[alex420420]

hey all,
just wondering if any of you have ever dealt with anytype of surgeries?
particularly spine surgery, but any one can add to thread! :slaugh:
i just have a few questions and concerns and whole bunch of worries...
i am wondering for those of you who have had any serious sergeries, how long did it take to recover and what was it like? staying in bed for days and days? or where you able to get up and move around quickly? how long did it take to get your life back to your normally active state?? driving, walkning, running, working out etc?
i have been told using cannabis is not recomended after surgery, is this true? it cant possible cause any complications IMO, but thats what i have been told. Wont want to be W/O for 3 weeks, that would just be hell...
any words on this subject and info would be much appreciated!
Thanks!!!

[tomo7]

Originally Posted by alex420420

hey all,
just wondering if any of you have ever dealt with anytype of surgeries?
particularly spine surgery, but any one can add to thread! :slaugh:
i just have a few questions and concerns and whole bunch of worries...
i am wondering for those of you who have had any serious sergeries, how long did it take to recover and what was it like? staying in bed for days and days? or where you able to get up and move around quickly? how long did it take to get your life back to your normally active state?? driving, walkning, running, working out etc?
i have been told using cannabis is not recomended after surgery, is this true? it cant possible cause any complications IMO, but thats what i have been told. Wont want to be W/O for 3 weeks, that would just be hell...
any words on this subject and info would be much appreciated!
Thanks!!!

Hi alex,

WOW! spinal surgery, that's a tuff one. I've had a couple surgeries and my experience is that they usually try to get you up & moving and into a therapy program asap. This time may vary depending on the extent of your injury & surgery.I hope It's not too serious. Then your life will gradually get back to normal as much as possible. The more effort you put into recovery therapy the better your chances of getting "back to normal" are. It's alot of work but It's something that has to be done.

As far as meds go, I found that for me there was no way of getting around having to use full doses of prescription pain killers ,(VICODEN)for the first week due to the intense pain, but when tried to mix it with MMJ It kinda made me feel sick so I waited till I did'nt need so much VIC and things got better. I really dont think you will be instructed to lay in bed for days and days but that will be your choice when you get home. I hope this helped Alex.

Good luck,tomo7

[alex420420]

Originally Posted by tomo7

Hi alex,

WOW! spinal surgery, that's a tuff one. I've had a couple surgeries and my experience is that they usually try to get you up & moving and into a therapy program asap. This time may vary depending on the extent of your injury & surgery.I hope It's not too serious. Then your life will gradually get back to normal as much as possible. The more effort you put into recovery therapy the better your chances of getting "back to normal" are. It's alot of work but It's something that has to be done.

As far as meds go, I found that for me there was no way of getting around having to use full doses of prescription pain killers ,(VICODEN)for the first week due to the intense pain, but when tried to mix it with MMJ It kinda made me feel sick so I waited till I did'nt need so much VIC and things got better. I really dont think you will be instructed to lay in bed for days and days but that will be your choice when you get home. I hope this helped Alex.

Good luck,tomo7

hey tomo,
thank you this does help. i was told that i may be hooked up to a machine that i press a button and it delivers morphine into my system, that would be for the hours after the process. then thay said they will get me into therapy asap, and should be released with in the week. i do plan on walking many hours of the day and being as active as i can to recover as fast as possible. thank you again, i appreciate your advice.
any others?

[420bunny]

The morphine drip did nothing for me
except make my hair fall out. they gave
me all kinds of dank meds, super codiene
everything, nothing even touched the pain
except a dank indica. So I threw out all
the constipated meds and stuck to the natural
way, I healed faster than any other patient
and was much happier

[Lix-A-Lot]

In 2004 I had what I thought was a headache & next thing I know I woke up a few months later in the hospital. I guess I had just passed out on the floor of my kitchen. My ex-girlfriend called 911 and paramedics came, luckily one of the medics recognized I had a brain aneurysm. They called in a helicopter that flew me to a trauma center where I recieved a craniotomy. The Dr's told my family & friends to say goodbye, as I most likely would not make it through recovery.

WHHOOOAHHHH..... I'm a stubborn S.O.B. & no one is getting rid of me that easy. I held on. They had to cut a hole in my throat and put me on a breathing machine, they stuck a tube into my stomach to feed me and stick ground up pills in, I was hooked up to a tube to use the bathroom for me. I woke up a few months unable to talk or walk & had to relearn EVERYTHING (eating, writing, going bathroom, bathing, etc.)

