What Is Not Said Before Surgery

Hello,

Today I wanted to chat about what I didn't know, or had to find out myself before having my spinal fusion surgery.

• The first thing, that is very specific to my surgery, (Spinal Fusion L5 S1) is that I didn't know it involved a bone graft until around a week before! Its really important to know the ins and the outs of what is being done so there are no surprises. 

• Secondly (and this is leading on from the one above) try and find out everything you can about the procedure itself. I was told specifically for mine that there were several ways of doing a spinal fusion. One where they operated from the front and one from my back and because I am female, the back was the best option. However, after doing more research myself, I found there were several different ways of operating from the back and It was not until the day of my surgery that I managed to ask what procedure he was doing and what sort of scar I would be left with. Thankfully It was the most common procedure with one scar down the centre of my lower back. 

  

  Image of my back post surgery - Op site and Epidural site

• Before this I have never had an operation or any type of invasive treatment. I am one of those people who avoids hospitals/doctors, even the dentists at all costs. So every time Im worried about anything, I will ask 'Is this going to hurt?' - just to prepare myself. I asked this question for the following things - a cannula being placed in my hand and taken out plus liquids being put through it, epidural being removed and my catheter being removed. I was always told no and they were right, none of these were pleasant but none drastically hurt either. 

• One thing I didn't know was surgical socks are a thing. If you don't know what these are they are a pair of white stockings (I did ask the nurse if they came in pink because I'm cool like that - they don't unfortunately!) and you have to wear them for 4-6 weeks/until your mobile. You will learn to hate them. In addition to this, whilst in hospital I wore leg compression pumps (for DVT too) which, can you believe it, were even more uncomfortable than the stockings! 

• I have been asked this question so many times 'Was it awful having a bed bath?' The answer is no. I was so out of it and felt so awful that being cleaned felt nice and I wasn't in the least bit bothered about being naked. Obviously it was a female nurse and she's seen it all before so who cares?

• This one I find very amusing and is specific to spinal surgery. I joked a lot beforehand with friends that I would be taller after the operation - guess what? Im now an inch taller - it is possible!

• This one is slightly more serious and personal but one thing not mentioned to me before surgery is about Post operative depression. This can happen to anyone, no matter what kind of procedure they have been through and can happen for different reasons. For me, it was more about the emotional stress of choosing to have the operation, then having it, then feeling incredibly sick with medication. Once the realisation that i'd made my choice and now had months of recovery ahead had settled in, this also made me feel very low because I questioned whether I had made the right choice. I am also one of those fairly independent people who can't sit in bed all day and need to get out the house. Plus being very used to doing things for myself, therefore, when you suddenly have others do everything for you and you can't move very far, it feels awful. It would have definitely helped to know that I would feel this way. To be told that its okay not to be okay or to be reminded that you don't have to be brave all the time or thats its okay if you can't stand up the first time you try. Or even to be told it gets better - because it does. 

On that note, I will leave it there!

Hannah

 ❤