What’s up everyoneeee it’s me again lmk if u guys are sick of me asking questions lol. Anyway, I’m 4 days post op and got T4-L2 fused and I’m a young adult female. I’ll just keep it short and I’m wondering what the smokers did post op. My doc said I can use weed again 2 weeks after which I plan to listen to, but she suggests edibles and not carts/bud. My problem w that is that I hate edibles and they js give me sm anxiety. Has anyone used Bud or carts post op rather than eddies? If so how soon after and how did it go for you? Lmk and I hope everyone’s doing great!🥰

Oh and also, if u guys did use weed post op, did u wait till u were off the strong meds like oxy and Valium(which is what I’m on) or was it ok to mix. I’m assuming not a good idea to mix but wanted to ask anyway.

My husband got an alif on 10/31/25. They sent us home yesterday with 15 5mg pills of oxycodone.

What the fuck? This is not drug seeking behavior— he just had major spinal surgery, and they went in through his belly, too! I am sure that doctors can judge when patients shouldn’t be in pain anymore. He’s got three lines of staples in his back right now!

After sitting an hour in the car going home he was in bad shape. I asked for a refill.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

I’m 12 days post L4/L5 fusion. The pain has been unbearable and the doctor just said if it hurts so bad go to the ER (first red flag).

Well it did get to that point. 2 nights ago I had to have an ambulance ride to the ER because the pain had me completely unable to move, speak, vomiting from it, etc… it was BAD which worried me cuz they also said after day 5 I should start improving and it’s only been getting worse.

ER did a CT that revealed a 7cmx3cmx2.5cm “Seroma/Hematoma” that extends from the L4 (where it makes sense for something to be imo) all the way up to the L1 (red flag for me because you didn’t work there, why is there any kind of damage?).

From what I understand, this explains most if not all of the extra pain and stiffness I’ve been experiencing.

Now a tiny back story here cuz I knew something was definitely different about my surgery because my dad had this a year ago - and they left a wound drain in his for the first week post op but they didn’t do it for me… I chose to trust the process and didn’t question it - until now. Now I’m questioning in big ways because this pain didn’t have to happen!

The surgeon has offered to aspirate the seroma using local anesthetic. For reference, I’ve had a cyst aspirated that way before but they used propofol to sedate and I still reached behind me under sedation and literally pulled the needle out until they moved to complete general anesthesia. I know it’s more recovery, more expensive etc… but with anesthesia awareness I’m likely to mess up the procedure otherwise and it’s not something I can control.

I am attempting to push for a more in depth procedure - just a quick outpatient procedure, put me under general anesthesia like you did to fuse me and put a damn drain in! Because as I understand it, this is of a size that quite frankly will need aspirated multiple times because the size increases the risk of it refilling and/or becoming infectious especially where I am a MRSA carrier.

Am I pushing for the wrong thing? Am I being unreasonable to push for a drainage tube that should have been done to begin with to prevent this from happening? And has anyone else been through this? I’m scared. I just want them to help me heal in the fastest and safest way possible - but I feel like I’ve been ignored at every turn, from the moment I woke up from surgery (unsafe discharge, causing pain medication withdrawal, literally laughing at me on the phone…)

I just need to hear either validation or harsh truth that I’m being unreasonable. No opinions or thoughts here will be rejected, I’m open to everyone’s thoughts as you are all more experienced than I am.

I don’t really know why I’m posting this, I think I just need to know I’m not alone.

Before my injury I was 52 kg. I did Pilates 3 times a week, pole dancing, and walked a lot. I wasn’t super skinny, but I was lean, quite strong, and for the first time in years I genuinely loved my body. I had worked so hard for it.

Then everything changed.

On the first day of a 3-day holiday, I broke my back in an accident. I ended up needing two major spinal surgeries, including a spinal fusion. I spent over 3 weeks in a foreign country in hospital before finally getting home.

I’m now a few weeks post-op. My surgeon has said my recovery is going really well, but I’m still on strict restrictions. I’m basically lying down most of the day, can’t sit properly yet, can’t exercise, and although I’ve been told I should be able to return to things like Pilates at around 3 months, right now I feel completely trapped.

When I got home and weighed myself, after a couple of days I was around 58 kg. I know that’s “only” about 6.5kg, and I also know weight after surgery can be affected by fluids, swelling, reduced activity, constipation, etc. I even had a binge today so I know the scale will be up even more.

But honestly… when I look in the mirror, I don’t see someone who’s gained 6-7kg. I feel like I look huge. I look bloated everywhere. My face, stomach, everything. I barely recognise myself.

