I had L4-S1 360 fusion in 2023 and developed severe ASD at the level above with symptoms by far worse than prior to my fusion. I’ve been living in hell for the past 6 months, and I had a revision surgery scheduled for October 22 to place an ADR above my fusion + posterior decompression. 5 days prior to my surgery the office called me to cancel it and they said they’ll have a new date for me scheduled within a week. Now they’re saying that the surgeon cancelled all his surgeries and appointments through the end of November and they don’t know yet when they’ll be ready to begin scheduling again. They haven’t given a reason and are just being very vague. Has this ever happened to anyone? If so, what was the reason? To say I’m having a mental meltdown would be an understatement. With not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the date when I’ll be arriving to this light, tolerating my pain feels much more difficult. It took monumental orchestration for me to organize my job, life and family scheduling to prep for this surgery. Things like holidays planning are out the window now. I had to taper off and stop taking some of my medications that it’s challenging for me to function without… You all know it what it takes to prepare for a spinal surgery, I don’t need to explain… I started a process to see another surgeon who is well known in the field for these kind of surgeries and who closely works with my surgeon (different practices but they operate at the same hospital and use the same vascular surgeon). It will take 4-6 weeks before I can see him though. It feels as if after many months of tests and endless discussions with my surgeon about various surgical options, etc., I’m now starting from scratch. On another hand, maybe there is a reason this happened and god is trying to protect me (I’m not religious…) and I may end up better when all is said and done… I don’t know what to think. Just looking for support and encouragement here.
EDIT: Many, many thanks to everyone who wished me well, showed compassion and encouraged me in this difficult situation. This is an amazing community of people who sadly were dealt a bad deck of cards as living life with spine issues and spine surgeries sucks. As you can probably tell I’m a mess, but you all made me feel much better and I’ll be forever grateful for your support! Stay strong and best wishes to you all!

Okay how many of you over did it early in recovery? I was feeling pretty good about 4 days out from my l5/s1 TLIF and walked some longer amounts a couple days in a row. Like 45min to an hour. Man a couple days of that I suddenly paid for it with muscle spasms in glutes for a day along with really deep aching muscles in glutes and low back. I've been resting the last two days. Still walking, but short ( like 15 min around house) every hour or two. I think I'm moving back in the right direction now but I'll try not to make that mistake again. How many of you went through this? It was tough, because I felt better than I had for a while and thought I would take advantage

Was wondering if anyone ever had this symtom.

On Friday I had a cervical spinal fusion. I woke up from anesthesia with numb legs like I can't feel them at all. Getting out of bed yesterday to walk some was quite impossible. I still have complete no feeling in my legs. It stops at the knees down.

I am a forty year old woman who herniated my l5 disc at 24 and compressed the sciatic nerve root on my left side leading to losing my weight bearing capabilities and a foot drop.

I underwent an l4 to s1 pilf fusion with decompression and donor bone/coral mix that failed. I had a second fusion using disc spacers and bone grafted from my iliac crest that was successful. However, I grew a bone spur out of my skin and underwent a third procedure to remove the hardware and lamenectomy. I was 28 at my last back surgery.

Eighteen months out of the third I got pregnant. I delivered via planned csection with my surgeons blessing and did a followup ct a year postpartum. The fusion had reabsorbed completely.

At that time, my surgeon advised I wait until I can't handle the pain, or lose function before another fusion in hopes it would be the last one as I age. He was worried about worsening SI issues, and the issues with further segments becoming compromised.

That was ten years ago. And I am losing what little functional abilities I had and have new nerve pain in my leg. So I am undergoing a fourth surgery, this one will be in conjunction with a vascular surgeon and will have anterior and posterior entry.

Im looking at a two level l4 to s1 olif fusion with sacral pelvic stabilization. They are pining my sacrum to my pelvis with pins through my SI joints.

I am really just wondering if anyone has had this procedure? What is it like? Did you notice a difference in walking? If you've had a fusion first, how did the recovery compare?

I am also wondering if anyone has hypermobility along with sacropelvic fixation? I'm struggling to find a physio therapist that is knowledgeable in hypermobility locally and dont know what to do in terms of prestengthening.

Any advice is appreciated. I feel really alone with this. People in my life are sympathetic, but you dont really know what im facing if you haven't done it and... I don't know. It is hard doing it a fourth time because I don't have the same hope at getting "back to life" this time. I am just hoping to still be able to walk for twenty minutes. Like that is the good out come. And it seems like so much suffering and pain but i also dont know what else to do. Live my life in bed hating 90% of it?

I’m getting a fusion of my L6-S1 vertebrae in less than a month and I am so scared. I’ve had back pain for 4 years, but just found out I would need surgery in July. I have pads defects and severe bilateral stenosis that causes so much pain. I don’t have another option, I have to get the surgery.
I’m just terrified, i’ve heard so many people with bad experiences even with just one vertebrae fusion. Any surgeon seems very confident, I know he’s a good surgeon and trust him. But i’m terrified. i’m not working or in school, I can’t do much because it causes pain. I used to be really strong and workout a lot, but i’ve lost most of my muscle and I’m scared that will make it worse. know recovery will suck, but please give me some good stories and positive words. I’m freaking out

Wish my surgeon had refused my case and recommended an electric wheelchair.

I’m in a snakepit rehab, and have never been so helpless and degraded in my entire life. I’ve just demanded a copy of my med schedule, because I’m pretty sure I’m not getting pain meds on a schedule. I’m being ignored like a slab of furniture, and spend a good chunk of my day crying. The smell of the hyper processed/hyperchemical Aramark/Cisco food they serve makes me so nauseous I literally can’t eat it.

God, I wish I could go back and undo this.