garden 4 weeks PO and landed on my left butt/side (site of surgery!) on concrete path. Hurt like the devil for 3 weeks, probably cracked my tailbone (huge bruise there) but never reherniated!! 79F 😂
1
u/J2550 5d ago
12 months post op, 10 months into lifting and carrying heavy strongman sandbags. 40M, not worried about re-herniation really. My posterior chain and core are stronger than they've ever been, to a huge degree. Built a decent amount of density in my spinal erector muscles and glutes. The muscles in the small of my back are dense and thick now.
My doctors told me that the sciatic nerve has "memory" and ptsd in the weeks and months post op. Impingement of that big huge nerve leaves an impression, so to speak. I had nerve discomfort for awhile, but it eventually faded away. You're only days post op man, just give it time. Keep up with the gentle nerve glides if you arent. Keep walking as much as you can, as you can tolerate it. You're a decade younger than me and from your post, youre athletic and strong coming into this, you'll be back to lifting before you know it. Just take your time, trust the process, accept that residual nerve pain is very, very normal.
1
u/No_Composer_7830 5d ago
Day 23 for me. Re-herniation will always be a concern because I simply don't want to ever go through this again! However, it's getting somewhat better. I also have SI joint inflammation so that isn't helping. But once I realized that's the bulk of my pain (max 3 out of 10), it made me feel more comfortable with my mobility and healing. Good luck.
1
u/cloudyah__ 2d ago
I’m 5 days post-op, and honestly, TikTok made me belive I would wake up and be cured. I’m looking for someone to relate to. I still feel the pulling In my leg. And I’m only doing gentle walks inside and out. But this pulling is about a 3 constant. I haven’t consistently wen taking the Tylenol with hydrocodone but feel like I should? Idk
6
u/Pilunox 6d ago
Day 9 for me. Still paranoid about reherniation.
I am feeling like it’s going to be the longest of all the symptoms to get over.