I was told I'd be in a wheelchair for life and would only have basic cognitive skills. I was not able to care for myself for the first year and a half and I lived with my family, they are pretty straightedge, so I did not smoke very often and was stuck using the prescription meds. They were addicting and made my mood swings HORRIBLE (I was a total asshole). Four years later.... lots of hard work & I am doing great, I got on the dean's list at college for two semesters in a row and I can carry on a conversation and be understood now. I use MMJ everyday & have weened myself off prescription meds. I feel 100% better both physically & mentally. I too was warned of the pitfalls of MMJ while the same Dr's were trying to push Vicoden, Oxycontin, Morphine, Xanax & Zoloft down my throat.

HHHMMMM.... I wonder if the fact that all the meds I buy from him get him kickbacks, where any $ I spend at co-op's he doesn't see a red cent? I think that probably has something to do with his anti-MMJ rhetoric!

What procedure are you having done? I have had a few surgeries over the years.
And I have had a disk replaced in my spine between 6 and 7 a few years back.
So if this applies pm me and I will give you the skinny.
And obviously I have recovered from them all.
good luck

[Au_Hunter]

I too would prefer more information before discussing my two neck surgeries as my experience will be much different.

My first was almost 20 years ago and the second about 15, so things have changed.

My first was before the self-medication machine. The machine worked for me and was at my discression, so I didn't have to wait for a nurse to get around to me when in need of pain relief.

I was standing up 24 hours post surgery... Not that I wanted too and due to the excessive work done and the length of time I was in surgery, my recovery continues.

On smoking,

It does increase your tolerance for sedation. (Did mine anyway... )

[OttoKontrol]

I recently had a triple fusion on my T12, L1 and L2 vertrabrae. A common surgery for a uncommon reason. I have a benign tumour inbedded in the spianl cord at that point.

My surgery was on 08/10/07. It was 9 hour long and I was in the hospital for 10 days. It took 4 days before I could get up and even then barely. I had to wear a plastic clam shell brace that covered my whole chest and adomnal area. I was in the brace for 6 months and had to where it whenever I was vertical. Didn't need it if I was lying down. I did not have a morphine drip as the morphine was ineffectual against the post operative pain. They gave my something called dilaudid. Which I might add is a wonderful drug.

I spent the first 2 or 3 weeks either in bed or on a couch. Each day it was easier to be in the brace and up and about. I think it was about a month before I could drive and I stopped using the walker after about 3 weeks. Used a cane for about a month after that. I had about 5 months of PT.

Now after nearly 9 months, I still occasionally feel pain in the surgery area and I still don't do anything too physical and no more heavy lifting.

I am not sure I answered all your questions but feel free to keep asking and I will try and give as much info as I can.

BTW - I started "Medicating" about a week after I got home. I didn't have a rec at the time so I had to wait for a friend to hook me up. Didn't feel any advers effects so I think it is OK right after the surgery.

A word of warning - Got off the Vicoden that they give as soon as you can. I went to darvocet which is a bit milder. And I only use it when I really feel like I need it instead of every 3 hours like it is prescribed for.

Otto Wotto

[alex420420]

PMing all those that apply. thanks for the help!

[yesyestheoneandonly]

I would suggest smoking as soon as you can cough with out hurting your self. I had major surgery recently on my intestines (reverse colostomy) and i was smoking as soon as i could with out tearing my staples in my abs. If you smoke asap you will use less of those opiate pills ewww. IMO!! Dont hurt your self man.

I think it's been 2 or more months since my surgery and im still trying to pull shit together.

[juliebean]

edibles, doctors push morphine because there not the ones taking it my wife had three back surgerys while she was awake never took morphine or oxy.edibles go get some crazy strong butter make some cookies a few norcos youll be good just dont overdo the norcos very addicting but if you have to its better than morphine tell the doctor what you want dont laeve it up to him. Its your choice what to take most doctors hate mmj. mmj will not hurt your recovery at all it will prob help you because it is an anti inflammatory. good luck youll be fine

[OttoKontrol]

Alex - I can not PM yet so here is my response to you PM (I still need 13 more posts LOL):


Whoa Alex - That sounds rough. 8 fused vertrabrae is a lot. Based on my experience with 3, you are going to have a bit of a rough time at first. I don't mean to frghten you though, it does get better. One thing to remember is pain manengemt, which i sure you are aware of. But when in the hospital, please do not be afraid to take what they offer you and DON'T let the pain get to much. You do not recover as fast when your hurting. Personally, I tried to stay as buzzed as possible. Listen to your docs, nurses and Physical therpists. When they wnat you up - get up. It hurts but it is what you need to do. Getting your strength back is a top priority. I tried to plan my daily walks just after the pain meds kicked in. That way i could be up longer.

