Day 7 Recovery

Wednesday Day 7

After sleeping well and waking up only intermittently I woke up today in significantly more pain than yesterday. This was located in my lower back and at down my right leg and right pelvis area. After taking medication this was alleviated somewhat. I think I may have slept awkwardly. I spent most of the day on my back relaxing and went for a brief walk at around 5pm before dinner. I still have a small amount of discomfort in my right leg but on the whole feel good. The muscle pain from the previous day is still there to a small extent. The majority of my discomfort is itching around the wound. I’m not sure if this is from the adhesive or from my back being shaved for the operation. 

Day 6 Recovery

Tuesday Day 6

I woke up at 8am and was able to get out of bed easily and walk down the two flights of stairs with little trouble. I had my breakfast and relaxed all day on the sofa. I have been for two short walks which I am surprised to have done. I have been using a back support and whilst walking noticed a moderate pain on my lower right side and down my right leg. I really didn’t think I would be up and about so quickly. I am very conscious not to overdo anything and will be pacing myself but if I had known how good I would feel at this stage before the operation I wouldn’t have entered the procedure with so much trepidation. Dr Eakpatipan did mention this but having read things on the internet about the procedure I thought he was being optimistic. I have been in a small amount of pain all day as mentioned above and this gets worse when getting up off the sofa or onto the sofa. Most of the time I feel very comfortable. The only other pain I have seems to be muscle pain on both sides of my lower back. I have bruising there from the operation. Going to the toilet is not an issue.

 If progress continues to be so positive I hope to be back at work as soon as the staples are removed. 

Day 5 Recovery

Monday Day 5

I was woken up again in the early hours for blood pressure readings and temperature check. All fine thankfully so drifted back to sleep. Another nurse came with medication before breakfast and I took these and woke up. Breakfast came and after that I had my first shower since Wednesday. As the wounds have waterproof dressings I am able to have a shower as normal. The bed baths have been fine and I appreciate the efforts of the nurses but for the first time in five days I feel really clean. My mobility is 100% better than yesterday and I no longer have pain when getting out of bed. My legs were hurting again when I woke up but after moving around and getting comfortable, the discomfort has gone away. I went for a walk downstairs for the first time without a walker for support and at 9.45 Dr. Eakpatipan came in to check and redress the wound. He told me that I would be able to leave the hospital today and gave me advice for when I get home. This included no bending and the waist or stretching and to keep my back straight at all times. He also said I could take short walks but should lie down if I feel any pain. I didn’t expect to feel this well so soon after the operation after reading reports on the internet so am delighted and am looking forward to getting back to a normal life soon. 

After completing all the discharge formalities and receiving my massive bag of medication, I was able to leave the hospital on my own steam. The journey home was uneventful and except for a little discomfort getting in and out of the car was very comfortable. I am lucky due to the fact I have people to look after me and although I am mobile and could probably take care of myself at a push it would be very uncomfortable and exhausting. Putting on clothes is a challenge. Shoes and socks take a long time. Normal things like getting milk out of the fridge is difficult and reaching for pots and pans is troublesome. So having someone to help with cooking and household chores is fantastic.

I wasn’t looking forward to bedtime as I imagined my own bed to be not as comfortable as the adjustable hospital version. It was fine and I was able to spread out a bit more. I slept well but kept waking up at regular intervals, I think probably due to me being used to nurses coming in every 2 hours or so in the hospital. 

Day 4 Recovery

Sunday Day 4

I had a better night’s sleep last night and was woken up by the nurse at 6.30 am for blood pressure and temperature readings. Temperature was fine but blood pressure was a bit high.  I put this down to being woken up from a lovely sleep at 6.30 in the morning. I had some pain around the wound and pain in my right leg when I woke up but after adjusting my position and taking my medicine was able to alleviate this. After breakfast I asked my wife to take me downstairs so I could potter around and get some sun. This was lovely and although I was only out for 10 minutes it made me feel better. After lunch I came over exhausted. I had to go back to bed and sleep for an hour. I wasn’t sure if this was medication or because I had been for a walk but I listened to my body and felt fine after the nap. The rest of the afternoon was spent pottering about and relaxing. Dr Ekpatipan came at around 5pm to check the wound and blood drainage bags. He decided that it would be fine to remove the drains and redress the wound. This stung a bit but didn’t hurt as much as I expected it too. It was also the first opportunity for me to see the wound as my wife took a picture. I have a wound about 12 inches long containing 34 staples sealing the wound. The doctor finished up and said he’d be back tomorrow to ascertain whether I could be discharged. I spent the evening in much more comfort as I no longer had any drainage bags attached to my back. I had dinner, watched a bit of TV and relaxed. My wife and daughter surprised me with a cake for my birthday. Not a great place to spend a birthday but never mind. The cake was too much for three people so we shared it with the nurses in the nurses station. All of them to a person have been fantastic. 