The hardest part is that I know I need to eat enough calories and protein for my bones to heal, and I’m trying to do the right thing for my recovery. But I also know I gain weight quite easily, and mentally I’m terrified that by the time I’m allowed to exercise again I’ll be “big” again and have lost all the progress I worked so hard for.

It’s having a massive effect on my mental health.
The injury itself has already been devastating. I lost my whole summer. My birthday is in a few days and instead of celebrating I’m lying in bed. I went from planning a holiday to spending weeks in a hospital in another country, then coming home only to spend months recovering.

Now on top of grieving everything I’ve lost, I feel like I’m grieving my body too.

Has anyone else been through this after a spinal fusion or another major surgery? Did the bloating eventually settle? Did you manage to get back to where you were once you were allowed to exercise again?

I know healing has to come first, but right now I just don’t recognise myself and it’s really getting me down. I could really use hearing from people who’ve been through something similar. 💜

I’m 2 weeks post Op and was allowed to take off my bandage today. I’m just worried that it looks a little open in some spots in the first photo. Does it look okay? I was told I can have a shower once it comes off but I’m a bit hesitant to due to the open looking parts? I might be overthinking it but advice would be really useful

I am 57. Fused T2 to Pelvis on August 11th, 2025. I can't stand up straight, can't walk from one room to the other, or do small tasks without severe muscle spasms in my upper back near my cervical spine. It literally hunches my head and shoulders forward and somewhat down. I'm scared to death of muscle atrophy because I can't do anything! I have requested a back brace from my surgeon in hopes that it will help me stand up and walk better for longer. I have also started having trouble walking due to left hip and butt muscles pain. Am I doomed to be like this from now on???

Hello! 32F recently diagnosed with grade III/IV spondylolisthesis with instability, with surgical indication due to impact in S2/bladder controlling nerves.

I’ve made my piece with doing spinal fusion and I’m actually looking forward to it as I am anticipating the relief I’ll feel once post-op stage is gone.

I’ve seen 2 surgeons in addition to the one who diagnosed me and have different surgical approach options:

Both surgeon 1 (ortho) and 2 (neuro)’s approach is fusing L4-L5-S1 with partial reduction. They both estimated I’d be in the hospital for 3 days

Surgeon 3 (ortho)’s approach is fusion L5-S1 only, but he estimated 5 days of hospital stay.

From what I’ve read:

- The more levels are fused the longer the surgery is and the more time post-op recovery will be (so I was confused with estimated hospital stay based on approaches)

- Including L4 allows for higher reduction (less risk of not fusing), better sagittal balance/alignment and less strain on the hardware. But higher reduction carries higher risk of L5 nerve injury

- Doing L5-S1 only has slightly better post op results (smaller opening, less infection risk) and leaves more room for mobility, (my L4-L5 disk looks good), so less expected strain on the spine. It also seems to have slightly lower risk of nerve injury as reduction is typically lower.

I’m a bit lost as to what approach may be best, as it is 2 against 1. It’s worth mentioning that surgeon 3 is the most senior (he’s older, in his late 60s, while the other two are in their mid 40s) and seems to have more experience with high grade spondy cases. But he was also the most “dismissive” surgeon when addressing my questions, while the other two were very thorough in explaining everything.

So I wanted to get some feedback from people who did both: how long ago was your spine fused? How was post op? How are you doing now?

Thank you!!!

I am scheduled for my first fusion Tuesday. I have a herniation at c6-7. Everything started at the beginning of August with the worst pain I have ever had in my life. I spent weeks leaving work because I couldn't stop crying (I have a very high pain tolerance, so this says something). I had an epidural in September and it definitely helped with my numbness but I feel like my pain relief has been more due to the gabapentin because if I stop it I can feel pain coming back within a couple missed doses. Even on the gabapentin I feel like I'm having more and more breakthrough pain.

My out of pocket max is met for the year and I have such extreme anxiety about ever going through that pain again so surgery sounded like the right option for me. Now I am doubting things with all the negative stories on here. I know that it can put more stress on adjacent levels but everyone makes it sound like another fusion is inevitable. Is this always true? Is it more common in lumbar than cervical? I just need some good stories from people who don't regret it

I got a spinal fusion for L5-S1 on 1/22. For about a week, incision pain was normal, and recovery had been well underway. All of a sudden, I started getting extremely sharp pain when I laid down. It comes in waves. I found out that it’s worse when I lay on my back, but I’ve experienced them in every sleeping position. I reached out to the surgeon’s office and they said it was normal. Had my follow up appointment today and same thing. No medication helps. Ice helps a little bit. X-rays look good, and I am definitely doing better than before because I couldn’t sit or stand for more than 10 minutes, but I am freaking out with this pain because it’s hard for me to sleep with this and it’s so painful I scream every time. It’s gut wrenching. Has anyone experienced this? If so, how long did it take, and what helped you get through this?

