SI Fusion

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WyleECoyote
WyleECoyote Member Posts: 38
edited 9. Mar 2017, 05:57 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi, I'm booked for the 14th November. Has anyone had an SI Fusion? Please share an helpful tips or experiences. Many thanks, Sophie

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  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,713
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I can't actually remember anyone mentioning this op but bumping up your thread just in case. (Have you tried the AC search engine above?) Good luck :D
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • lynnemarie1123
    lynnemarie1123 Member Posts: 295
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    No I haven't but very interested in yours m. I've so far had them injected with cortisone. Next step cauterising, finally fusion.

    Have you found any thing out ? Xx

    Good luck x
  • WyleECoyote
    WyleECoyote Member Posts: 38
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    stickywicket wrote:
    I can't actually remember anyone mentioning this op but bumping up your thread just in case. (Have you tried the AC search engine above?) Good luck :D

    Unfortunately the search engine tries to be clever and takes out SI from SI Fusion and then returns all the Fusion hits which means I get pages of irrelevant material. I couldn't see anything SI related in the results returned.
  • WyleECoyote
    WyleECoyote Member Posts: 38
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    lynnemarie1123 wrote:
    No I haven't but very interested in yours m. I've so far had them injected with cortisone. Next step cauterising, finally fusion.

    Have you found any thing out ? Xx

    Good luck x

    I check out of hospital tomorrow after having the Fusion on the 16th Nov. A three night stay is apparently standard. It's been very easy and far less painful than I anticipated. It's a whole order of magnitude less traumatic than the XLIF I had for L4-L5.

    Going home tomorrow with crutches for two weeks. If this fixes the pain it will be the easiest fix I can imagine. I probably would have wished I done at years ago if that proves to be the case. But let's see if it fixes at least a good portion of the pain. I'd be happy with 50 percent.
  • WyleECoyote
    WyleECoyote Member Posts: 38
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    webmanager wrote:
    Hi WyleECoyote,
    I'm glad to hear your SI fusion has gone so well, how is it now you are home? Fingers crossed the pain is a lot less for you and you are able to get out up and about more.
    Keep us posted, and take care of yourself
    Best Wishes
    Sharon

    Thanks Sharon, i'm on 50 percent weight bearing for 2 weeks so that means crutches. I didn't know that for the first 24 hours after the op on the hospital and neither did the nurses so I was happily walking around my room texting people and even gave myself a facial scrub in the bathroom to pep myself up :-o

    I've had hardly any post-op pain since I've been home. Not taking most of the pain meds they gave me (Morphine, diazepam).

    However my night time pain returned the night before last and I'm a bit crushed. I really thought this op might be 'the one' after such successful diagnostics. I'm going to call the hospital tomorrow about it to see if I am doing everything right. The biggest wake up call has been this evening. I've taken a morphine, diazepam and amitryptylene and they haven't even touched the nighttime pain levels. Is my nighttime pain THAT strong that those meds don't touch it? Considering i've had it every night for 20 years that's a sobering thought. I migrated to the floor as usual and improvement began almost immediately - as usual.

    Thank you for replying. I really need an encouraging voice right now. I'm in a bit of a dip. But as my moniker indicates, I can take a lot of punches and I keep getting up so no doubt I will feel better about things in days or weeks to come.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi WyleECoyote,
    I am glad to hear that the operation went well for you, but sad to hear that your pain has returned, it's interesting that it improves when you lie on the floor, I wonder what that's all about, it might be worth mentioning when you phone the hospital?

    You are bound to be feeling down in the dumps after such a good and promising start post operatively, just bear in mind there is light at the end of the tunnel even if you can't see it yet. Of course we are here for you and feel free to have a good moan whenever you feel like it knowing that everybody on the forums will be listening to you and understanding what you're going through. Try not to be too hard on yourself, and see if you can treat yourself to doing something that you enjoy even if it's something very small.
    Best wishes
    Sharon
    PS don't forget if you want to talk to somebody and just off lost load for a while our helplines are happy to listen and support you, the phone number is 0808 800 4050 and it's open Monday to Friday during office hours.
  • nearlybionic
    nearlybionic Member Posts: 1,899
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi WylieEcoyote
    I have been following your SI fusion story, as I like you have recently had an ALIF surgery . I am glad that the surgery for you seems to have gone well initially, but sorry that you are having so much pain now. I hope the hospital can give you some reassurances or advice about this.
    I am 7 weeks post op now, and am feeling a bit down about the slow progress and that I am still having back pain when walking or sitting too long in one place. I have not had any post op follow up since I was discharged and have been told the appointments are running late. It will be late December before I am reviewed. I would like some reassurance that my fusion is taking, and why I have pain still.
    It is still early days for you and I hope that the pain you feel now is due to surgery and will improve.
    Take care
    NB
  • WyleECoyote
    WyleECoyote Member Posts: 38
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    nearlybionic wrote:
    Hi NearlyBionic (great username),

    Thought I'd pop back and post an update. It seems the least I can do for people on the board here. Despite the SI fusion being much easier in immediate post-op than the spinal fusion have found the longer-term post op to be prolonged and pretty exhausting at times. The crutches for 2 weeks ended up being crutches for 6-8 weeks and I'm now... 3-4 months post op. I used them for one day last weekend even. I'm back to sleeping on the floor again at least half the time but that doesn't particularly bother me at the moment. My meds are lighter than before but over time they seem to always creep back up slowly.

    From a post-op perspective I'm back to walking around and doing almost normal stuff (which admittedly for me isn't much - hahaha). I'm not keen on going back for further surgery at the moment because the post-op from the SI fusion was pretty taxing.
    Feel like my body needs at least a year or two off.

    How are you doing? Post-surgical follow up doesn't sound ideal. I hope you get to see the people you need to see soon.

    Have you had SI fusion or ALIF? Mine was an XLIF followed by an SI fusion.
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