Day 3 Recovery

Saturday Day 3

Again a day of rest and again I had lots of visitors. This really brightened my day and I am really grateful to the people who came to say hi. I got up again and walked a couple of times up and down the corridors of the ward. My wound started itching today and I am told this is a good sign as it means its healing. I continued to have a great appetite and spent the day eating, resting, watching TV, doing crosswords and sleeping.  Going to the toilet has become increasingly easier and I can now brush my teeth at the sink without any assistance. My blood pressure readings are all normal (but could be lower) and my temperature is normal indicating no infection. I had pain in my right side and in my legs today but was told this is a normal part of the recovery.

Day 2 Recovery

Friday Day 2

Rest, rest and more rest was the order of today. Some friends came round to visit which was great and I watched movies, read the paper and slept. The nurse was able to remove the catheter from my penis which was not a pleasant experience. It didn’t hurt as such but burned slightly. Having a catheter in was very strange. I didn’t actually urinate for a few days but the bag just kept filling up. It was weird not to have the sensation of urinating but being able to see the final result.  Once this was removed I had to get up and go to the toilet myself. Going to the toilet after removing the catheter was fine. I was also able to defecate which was relieving as I was sure this would be painful and uncomfortable. I was able to get up and walk around the ward a couple of times which was fantastic for me as I was getting a bit bed sore. I used a walking frame to help but I was actually able to walk freely. I used the frame when resting and as a support if I felt dizzy which I did when initially getting up. I had difficulty sleeping as the pain from the wounds was extreme so I asked the nurse for a pain killing injection. She gave me some morphine and sleep came very quickly. Today I was taken off the IV antibiotics and given them in tablet form. Another small milestone met.

Day 1 recovery

Thursday Day 1 recovery

I was in bed for most of the day today. I wasn’t really able to sit upright in bed so my wife fed me for the most part. I felt very compos mentis, but in a lot of pain from the wounds in particular. The oxygen was removed which was becoming irritating and at around midday the doctor came to visit and checked the wound. He had me sit and stand up and walk a few steps which I thought was encouraging. He then explained I would need an xray to check the operation was successful and this would happen later. I also had a visit from the cardiologist who did some checks and said everything was ok. At around 4.30 I was taken for an xray and again had to get out of bed to stand up to do the xray. Dr Ekpatipan then came to check the results and show me what he had done. He explained that everything had gone to plan and all titanium inserts were placed perfectly. Relieved, I was then wheeled up to my room to have dinner. The nurses again took over and gave me my next supply of drugs. I have been on a variety of medicines, pain killers, IV antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and vitamins. The nurse brings them in at regular intervals and I dutifully swallow them down.

Operation day

Wednesday Operation day

I packed my bag in the morning. It mainly consisted of toiletries and stuff to do. As I knew I was going to be laid up I prepared movies and books to keep me occupied. I also had the added benefit of having my wife and daughter to keep me company. Thankfully my insurance through my work covered a private room with a spare bed so they were able to stay with me all the time. i can't say how much I appreciated this. Without their help and support I couldn't have gone through this. I arrived at the hospital and met with the nurse at the spine centre. Another lady then arrived with consent forms and insurance documents to sign. She then tied the admittance bracelet on my arm and at midday took me to my room. The room itself was super. It was private and I had a bathroom with shower. In addition there was a small kitchen area with microwave and fridge as well as a flat screen cable TV.

My operation was scheduled for 6.30pm so I waited in the room and prepared. I was hungry as I had my last meal at 9am but was very nervous so I doubt if I could have stomached anything anyway. This was my first ever operation and having never been under general anaesthetic before, I was very apprehensive. I had regular visits from the nurses who took blood pressure and recorded pretty high reading although not high enough to warrant a postponement. The cardiologist came and after tests was satisfied that I was fit to go. Dr Ekpatitpan came again to talk through the operation once more and to provide much needed reassurance. At 5.30pm a nurse instructed me to have a shower and change into the operating robes provided.

6pm came round and it was time to go down to the operating theatre. I was wheeled down on a gurney and met by two nurses who prepped me for the procedure. They inserted needles into my hand to allow for an IV drip and the administration of the general aesthetic. 

The anaesthetist, Dr Pornlert came and explained clearly what was going to happen. I would be on the gurney, taken into the theatre and then anaesthetised. After that I would have a breathing tube inserted into my throat and then moved on to the operating table. I would be placed on my stomach and Dr Eakpatipan, Dr Wicharn, also an orthopaedic and spinal surgeon and Dr Prasert a neurological and Spinal Surgeon would start the procedure. In total it would last for 3 hours. Dr Pornlert was fantastic and had a wonderful bedside manner. He talked to me about general things to put my mind at rest and then explained fully how I would feel. He answered questions such as:

• ·         Will the anaesthetic hurt when administered?
• ·         How would I feel when I woke up?
• ·         Would I dream?
• ·         Would I have any sense of how long I’d been under?