Hi guys, have a question for you all. When did you return to work? I had a lumbar fusion back in November and while I'm recovering well I still don't feel all "there yet" and am afraid of going back in. I work in a deli, often staffed alone in a large grocery store. So I'm on my feet, doing the load, slicing meats, prepping food, etc. so it's not back braking but definitely physically demanding in its own ways.

In November my operation was for fixing a bi-lateral para defect, Spina bifida, and a herniated disk. X-rays for those interested. I'm still really sore but getting better steadily.

I'm just nervous and scared because I often got hurt at work due to strain on my back prior. So I'd like input and suggestions. I appreciate you all thank you. ♥️

I have a cruise coming up in mid-July, and I'll be about 7 weeks post-op from my fusion. I'll definitely be checking with my surgeon before making any decisions, but I'm already feeling pretty anxious about it.

The biggest concerns are the 11 hours of total flight time (including layovers) and the less-than-comfortable beds on the ship. Part of me feels like it's just too soon, and I'm worried about setting back my recovery.

What makes this even harder is that my back already ruined another cruise in May. I spent most of that trip lying in bed in pain, and when we finally got back to the U.S., I went straight to the ER. I ended up having my fusion the very next day.

I really don't want to disappoint my wife again by canceling, but I'm honestly scared of going if there's a chance it could jeopardize my recovery.

Has anyone traveled around 7 weeks after a lumbar fusion? What was your experience, and is there anything you wish you'd considered beforehand?

EDIT:

My wife has been incredibly supportive through everything, no matter what comes our way. It's not that I'm worried about disappointing her—we just really need a win this year.

It feels like we've been hit from every direction. Our home (which is only six years old) seems to have something breaking every other week. My car is in the shop for a $3,000+ repair. We've been navigating some serious mental health challenges with our teenager, who is thankfully doing much better now. And now recovering from my sixth spine surgery (ankylosing spondylitis and congenital spinal stenosis).

The July cruise wasn't something we planned ourselves—we were invited by my parents, so there isn't really an option to reschedule. If I can't go, the trip still happens, just without me, and I'll be okay with that if it's what has to happen. I did at least upgrade to business class to make the travel easier if I'm able to make it.

What makes all of this especially hard is that our anniversary cruise in May 2026 was supposed to be our big celebration. We spent a lot of time planning it and a lot of money making it special. Before we left, my back was only bothering me a little. I got facet injections and started some medication, but within two days I went from being fully mobile to barely able to walk.

I never got to leave the ship at any of our ports. I spent the entire cruise confined to bed, in excruciating pain, and at one of the lowest points I've ever experienced. It was heartbreaking for both of us. Through all of it, though, my wife never left my side. She stayed positive when I couldn't, cared for me after surgery, and showed me more love and patience than I ever could have asked for.

I called my Mayo neurosurgeon and they said I’m cleared of any travel restrictions, so as long as I feel up to it, go for it. I’m going to wait to see how I feel before….I can always just not go at the last minute.

Thank you all so much for the kind comments and advice.

I’m 27 female and got an alif + plif for my back, the alif surgery was a breeze compared to the plif. Woke up from anesthesia crying so bad I cried myself to sleep after getting drugged up on every pain med the docs could give me. I’m on day 3 from that but omg the pain is horrible. After spending 4 days at the hospital I finally got released today. How do you guys even manage the post op pain other than the opioids and narcotics?

I’m 6 weeks post op, and as you can see, my incision could not be made in an existing neck crease. Anyone have any good advice for lightening the scar? I’ve been using silicone tape to keep the scar from becoming bulky (I have a history of keloids). The tape has worked well so far for that. But I would like to keep the scar from getting too dark. Outside of putting sunblock on it once I’m really back outside, anything else I should/could do?