If I may, where are you having the surgery? Are you in Socal area? Let me know, cuz if you are close enough, maybe I can stop by and lift your spirits. I know that whenever I had a vistor it was better.

Otto (aka Jim)

[badmedisin]

Hello there, I had a bleeding ulcer in 81 and they had to cut my stomach open and stitch up the hole. Well I called my sister after I was out of surgery and told her to bring me some mmj. So she brings me a joint, and back in 1981 you could still smoke ciggeretts in the hosipital, so I light a cig and light the joint and took a hit and tryied to mix the cig and the mmj smoke together. Back then I really didnt care a whole lot for rules so I smoked that joint. Well I will NEVER forget how high I got from that joint I thought the sticthing in my stomach was coming undone and then Benny Hill came on the t.v. and I sarted laughing so hard that my stomach hurt so much from laughing but couldnt help it, so be carefull what you watch cause trying to laugh with a 8 inch long cut through your stomach mucsles HURTS !!! Now the rules are different in hosipitals and an edible would be more discreet. Best of luck Badmedisin

[alex420420]

lol that must have been some nice meds in that j. ya def wont be medicating while in hospital, will have to buy some edibles im thinking,,,or perhaps make some super strong ones for after.

thank you all for adding to the thread.
it is much appreciated.

Originally Posted by badmedisin

Hello there, I had a bleeding ulcer in 81 and they had to cut my stomach open and stitch up the hole. Well I called my sister after I was out of surgery and told her to bring me some mmj. So she brings me a joint, and back in 1981 you could still smoke ciggeretts in the hosipital, so I light a cig and light the joint and took a hit and tryied to mix the cig and the mmj smoke together. Back then I really didnt care a whole lot for rules so I smoked that joint. Well I will NEVER forget how high I got from that joint I thought the sticthing in my stomach was coming undone and then Benny Hill came on the t.v. and I sarted laughing so hard that my stomach hurt so much from laughing but couldnt help it, so be carefull what you watch cause trying to laugh with a 8 inch long cut through your stomach mucsles HURTS !!! Now the rules are different in hosipitals and an edible would be more discreet. Best of luck Badmedisin

[badmedisin]

Oh yea,one of the things touched on in this thread was pain managment, and unless your REAL familiar with the type of meds there going to give you, I'm not a MD. but I have extensive knowlge with opiates and unless your immune from becoming addicted to the pain killers then PLEASE be creful, cause I was addicted to herion when I started bleeding in my stomach from the ulcer in which was from eating 10 - 1grain codine for breakfast, usally with a soda so they would dissolve quick ,for a couple of years, the asprin in the codine pills is what ate thru my stomach lining. And that was what I took just to stay well (normal), cause I was hooked on H confusing? Now back to the point which is gettin hooked on pain pills,patches shots, supposorites, ect. Ask your DR. about methadone for pain management cause for me thats what works. And I dont have the cravings and havent had cravings for a long time for the herion. I'v been on and off methadone for the last 20 or so years of my life, when I,m in prison I'm off methadone but but when I'm out, I learned as soon as I can I get on the methadone program (its not for everybody) but for me its a life saver, other wise I know I would be dead if I was keeping the kind of habit I maintained with street drugs or dirveried pharmacy, drugs, Any way the main point is not gettin hooked on anything. But also when I would smoke with the pain pills or shots I would feel the paim meds more stronger when I smoked. Hope this makes sense cause it sucks growin up hooked on drugs, anybody thats been near it will tell you it sucks bigtime. Read a lot, use COMMON sense, listen to us that have been there so you dont have to . Hopefully your back heals fast and strong Best of luck! Badmedisin

[smokedanky]

Ive had to have a surgery wouldnt say too serious.
I was in a car accident bout a month ago i was in the passenger seat, car hit on my side was some bullshit i was the only one hurt in the crash all becuase my "friend" wasnt payin attetion to the yield sign.
But anyways fractured several bones in the right side of my face
i had to have a open reduction surgery had some plates put into my face.
nothin like back surgery though that is gonna suck i was outta work for about a week. the herbs helpd with pain but usally it got more swollen when i smoked but didnt cause too much discomfort that my codine i was purscribed to couldnt help.
My grandpa had a back surgery like 8 years ago he was outta work for a couple of weeks looked like he was in alotta pain. He had a sllipped disc or two.
just my experiiance
btw get some morphiene whie ur visit in the hospital.
should hlp alot