The answers were.

• ·         No, but it might feel a bit cold
• ·         A bit strange and maybe a bit nauseous but generally ok
• ·         Maybe, some patients do.
• ·         Most patients feel like the time has been ‘deleted’ and they have no sense of the time under.

I was then wheeled into the theatre. At this time I was flat on my back on a gurney. The theatre was cold and very clinical as you would imagine. There was lots of activity from nurses and lots of lights and instruments. I was wheeled next to the operating table which was pre-moulded I guess to allow the doctors access to my back. It was strange knowing that very soon I would be lying on the table on my stomach but would have no recollection of this. Dr Ekpatipan came for a last time to check and then the anaesthetist said it was time to go under. The ceiling started moving and things started blending in together then everything went blank.  

So, I did wake up and did feel very disorientated as was suggested. I remember having a pleasant dream but can’t remember what it was. The nurses and Dr Pornlert were saying my name and encouraging me to come round and I replied ‘I don’t want to.’ It must have been a great dream. When I did come to I saw my wife and daughter waiting and the relief was amazing. I lied in the recovery room for 2 hours and was then taken to my room. Upon waking I felt cold and remember shivering. I was very tense as in my back felt constricted and tight.

Although in a lot of pain, I was surprised how well I felt and was able to eat some food that was waiting. The tension I felt subsided and then recognised that I had a few extra things that weren't there when I went in the theatre such as a catheter in my penis, an oxygen tube for my nose and rather alarmingly two draining bags hanging from the left hand side of my back. Dr Ekpatipan had explained this all before but it was still a bit of a shock. The catheter was irritating and the wound and drainage bags were painful and the latter, very unpleasant to look at. My throat was also sore from the breathing tube. I tried to sleep and did for a few hours but with nurses coming in at regular intervals to take blood pressure readings and temperature it was difficult. 

Pre – Op

Tuesday Pre – op

My pre op was scheduled for 9am the day before my operation. I was told not to eat anything 8 hours before coming into the hospital and went to bed at 10 am the night before. On arrival at the hospital I had a brief consultation with Dr Eakpatipan who explained what tests I would be having. The nurses then took over and extracted blood, sent me to get an urine sample, tested blood pressure, assessed weight and height and then took me for a chest x-ray and EXG exam. When all the results were in I went back to see the doctor. Thankfully everything was in order and I had no problems with any of the tests. This was a bit bitter sweet as I meant I was healthy but it also meant I was cleared for the operation which I was not looking forward to the day after. The doctor then explained the procedure for the following day and I left for home and to prepare.

Background

Background

I am 42 years old and although a bit overweight am in good health. Before the operation, I cycled everyday regularly doing journeys of 75 km each day. I walked 3 times a week of distances of around 6km. I’m a teacher and spent most of my working life sedentary behind a desk or sitting on a chair in the classroom.  While on a bike ride about 6 weeks ago I stopped to change a puncture. When I got up from changing the inner tube my back started to hurt. When I got home the pain had increased significantly and I found it difficult to move. I iced my back and assumed it would go away fairly soon. After struggling another day with this I decided to go to the doctor. I arrived at the BNH on Soi Convent, Bangkok and went to the Spine Centre. I met with Dr Eakpatipan, an Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon, who did a physical evaluation and then sent me for an x ray. The xray came back and his diagnosis was I had spinal canal stenosis L4 -5. However, to be clear, he would need to do an MRI. I couldn’t do the MRI on that day as I needed to get insurance clearance so booked it for a few days later. I went back and had the MRI. This was my first time for an MRI and the whole experience was very strange. I wasn’t expecting it to be so noisy. It was rather claustrophobic but I soon got used to it. I lasted for about 25 minutes and altogether it was painless. I returned to the doctor and he confirmed his initial suspicions. He recommended I have surgery. The surgery I was to undergo is called laminectomy decompression L4 -5 with fixation and fusion L4 -5. He initially scheduled me for 4 days in the future and I agreed.

However after a think I decided that with something of this nature I would be better off getting a second opinion. My wife’s friend knew a well renowned back surgeon who worked at a respected hospital in the city. I went to visit him and he agreed with the initial diagnosis. This was a strange feeling as I felt relieved that the first doctor was right however it did mean I now needed to go through with the operation. I went back to Dr Eakpatipan and rescheduled, however I decided to give myself a bit more time to prepare and have a short holiday before going under the knife.  

During this period I searched the internet for stories, information and anything I could get my hands on to do with the operation. I had another consultation two weeks before with Dr Eakpatipan and received information about what to expect and what to prepare for my stay in hospital.