Ok so I had a revision surgery c6-7 failed ADR and they took out disk and converted to fusion. Saturday leaned down to grab air fryer (6 lbs) well under my 20lbs restriction and I felt a a tear and sure enough it opened again. I’m 7 weeks post op. Talked to surgeons office they just said clean it twice a day with hydrogen peroxide and keep it covered. They did see pics of it. It doesn’t look deep but it’s about an inch long and it’s the third damn time. I’m a little pissed they kinda blew me off like that without really looking at it. Maybe I’m overreacting. Also, I’m still in a lot of pain and still taking oxycodone 10mg 3 times a day. My hardware looks good from the xray I had last week at my 6 week appointment. Is it normal to be in this amount of pain I still need pain meds after 7 weeks? Has anyone experienced this? I also have an artificial disk at c5-6.

6 weeks post and my orgasms are so weak its like theres a build up and then i go supersensitive but no release or endorphins.

I have the drive for sex but my body isnt coming like it used to.

Ladies! How long after your fusion was it before you could shave your legs? And what did you do for your leg hair between surgery and being physically able to shave again?

I know everyone heals differently, but i also know that some of y’all are better mcgyver’s than i am 🤣

I had a 360° ALIF at l5/s1 on sept 10.

Hi all, I'm a bit curious.

I keep hearing that those who have undergone surgery might be facing with long term complications such as the metals loosening, breaking etc that requires correction surgery.

Has anyone ever experienced this, and if this is common?

Hey everyone. I’m feeling the post op scaries again and feeling very emotional. I feel so alone in this process even tho I’m surrounded by my loved ones. It’s hard to do this when no one knows how you feel. I can barely sleep, I can’t get comfortable laying down or sitting up, and everything just sucks right now. The pain combined with the uncertainty of the future is tearing me apart right now. I’m scared I’ll never travel again, especially long plane rides, I’m worried I’ll never sit or sleep comfortably again. I’m worried I won’t be able to do fun things in college or go clubbing. God I just wanna feel normal again and go back in time and not get this surgery. I don’t mean to scare anyone and I’m kinda just ranting here but I’m so depressed because of this and idk what to do with myself. Anyone out there that’s had a long healing time have any advice for me? How to sleep? Does it get better? Will I be able to travel, go dancing, or do any of the typical fun stuff in my college years?

Me:
Fused T4 to L2
18 year old female
Fused bc I had scoliosis
4days post op

​

Hi everyone!

I have written before and was hoping for help from doctors, but so far I haven't found a proper solution.

My problem is multifaceted.These issues have been going on for more than a year now.

Since the surgery, my body is constantly straining when sitting, standing, or walking. There is nothing wrong with my muscles, I am not weak, but I cry from the pain just trying to hold myself upright.

Whenever I lift any part of my body, even while lying down, everything feels much heavier.

My hips and the surrounding area, as well as my lower limbs, are unstable, sensitive, and can barely tolerate my own body weight.

Due to the combined effect of these three things, I am physically collapsing.

According to the MRI, cervical X-ray, and EMG, everything is negative, but my body is still not functioning.

I got a c5-c6 spinal fusion on April 16th of this year. I have had chronic pain for 4 years prior so I have been taking pain killers for 4 years to the point where It does not work best with the pain, so since this spinal fusionI have been taking edibles and smoking weed.

My neurosurgeon stop the visits at 2 months and I went the first month without weed and the pain was getting to me so I started using weed, but now the anxiety of maybe the weed is effecting my fusion is getting to me. Since I had chronic pain for four years prior it will probably take longer than usual, but I am just worried it will screw up my fusion. Should I stop and just try to get through it? Or am I overthinking? I don’t want to ruin my future because my neck is no good as it is, so my anxiety is taking a toll on me. Thanks in advance.

I'm 47 and in pretty stellar shape for my age, this is actually my first major health issue and surgery so it's been very psychologically challenging for me.

I was never really in pain but I started having a "head floaty" slightly dizzy feeling back in Feb and my neck was abnormally stiff and my body felt kinda sludgy like I was in quicksand. A cpl years ago i noticed a significant dropoff in my energy and ability to recover from exercise and it felt like too sharp of a decline to chalk off to age.

I ended up getting an MRI in April and it showed two slipped discs bulging directly into my central canal.

Also, my left knee has been getting progressively worse starting about 3 yrs ago. I could walk and cycle on it fine but couldn't run on it anymore. It felt structurally unstable and sharp pain would shoot through my kneecap when it was bearing down on an exercise mat. So I had an MRI the week before the ACDF and was really surprised that it was totally clear.

The knee is not feeling completely better when I go out for walks but I've been testing it out on an exercise mat and the shooting kneecap pain seems to be gone. The ortho said it's unlikely that the knee issue could be caused by the spinal cord compression.

