My lungs are healed enough after the pneumonia and blood clots to get off oxygen (thanks for all your prayers) and tackle the next problem. The sciatic pain I have been dealing with for too long has become intolerable. So, Wednesday I'm getting surgery to open the nerve canals and fuse the joint at L5-S1.

Any tips on what to expect and how to get the best recovery after surgery? My son is recommending BPC 157 and TB 500 peptide therapy to aid with the healing process for best outcome. Anyone have experience using peptides?

Any and all therapy what your Doc recommends is what I would do. I never have had fusing done but know some that have and they had great success. They all have the same story do all therapy and do exactly what the Doc says to do. Do not rush back even if you feel good that is where many fail and reinjure the healing process. I am sure you know this but is one of the most important thing.

what snowy said!!! I have endured 24 of the darn spine surgeries. I have no clue about peptides. check with your primary care doctor before you take anything especially due to your previous health issues.

I believe 15% is standard .

Not much help here but had neck surgery in 22. It was my first time in a hospital at age 58 and didnt know anything. One thing I remember is I had the mistaken hopes of each day being easier/better but it didnt work out that way for me. There was a whole lot of "getting worse before I got better". The surgeons dont/wont tell you that. He said I would have a sore throat for a day or 2-I couldnt swallow for 2-3 weeks. The pain actually gets worse for a week before iit starts moderating.
I have 2 more bad spots in my lower back he wanted to work on which I replied with a hard "no". I would rather die than go through that pain again.

Hope it works out for you..

Ask your Dr about taking Magnesium and Vitamin D3. They help the body with healing and bone growth/fusion.

The more closely you follow your rehab, the closer you will get back to 100%.

My son had that surgery in sept. And it went very well he said he wish he would have done it 3 year’s ago.

Dan, My wife is three weeks out of L3-L5 spinal fusion surgery. She stayed in the hospital 3 days then we brought her home. The first couple nights home were pretty rough. She took narcos, muscle relaxer and nerve pills every four or five hours and was pretty tired and groggy. She spent a lot of time in a recliner with her back brace on and got some relief that way. After a week she was able to sleep in her bed. She made progress every day. After a week she was up and walking around on her own. There was, and still is a lot of things she can't do one her own. No bending lifting or twisting. Your going to need someone with you to help with that as well as keep track of your meds and other things like putting on socks and slippers. Putting on compression socks is a workout for you and your helper. You'll most likely need stool softener and Miralax to keep you moving after the narcos and then someone to help you with the paper work after you go. There is a little tool we got on Amazon the allows you to do most of your own wiping without bending but it's good to have someone to help with the touch up work.

By week two she was still in some pain, but started cutting back a bit on meds. Her back and groin area were still very sore but the sciatic pain seem to be much less than before. The tingling in her feet was gone. She wears her back brace nearly all the time.

Now at week three, she is seems to have turned a corner for the better. She takes a couple narcos a day. at night and morning. Not as much pain now.

I'm not sure what peptide treatments are, she was given a unit called "Spinestim" which the neurosurgeon perscribed to help stimulate bone growth. Athletes at some of the local universities and the Jazz use it to stimulate bone growth and healing. She wears it two hours a day.

Dan, I hope you have a successful surgery. Stay positive and be patient, It's going to be a process and it will take some time. Keep us posted.

I had that exact same surgery at 22 after suffering an extreme herniation while carrying a very obese patient down a flight of stairs at work.. wish I would have done it earlier... only surgery I've had that I woke up feeling better than when they knocked me out. 99% of my pain was gone. Some mild sore back around the incision for a while but it improved my quality of life 10fold.. about a week into healing I had some post op swelling from doing too much too soon and some leg pain came back- fortunately it didn't stick around much more than two days. Spend the first few nights in a recliner. When you transition back to a bed have a firm pillow for between your legs if you are a side sleeper. Also when you get out of bed youll want to roll to your side and sit up at a 90 to the edge of the bed- keeps from twisting your lower back. I lived alone at the time of the surgery and used a snake hook and claw grabber to get things off the ground...

The wife has had 2 back surgery’s none have helped

I had the same S1-L5 fusion. I wore a brace for 6 weeks, if up on my feet. I opted for my own bone marrow to be used along with synthetic and cadaver bone. It was very successful, and now no pain, other than the other minor back issues in facet joints. Good luck with surgery and recovery.
When you are ready, after about a week, do lots of walking, and keep moving in shifts. And ditch the pain pills, as they don’t help much anyway!

Thanks for the replies and insights.

I had L4 to S1. 5 months ago. Doc still hasn't turned me loose. PT 2 times a week. I have balance issues. When I use a 4wheel walker I do OK but with and without a cane I'm kinda shaky. I've seen 6 PTs so far. 3 occupational and 3 at the hospital. I have no complaints with any of them.
I'm 79 years old though. That is probably an issue. Sill working hard though
Best of luck 2 you
just

I have had two back surgeries. Takes awhile to heal. My second one worked pretty good. I have to be careful how I do stuff. Im not pain free but much better than I was. Be prepared for a gradual recovery.

Ive had three back surgeries.
My tip: Don't over do it too soon, but don't baby it either. Slow and steady wins the race says the turtledale

2018 my wife had a ten level fusion. Essentially her whole lower back to alleviate a 32 degree curvature of the spine. It was that or a wheel chair. She was under the knife for 11.5 hours.

Do your PT and exercises. Follow the doctor’s and PT’s instructions on activity. She didn’t and the vertebrae above the fusion are paying for it now. Never could get her to follow through on her exercises after any of her many surgeries and she suffers for it now. It’s not that she’s in a lot of pain but her range of motion is limited and a little activity wears her out. Her doctor agrees with me that had she done her exercises and stayed active after the surgery, she would be in better shape physically.

I had the canals opened up in roughly a 6” section, no fusion as new joints will be approved this summer if I still need that option. Fusion prevents that in the future if needed.
Follow directions, get off the pain meds as soon as you can, and most importantly ICE! Ice as much as you can stand for the first few weeks. I had mine done Dec. 22nd, and am back to normal activity minus heavy lifting, or severe bending. It is amazing to be out of the daily pain I had gotten used to living with.