ONE YEAR POST OP

NOVEMBER 2023 - MAY 2024

Houston International Quilt Show

As a long-time quilter I had always wanted to go to the the largest quilt show in the USA which is the Houston International Quilt Show.  In 2020 a group of my quilting friends and I made plans to attend the fall quilt show in Texas.  Of course we all know what happened in March 2020 and that was the end of our plans.  We decided to wait several years until the show was back up and running at full speed, which ended up being 2023.

A month before I had surgery I made reservations at the hotel in Houston, as well as booked my flight.  There were ten of us going to the quilt show and I was very excited as well as worried about how I would be feeling.  November would be just six months post op and I had no idea if I could even manage a trip like that.  I needed a goal post and the quilt show gave me just that.  All summer long I worked out daily to keep improving and getting stronger.

All my hard work was worth it too. The quilt show was absolutely amazing and enormous too!  Plus the amount of vendors was incredible as well.  Enormous doesn’t even begin to describe the size of the three level convention center.  I couldn’t have navigated how far I had to walk every day without the aid of my trusty cane, as well as being physically capable.

Every night I was so exhausted I was fast asleep by 9:00pm and each morning when I woke up I was so grateful for how good I felt.  I had reached the goal I had set for myself and even though I still had a long ways to go toward healing I knew I was on the way.

 

The quilt show, vendor stalls, classes, and lectures were beyond what I had expected and I loved every minute of it.  I’m already looking forward to when I can go there again.

I had seen my ortho PA right before my trip to Houston and he was quite pleased with my progress.  The latest X-rays showed that my spine was almost completely fused which was great to hear.  

Sometime in November I stopped using my cane.  By then I felt comfortable taking my daily walks without it.  I was super cautious about watching where I walked especially with uneven sidewalks and loose gravel or debris.

The months flew by and before I knew it my ten month appointment was just around the corner.  This appointment was going to be very meaningful to me since I was going to be seeing my surgeon, Dr. Allen.  The last time I saw him was the morning after my third surgery when he came to see me and he sat on the foot of my bed while we talked.  He was leaving on a planned vacation and his orthopedic Fellows would be looking in on me every day.  I got to know two of the Fellows well during my stay at the hospital.

The day of my appointment I felt very emotional.  This surgeon gave me my life back, the life I used to know before all the pain began.  I wanted to tell him that and more.  When my husband and I were in one of the rooms a young doctor came in to see me.  I recognized her immediately as one of the Fellows who took care of me.  We hugged and she said how pleased she was to see how far I had progressed.  After she left the room Dr. Allen came in.  I asked if I could hug him and he gave me a giant bear hug and he and I each got teary-eyed.  I thanked him for giving me my life back as well as other things I wanted to say to him.  He was extremely pleased for how well I was doing.  The X-rays that day showed my spine completely fused.  He said I no longer needed to use the bone growth stimulator machine.  

When my husband and I left the clinic I felt such a sense of peace and happiness inside.  I had come full circle from my first appointment in August 2022 to my ten month post op appointment in March 2024.

On May 4, 2024 my husband and I cheered my one year post-op date.  I’d come a long ways in that one year too.  

This is the end of THIS story, but not the end of MY story.  Hopefully my story will continue on for a long time to come.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Diane

HOME SWEET HOME

(PART TWO)

June 2023 - October 2023

THE FIRST SIX MONTHS

I really couldn’t believe I was finally going home after an entire month.  As my husband and I drove out of the parking lot of the skilled nursing facility he asked me what I’d like to have for lunch.  My answer surprised him as I said, “Rubio’s fish tacos.”   I hadn’t had any fish for a month and the thought of fish tacos made my mouth water.  What can I say, I’m a Southern California gal!

I had a big smile on my face as we drove along.  Everything outside looked beautiful to me.  For 30 days my only views of outdoors were through the window in the hospital and Skilled Nursing Facility.  When we pulled into the parking lot at Rubio’s I waited in the car while my husband went inside to order.  We decided to have a car picnic.  I wasn’t ready to go inside someplace to eat and the food would get cold if we took it home.  Those were the best-tasting fish tacos I’ve ever had!  

When we arrived home my husband got the walker for me and I made my way inside.  As soon as I got inside the house I started crying tears of joy.  I couldn’t believe I was finally home.  I was completely overwhelmed.  My husband had rented a hospital bed for me to sleep downstairs since all our bedrooms are upstairs.  He had it all made up with one of the quilts I had made on the top.  It looked so inviting.

The first few weeks home my husband slept on an airbed in the living room so he could be there to help me get my brace on and get the walker in front of me for my nighttime trips to the bathroom.

It wasn’t long before I got very used to putting on my brace by myself.  I could also grab my walker and get to the bathroom without help.  It was time for my husband to get a good night’s sleep by moving back upstairs to our bedroom.