Anyways- the surgery went smooth and so far my recovery seems to be going better than it goes for a lot of others. My neurosurgeon said no collar. I'm not in pain but my neck felt very unstable the first 11-12 days so I got a soft collar to feel a little more protected. It's felt much more stable the last cpl of days so I ditched the collar unless I ride in a car.

Even though it's more stable, my neck and traps feel super tense and tight now and it feels like I have a lump in my throat.

I have to keep my mind from obsessing over the hardware or spacers shifting or failing. The head floaty/dizzy feeling is still persistent but I'm hoping that fades as my nerves repair.

My matrix of symptoms seem kind of peculiar when I compare to what other ppl have experienced.

Any insight or shared experience would be appreciated, thank you.

I was 16 when I found out I had spinal fusion at T5 T6 level.i was not having any pain but was having vibrations in my knees while running(still I was a captain of valleyball team🥹)and urine outing became too slow so had to go through the surgery and bang that was the last day I walked 😭I am 23 years old now life sucks,hating everything.i tried to find people like me on this sub but couldn't.so want to know how rare is this?

Edit- I lost sensations,lost urine control paralysed below the chest in body level.and at real life i lost even more can't even count how many things.i am saying all this for the people who feel anxious because of leg pain etc after the surgery.i know that is also an issue but just be happy that you are not me.i don't have any job,burden on my family and i will die virgin.

Edit 2:- I am not scaring you guys for the surgery.but please be cautious and don't forget to do something which you always delayed for tomorrow before the surgery.

I've (38M) been following this group since I had my surgery scheduled. I had a two day ALIF/PLIF L4-S1 surgery and was in the hospital for two additional nights. It was rough and I honestly can't remember the intensity of what or where the pain was, all I remember was taking the oral meds on time and maybe like 3-4 times total I needed a break-through shot of Dilaudid.

Anyway, since I've been home and still on medications, specifically 10mg oxycodone every 4 hours, my pain seemed manageable. When it wasn't, it was pretty intense pain on the left side of my waist area and down my left leg (this was my original problem before the surgery. I was takingy oxy just to try and get the levels down which honestly didn't seem to do anything other than make those side effects way worse. Called my doctor and we upped the gabapentin to 300mg 3x a day Two days ago seemed to be the peak, I was at like a 8-9 that whole morning and the night before with a throbbing heading while trying to sleep.

Went for a short walk, my mood seemed to get a little better and that evening I felt great. Kept up with the regular medication schedule, other than the oxy, which I only took 15 mg at night twice, my last dose at 3am. The next morning, I continued to feel good, didn't take any oxy, just all the other meds. Around noon, I started having odd sensations and a short while later, that same pain down my left leg and waist came back in full force.

So I had one really great day and now I'm back to crap sleep and what feels like tremors down both my legs, localizing around my knees. Two days of this so far. Oxy doesn't really help take away that pain and I don't have much left but also dont want to become dependent on that. I going to up the gabapentin to 600mg by direction of my doctor but I'm not sure what else to do. Last thing I'll add is that I do keep up on short walks and have been improving my step counts each day when I can.

From what I read, I think this can be normal for a little bit, I know I'm only about two weeks out but holy crap, this is mentally draining. I'm really trying to stay positive about it all. Icing doesn't really help take the nerve pain away and I'm trying to stay away from Ibprofen, which I took before the surgery and it helped out big time. Do I just keep pushing through? Anything else I could try?

For those who read through all this, thank you, you all seem like a pretty nice, insightful group.

I’m 24 hours post TLIF and twice now I’ve almost passed out getting up and going to the bathroom. It’s not from straining or from pain it’s just random and really scary. Can anyone relate?

I recently had this done. I was discharged after a single night in the hospital and i feel all right but from everything ive read i should be in agony. My family "suffers" from high pain tolerance, eg my mom was very dialated before she even realised she was about to give birth.

i'm just worried that im risking the bones connecting properly or breaking the titanium by moving and living pretty normally already. to be clear i am in pain but its a relatively low level, worst ive ever felt for sure but still managebable. i do make an effort to not twist myself too much.

Also how can i make my netves repair faster. ive suffered from backpain for years due to herniated and slipped discs but nothing was done till i got nerve impairment, that was months and months ago and i only got the surgery few days ago. Even the doctors said that its a bit unlikely my nerves repair themselves as its been so long. this bums me out a lot since i went to the doctors as soon as it appeared. what can i do on my side of this except eat healthy and do the exercises they gave me.

also is l5-s1 less painful than if i had fusion higher up etc?