BackCare

Diary of Lyn Boundy

2010 Author: Lyn Boundy

Helpline Volunteer Lyn has just gone through the surgical procedure of dynesys stabilisation and she has agreed to allow us to follow her progress through a series of articles over the next couple of years

Not long ago the only real surgical nswer to back pain involving prolapsed or degenerated discs was fusion. While this worked well for some people it had a number of disadvantages including increased pain and lack of mobility, plus a significant delay in recovery time, due to the necessary bone-grafts involved. However, there are now a number of techniques that avoid the necessity for bone grafts and these include Wallis implants, the Graf technique and the process I underwent just three weeks ago after fourteen years of constant pain, dynesys stabilisation. All of these techniques involve inserting spacers' between the vertebrae that act like shock absorbers and prevent the bones of the spine compressing the sensitive discs.

All surgery has its risks and these should be discussed at length with your medical team but I do hope my experience will help to reassure others that this particular procedure can be relatively trauma-free. My stabilisation took place at two levels, from L4 to S1 and the operation takes between one and three hours. This is the diary I kept:

Day 1
To hospital 7am. Various forms to fill in, health checks to be made etc, then off to theatre around 11.30 where a cannula was inserted in my wrist and I was handed a gas mask. I woke in quite a bit of pain but the staff were very kind and did their best to reduce pain levels as much as possible before returning me to the ward.

Day 2
Two physiotherapists arrived to help me with my first few steps. The next battle is to reduce my pain medications until I can be discharged. Another uncomfortable night but definite improvement by the hour.

Day 3
Occupational therapist gave me various gadgets to help me cope when I get home. The pain just doesn't feel the same any more as it used to. Perhaps I'm being optimistic but this feels like post-op pain.

Day 4
Discharged! Still pretty up and down but the pain is definitely controllable now. The car journey home was uncomfortable but bearable. Note to husbands picking up their wives after serious surgery "How are you?" or 'You're looking well" are both acceptable greetings; the news that your football team won 4-1 last night is not.

Day 5
Slept right through the night. The last time that happened was 14 years ago. I normally have to get up for extra painkillers or to move around at least once. I have exercises to do and I have to walk every day. Today took me to the first lamp-post and back!

Day 7
From 5-6 doses of dihydrocodeine per day before the op I am now down to 3 doses. Got my husband to change the dressing for the first time. I have never seen anything as neat as this scar and I've taught embroidery!

Recovery

For a few days after the op I had a series of headaches which I put down to the anaesthetic and which seem to have died down now. It's now three weeks since the surgery and I feel more of an improvement every day. I'm walking about 2/3 of a mile so far and increasing each day and yesterday I drove again for the first time. Yes, there is still some soreness and it's too soon to say how much of that is post-op and how much will remain but the signs are good and I'm now back to doing most of the household jobs I could do before, though heavy lifting will be out for a while longer. There are already some improvements that can't be ignored. I can sit comfortably for up to an hour already - that used to be about 5 or 10 minutes - and walking is getting faster and is increasingly comfortable. I sleep comfortably through the night and that has made a huge difference to my general health and feeling of wellbeing. Oddly, I've also noticed that my right foot, which had lately started to point outwards as I walked, is now pointing straight ahead again. 

I'll be keeping you informed over the next couple of years as to how thIngs are progressing but it's certainly looking good right now and I have no regrets at all about my decision to go ahead with the surgical option.
Lyn