During the first few weeks home I got exercise by using the walker just in our neighborhood, with my husband always by my side.  It felt good to be outdoors moving my body.  Indoors I started going upstairs doing it as I learned in the SNF where OT/PT had me practice on a small set of stairs in the gym.  I faced the railing and always had both feet on each step as I slowly made my way up the seven steps to the landing.  My husband had a chair waiting on the landing for me to sit down and rest.  I couldn’t believe how tired I was.  When I was ready I went up the last six steps from the landing to the upstairs rooms. After sitting down resting again I used my walker and I went from room to room.  When I got to my sewing room the tears flowed as I entered my happy place as I always called it.  It was absolutely great to be back home!

A short while after my husband started sleeping upstairs we had the hospital bed picked up by the rental company and I made the move upstairs too.  It meant so much for me to be able to sleep in a really comfortable bed next to my husband again.

Little-by-little life began to fall back into place.  The way we did things was altered somewhat due to my situation but we knew that would be the case.  Five days a week we drove to a nearby park so I could take my walks.  This park had a paved path all the way around it with an incline at the end.  With my husband by my side, my walker and I slowly made it around the park.  After one time around I was completely exhausted and needed to sit down to rest.  I had one walker to use in the house that was easy to maneuver through doorways and I had a larger walker with a seat and a brake for the four wheels to use outdoors.  It wasn’t long before my stamina improved enough so I could go around the park two times, resting after each full circuit.  Eventually I was able to go around the park twice without ever resting.  I was definitely improving!

I finally started venturing outdoors in my neighborhood with my trusty walker.  It was a big deal for my husband not to accompany me on these short walks outside.  I know he was worried about me but he also knew I wanted to be more independent.  I wasn’t used to having him do so many things for me.  I couldn’t even put on my socks and shoes myself.

After being home a few weeks we decided to go out to dinner at a restaurant.  It felt good to put on some nice clothes and makeup and go eat somewhere other than home.  On top of my clothes was my trusty brace that probably looked ominous to anyone who saw me.  Little did they know what I had been through or that I had three lovely scars on my body.  It was a most enjoyable return to real life again.

As July rolled around I still wasn’t driving anywhere.  My orthopedic PA hadn’t said anything about whether I could or couldn’t drive.  I just didn’t feel ready to do that yet.  

I had a big decision to make the beginning of July also.  I had already paid for the quilt retreat I always go to in July and March.  There’s 15 of us that always attend and the fun we have is something I really look forward to.  The July retreat was just two weeks away.  I just wasn’t sure whether I could manage it on my own.  My husband knew how much the retreat meant to me so we talked about what we could do to make it happen.  I reached out to my friends to ask for help for certain things and they immediately offered their help.  I was very excited knowing I was really going to the retreat!

My husband drove me, my trusty walker, my vintage 1950’s Singer Featherweight sewing machine, and all my other “stuff” out to the retreat in Temecula.  He carried everything inside and got it all set up then we said goodby until four days later when he would pick me up.  I’m quite sure he felt worried about me since it had only been two and a half months since my surgery.  My friends were so great about helping me.  I used my walker to navigate the path to and from the dining room three times a day.  Inside someone always carried my food tray to the table for me.  I wore only slip-on shoes so that was easy, and one of my friends put my compression socks on my feet and legs every morning.  Those four days with my quilting girlfriends was great medicine for me!

I began physical therapy in July and that was just what I needed.  My PT continued until the middle of November.  We worked on my mobility issues and strengthening my right leg, as well as the drop foot problem.

I finally began driving at the end of July also, which gave me more independence.  With each week that went by I could see improvement in every aspect of my recovery.  A big milestone happened when my husband and I went to my August appointment with the Ortho PA.  We were both shocked when he asked if I’d like to stop wearing my brace.  I couldn’t believe that after three months I could finally take it off for good.

As the summer rolled to an end I began using a cane to get around and eventually began walking in my neighborhood for exercise 4 or 5 days a week, plus doing my PT exercises at home as well as in-person with the therapist.

My husband and I hadn’t taken a vacation in a very long time so we decided to take a driving trip up to the central California coastal town of Cambria, one of our favorite get-aways.  It was now October and I was less than a month away from my six month post-op appointment.  We had a great time and I was even able to go hiking on some very steep trails at the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.  I had a hiking pole in each hand and I prayed with every step not to stumble and fall.  It was totally exhilarating to be able to accomplish this!  I enjoyed it so much we went back there the next day too and tackled a different trail.  I was definitely getting stronger.

HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL QUILT SHOW AND THE REST OF THE STORY  

PART THREE coming soon

THREE YEARS

(PART ONE)

It’s really hard to believe, but three years have passed since the last time I wrote

an entry in my blog. You may be wondering where I’ve been or what happened

to me. The simple answer is that I’m still here and a lot has happened, which I

will talk about now.

2021

It seems that as the months of 2021 rolled along life began to get a little busier

too. Especially in comparison to 2020. There were a couple of trips to Salt Lake

City to see family, and a much-needed trip to Maui, Hawaii. Little did we know

that Maui must have been the perfect easy getaway for about half of California.

It was absolutely wonderful to be there despite having to wait an hour or two

every night for dinner due to the crowds of tourists.

