Update to Matt G's back surgery!
Hello friends. I wanted to update those who offered comments on my husband's post in July. (MattG, General Discussion, July 16)
No better time than today as we have much to be thankful for.
The surgery - L5-S1 decompression and fusion - was Nov. 8. Surgery was successful! We just attended Matt's 2-wk post-surgery appt yesterday. As of today, Matt's pain has come down from pre-surgery 7s, 8s & 9s (and after-surgery 10s) to pain level of 4! that's reason to celebrate. the most pain relief in 6+ months, maybe a year.
A couple of things to note for those interested: the procedure required anterior and posterior surgery. it lasted about 4 hrs. the surgery was done by a Cedars-Sinai spine surgeon who happened to be the 5th opinion! (We had originally agreed to surgery with a spine surgeon who left us feeling uncomfortable after every meeting. he had been referred by a specialist so we thought we should stick with him. but after the last visit with him, both of us - me, his wife and caregiver, and Matt - left feeling completely upset. he didn't answer our questions fully, we felt rushed, he was gruff, his surgery coordinator was dropping the ball. We said No! this doesn't feel right.) The point is: we went to one last surgeon and bingo! we knew right away he was the one. never ignore your gut! besides being experienced, professional, courteous, and kind, his approach and resources made for a slightly less invasive surgery (robotics, smaller incisions).
He used a synthetic BMP instead of host or donated. They placed 4 screws and spacer from the front and 4 screws in the back, including 2 in broken pedicles.
Bonus: the decompression and spacer gave Matt back 1/2" in height.
Preliminary findings on the condition of the spine, according to the surgeon right after surgery, is "not bad." We'll know more at the 6wk follow-up appt and subsequent imaging. full fusion could take up to 1 year.
The first 2 weeks have been pain management and limited mobility. He's been up and walking since day 2 at the hospital. started off as a few excruciating steps. now he's doing laps in the house and getting his strength back. tomorrow we venture outside! : )
Yesterday at the 2wk appt, the P.A. said Matt can start doing more daily personal care activities on his own. still no twisting or lifting or carrying, but they say he can now do a little bending. shocking to me! I've been treating him like glass, afraid for him to bend his spine. but they said he's "not going to break anything" so just go slowly and use judgement based on pain and tightness. (holy moly! this is a long post!) I wanted to say that we were scared at first. we had been told by doctors that the spine imaging showed mottling from the myeloma. we were scared the bones were to weak to hold the pins. but that doesn't seem to be the case. the outlook is good! and we can breathe. As we go forward, I'm going to remind myself to expect the best outcome! (sometimes drs give us scary information; they're not always right. and the body is truly remarkable at recovering!)
On this day of thankfulness, I wanted to say we appreciated your support and comments on Matt's original inquiry. (Sorry i don't know how to write a short post.) Love to you All. (and good job Matt! you made it through! AGAIN!)
Myeloma community - you're a strong bunch!
signed -relieved wife and tired but thankful caregiver ; )
