My first surgery was an anterior approach lumbar surgery. I needed this because of the stenosis and degeneration in my lumbar spine. The surgeon is able to place larger cages (spacers) from the front vs going from the back. Larger cages give a wider and more stable base for the rest of the spine that will be fused. A vascular surgeon was utilized to move my organs and blood vessels so the neurosurgeon could access my lumbar spine.

Surgery went well. It only took about 90 minutes. A nerve block was given in my abdomen. The surgeon said it lasts about 48 hours. I now have a long incision in my left abdomen. The incision is about 5″ long and is secured by Dermabond glue.

I’m on meds every 2 hours: morphine IV, muscle relaxers, and Norco. The doctor doesn’t use PCA (morphine pump). The pain has been tolerable with meds but excruciating when they’re wearing off. My boyfriend and daughter keep track of the meds and times and find the nurse to give the meds. Pain meds tend to be ‘as needed,’ so you’ll need to ask for them each and every time. A PRN (as needed) medication that you can get every 2 hours will need to be verbally requested by the patient every 2 hours, even during the night when you’re trying to sleep.

Instead of a urinary catheter or bed pan, the nurse set up a Pure Wick urinary system. Getting to the restroom is out of the question. Using the bedpan was ok because I did so many bridges in my pre-hab PT. But I had to call a tech every time I needed the bedpan.

The Pure Wick urinary system is really interesting. There was nothing like this when I worked as a floor nurse. Basically it’s like a big wand with a center part that’s a paper wicking material. It’s hooked up to suction on the wall. When you need to urinate, you just press the wand against yourself and urinate. It just sucks up the urine into a container. It does take a bit of practice to get it into the correct position so nothing leaks out. You can just leave it in place between your legs or, like me, I just put it aside and then placed it when I needed to use it. This system would cut down on urinary catheter related infections, which is a huge source of infections in hospitals.

So far it’s all ok. Part 2 on Thurs Jan 2.