Must haves for recovery from microdiscectomy
Sporadically, since pregnancy, I would have sciatic nerve flair-ups. They would chill out with some stretching and cautious moving…and childbirth. However, this year, the sciatic pain was so excruciating; getting up from bed or a seat or getting out of the car had me in tears.
I spent several months going to physical therapy, massage therapy and more, but the pain wouldn’t relent. I was convinced following all of the steps and exercises I would be able to get on the other side of the pain, but I couldn’t. So, after consultations with two PTs and an orthopedic surgeon, I went in for a lower lumbar MRI.
(Side note: If you are claustrophobic, look for a standing MRI. The whole front of it was open and I didn’t feel nervous or like the walls were closing in at all).
The results came in from the radiologist:
L5-S1: Disc space narrowing at L5-S1 with moderate size left paracentral/subarticular disc herniation with caudally migrated fragment and grade 1 retrolisthesis impinging on the traversing left S1 nerve root and causing mild thecal canal and moderate bilateral foraminal stenosis. Edematous inflammatory changes within the endplates consistent with Modic type I changes which may be a pain source.
Degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 with a superimposed moderate-sized left paracentral/subarticular disc herniation with grade 1 retrolisthesis causing mild thecal canal and moderate bilateral foraminal stenosis.
I took the MRI disc to three different doctors. They all said I was within the timeline of pain and attempts at curing it to move forward with surgery. (They also said I could do an epidural injection of steroids, but it was most-likely prolonging the inevitable.)
The Surgery
The time from my appointment with the surgeon to the surgery date was surprisingly fast. On October 1st, I had a microdiscectomy at L5/S1.
What is a microdiscectomy?
Microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat a herniated disc in the spine. A herniated disc occurs when the soft, jelly-like center of the disc pushes through the tough outer layer and presses on nearby nerves. In my case, pressing on the sciatic nerve.
All ready for surgery and sending the kids picture updates. I’m pretty sure at this time I had some medicine to help me relax.
The anesthesiologist and several nurses as well as the surgeon came in to verify I knew what the procedure was and how it was going to go. The whole procedure was only about an hour long at an outpatient facility.
The wheeled me back and it was over before I knew it. The surgeon told Mr. Serious that usually what is removed is a “crab-like texture” and mine was more crusty and calcified. So, he had to move my nerve around quite a bit to get everything off of it.
That means, I have some neuropathy (aka pins and needles) in my foot and some nerve loss in my leg that has to slowly regrow (at the rate of 1mm a day).
One day post-op and I was able to move around and get downstairs to eat some meals and be with the family. But, I was definitely still on some pretty strong pain pills. We brought the brace to the surgery center and they sent me home with it on.
The Recovery
The directions from the surgeon were no bending, lifting or twisting, but walking as much as comfortable. What I quickly discovered is that sitting was pretty terrible, so it meant either walking or lounging/reclining. Which meant I need to make some purchases for mhy recovery!
Let’s get to that list of must haves for microdiscectomy recovery
Giant Ice Pack
Before the surgery, my physical therapist had been using a giant ice pack. I mentioned how nice it was and that I needed to get more ice packs and she told me I could buy them for myself online. This giant ice pack is amazing. I think it’s the best presurgery purchase I made. I folded it into thirds and it fit perfectly in our freezer. It has a clay-like substance inside and really holds the cold well. It’s a must have for post any surgery, really.
Grabber
My sister sent me a grabber, and let me tell you, it’s probably highest on the list. When you can’t bend or lean over and something falls or is out of reach, the grabber is needed. Honestly, I probably should have bought a second for the time I dropped the grabber!
Body Pillow
Finding a comfortable sleeping position was and still is very challenging. I find sleeping on my non-surgery side is the only side that works and I need a body pillow between my legs and arms. A pregnancy pillow would probably work well here, too.
Wedge Pillow
The wedge pillow was one of my first surgery purchases. I kept trying to prop myself up with regular pillows and I couldn’t quite find the right position. So, I went searching for a wedge pillow that would arrive quickly. It does the job (usually with more pillows), and I wish I would have searched more and landed on something more like this pillow set. I blame the pain pills on my lack of research purchase.
Tablet/ Phone Floor Stand
While I’ve spent a lot of time sleeping (the surgery has made my body exhausted, especially in the first couple weeks), there were times I wanted to watch a show or movie. I was trying to balance my iPad on pillows and found myself straining my neck. My oldest was home and mentioned it to my sister and the next day, this phone/ipad stand arrived.
Noise-cancelling headphones
When I can’t bend, lift or twist sometimes I need to tune out the noise in the house because I can’t do anything about it. That’s when noise canceling headphones come in handy. They are also really good on flights, too!
Walking Pad
Since I can only sit for a little while, I was glad I already had a standing desk. But, after a while of standing (even on standing mat), my left foot was really aching. It turns out standing is also uncomfortable. But, if I can keep my feet moving, I can be at my desk a lot longer. I tried out our regular treadmill with a piece of wood balancing my laptop and it was too low and instant neck cramp. So, I did a little research and landed on a Deerrun classic walking pad. It was affordable, came quickly and does exactly what I want. I can slowly walk while getting work done at my desk.
I found another desk treadmill that I might have liked a little more (smaller footprint and slight incline), but a girl only needs one desk treadmill. The EgoFit seems really cool.
Walking shoes
On the walking pad, I mostly walk barefoot as I’ve read it’s best for our bodies to let our ligaments and bones work in our feet. But, all of the outside walking I’ve been doing (and it’s a lot), I’ve been wearing my Altra Experience Flow shoes. Shoes are highly specific of course, but I like these because of the wide toe box and almost no heel drop.
Seat Cushions
Did I mention how uncomfortable sitting is? I guess we aren’t made to sit…especially for long periods of time. So, I looked for tools to help me be a little more comfortable and quickly hit purchase on these.
The Cushion Lab Back Relief Lumbar Pillow and Cushion Lab Cloud Cradle Seat Cushion is a winning combination for our kitchen table chairs. They are big and take up a lot of the seat, but I’ve come into the kitchen and found the kids sitting on my chair and them saying things like “Wow, this really is comfortable.” Yeah. I know! They help me to be able to sit at the table for all of a meal.
When I ordered the cushions for the kitchen, I also got a Cloud Cradle Car Seat Cushion for my van seat. It’s thinner than the cushions for the kitchen table but is very nice for the car. I also bring it inside to other places like restaurants and doctor’s appointments when I have to sit down.
Entertainment / Activities
I am a busybody. I do not do well with sitting around, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing (in between all of the walking. My sister knew this would be the case and sent me a cute coloring book and some alcohol markers that were just for me.
Leaning it on my flippy pillow made coloring while in bed possible. And reading a book as well.
Lap desk
While most of my computer work as been at the standing desk or with the desk treadmill, I do get tired but not tired enough to not get some work done. This is where my lap desk comes in handy. (As well as all of those previously mentioned pillows.)
Other things you might want to make sure you have, and likely already do: comfy pajamas and clothes that are easy to put on with little to no bending, comfortable bed, and bedding and a good water bottle to keep around for the medicines you will have to take.
It’s been 6 weeks
It’s been 6 weeks since my surgery and I’m using these items still daily. My nerves are slowly healing in my back and leg, but it’s going to be a while until I’m back to my usual hot yoga, running, cycling and weight lifting. I want to take it slow and easy with my recovery so I can hopefully not go through any of this again.
If you have questions, I’m happy to share my experience.