It was during that trip that I started to feel pain in my right leg every night when

we walked from our hotel to downtown Lahaina and then back to our hotel. Up

until then I was only feeling it every now and then when I took walks in my

neighborhood.

I finally went to see my Internal Medicine doctor about the pain and he

suggested physical therapy, which I began the following week. PT was just

what I needed. I went twice a week for several months until I got relief.

2022

I started off the year feeling very positive and anxiously looking forward to the

trips we had planned. My pain had subsided and I was able to take my daily

walks once again.

The first trip we took was in the Spring of 2022. We decided it was time we tried

a cruise to see what the Covid protocols would be like onboard and if we would

feel comfortable. We went on a one week coastal California cruise on Holland

America. The ship was less than half full which was the strangest feeling.

The ship only stopped at four ports and we got off at two of them. While we

were walking around Santa Barbara I started feeling sciatic pain on my right

side. It was disappointing to feel pain just a few months after finishing physical

therapy.The next two cruises in 2022 were to use the credits we received when 

our 2020 cruise was cancelled due to the pandemic.

In May we went on a cruise to Alaska as well as a land tour to the Yukon

Territory. It was during this cruise that the sciatic pain I had been experiencing

in my right buttock and down my leg began to be a daily occurrence whenever I

walked any distance. By the time we got to the Yukon Territory the pain had

gotten much worse.

A few weeks after returning home I decided it was time to see an orthopedic

surgeon to find out what was going on with my back. I already had a couple of

doctors at UCSD Healthcare so I decided to search for a doctor there. With no

recommendations from anyone I picked an orthopedic specialist, read his bio,

liked what I read, and decided he was the doctor I wanted. I was very lucky to

get an appointment at the beginning of August.

In July I went on my annual four day quilting retreat with a group of quilting

girlfriends. It’s something I always look forward to every year. However, this

time my enjoyment was clouded by sciatic pain every time I had to walk a short

distance to the dining hall for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My night’s sleep was

continually interrupted by the pain I was experiencing. I ended up packing up

and leaving the retreat early because my body hurt so much.

My internal medicine doctor sent me to physical therapy once again and he also

prescribed pain pills.

In September 2022 we went on our last cruise from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to

Iceland and back again. By then I was using a walker as well as a cane to get

around.

AUGUST 2022-JANUARY 2023

During the five months between my first appointment in August 2022 and

January 2023, my husband and I had met with the surgeon, whom we both

really liked. I had scoliosis X-rays of my entire spine that showed all the

significant deterioration in my curved and rotated spine. I also had an MRI and

CT scan of my entire spine. That Fall there were several appointments with

UCSD orthopedic Fellows and also my surgeon’s orthopedic physician’s

assistant. I had an epidural spinal injection (ESI) in October 2022 which

provided no relief from the pain and another ESI in November 2022 that

provided pain relief for just one month.

During these five months I also went to PT twice a week to help with stretching

and strengthening my right leg.

2023

In January 2023 my husband and I met with my orthopedic surgeon to decide

what to do next. My doctor had the MRI results on the computer and he slowly

went through each view explaining what we were looking at and showing us the

extent of my rotated and twisted scoliosis, major arthritis deterioration, five

bulging disks, slipped disks, and extreme loss of space between vertebra. (I

had lost 1 1/2 inches in height.)

After carefully going through the MRI results the surgeon and I came to the

decision that major surgery was going to be the only way I would get the much-

needed pain relief I desperately needed.

My surgery dates were set for May 2023. On May 1st I would have ALIF surgery.

On May 4 I would have XLIF and PLIF surgeries. Before that time I had an on-

line pre-op class, labs, and an appointment with a vascular surgeon who would

also be operating on me for the first surgery, etc.

By my own choice I secluded myself three weeks before my surgery. My last

contact with family and friends was the first week of April. After that I stayed

home while my husband ran any errands and did the grocery shopping.

MAY 2023

The three surgeries I had were very complicated and, according to my surgeon,

each one took twice as long as they normally would. It also meant I was under

anesthesia for much longer than expected.

The surgeries went very well, but afterwards I had metabolic, as well as blood

pressure issues, that caused a real problem. Most of my daily lab results were

either too high or too low. My blood pressure was so low that I got light-headed

or passed out whenever they tried to have me stand up. My daily PT and OT

exercises were somewhat limited due to my BP. These issues kept me in the

hospital for 18 days. I was then transferred to a skilled nursing facility where I

spent another 12 days.

During my stay at the SNF I received physical therapy and occupational therapy

twice a day for an hour each time. This was exactly what I needed to get my

body moving again. When I was in the hospital I had received PT and OT once

a day, but what I was able to do was limited. Even though I still had a blood

pressure problem at the SNF, I was able to perform the various exercises in the

small gym there and little-by-little I started improving.

As the days went by I started feeling more positive too. The internal medicine

doctor who took over my care at the SNF was finally able to get my blood

pressure under control and my metabolic panel also started to get back within

the normal range.

After the first week at the SNF I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I

just knew I would be going home soon. By the 12th day at the SNF plans were

made to release me. On the last day of May, 30 days since I had been home, I

was discharged.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART TWO coming soon