Discectomy Recovery - Six Months Later (Part 2)
Summary
TLDRIn this heartfelt follow-up to her disectomy video, the creator shares her recovery journey, which includes moving to Australia, adjusting to life post-surgery, and the emotional challenges she faced. She discusses the non-linear nature of healing, the importance of mental health during recovery, and offers advice for those dealing with similar surgeries. With a focus on community and support, she invites viewers to join her in this journey of healing and adapting to life's changes.
Takeaways
- 🎥 The video is a follow-up to a previous 'disectomy' video that received an overwhelming response with 9,500 views and supportive comments.
- 💖 The creator expresses gratitude for the kindness shown in the comments and feels that the internet community has provided a supportive environment.
- 🏥 The creator had a disectomy and hemilaminectomy surgery about six months prior to the video and is now sharing updates on their recovery journey.
- 🌏 The creator has relocated to Australia with her husband, which is a significant change in their life and is part of the video's context.
- 🏖 The video was recorded during a heatwave in Perth, which adds a personal touch to the setting.
- 🤔 The creator discusses the challenges of recovering from back surgery while also dealing with major life events like getting married and immigrating.
- 🏋️♀️ The importance of physical therapy and core strength exercises is highlighted as part of the recovery process post-surgery.
- 🧘♀️ The creator emphasizes the mental health benefits of swimming and other light exercises during the recovery period.
- 🤹♀️ The video outlines a three-phase recovery process: initial rest, working with a physiotherapist, and a gradual return to normal activities.
- 🚑 The creator advises on the importance of seeking medical advice for any post-surgery complications or flare-ups of pain.
- 💪 The video concludes with a message of hope for pain-free recovery and an invitation for viewers to share their experiences or ask questions.
Q & A
What was the main reason for the video creator to make a part two of their disectomy video?
-The main reason was the overwhelming response to the first video, which received 9,500 views and many supportive comments, motivating the creator to continue sharing their experience.
What significant life events did the video creator experience after their disectomy?
-The video creator got married in December, immigrated in January, and went on a honeymoon, all while recovering from their disectomy.
How did the video creator's relocation to Australia affect their recovery process?
-The relocation added an extra layer of complexity to the recovery process, as they had to adapt to a new environment and possibly new healthcare providers.
What type of disectomy did the video creator have, and how did it affect their physical activities?
-The video creator had a disectomy and hemilaminectomy, which initially limited their physical activities but eventually allowed them to return to swimming, running, and other exercises after careful progression.
How did the video creator approach their recovery in terms of work and rest?
-The creator was diligent about bed rest initially but returned to work earlier than advised due to their desk-bound job, taking care to manage their sitting time and working from home when possible.
What role did a physiotherapist play in the video creator's recovery?
-The physiotherapist, Mandy, helped the creator with a tailored exercise routine to rebuild core strength, gradually increasing the difficulty and eventually clearing them for swimming and other activities.
How did the video creator's wedding impact their recovery timeline?
-The wedding served as a motivation for the creator to recover quickly so they could dance pain-free at the event, which they successfully achieved despite the atypical recovery process.
What challenges did the video creator face during their honeymoon in terms of recovery?
-The creator experienced high levels of physical activity, including long walks and steps, which led to increased pelvic pain and concerns about their recovery progress.
What advice does the video creator give to others who might be experiencing similar post-surgery symptoms?
-The creator advises seeking medical advice, being patient with the non-linear recovery process, and clearly communicating one's pain levels and limitations to those around them.
How has the video creator's perspective on living with disabilities changed after their experience?
-Their experience with chronic pain has increased their sympathy level for people living with disabilities and mental health issues, emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing expectations in such situations.
What are the video creator's future content plans, especially regarding their move to Western Australia?
-The creator plans to share insights about living in and immigrating to Western Australia, in addition to continuing their digital marketing content.
Outlines
📹 Video Sequel and Personal Update
The speaker expresses disbelief and gratitude for the overwhelming response to their first disectomy video, which garnered 9,500 views and heartwarming comments. They feel the internet can be unkind, but the support has been a pleasant surprise. The speaker aims to be a support for others going through similar experiences. They mention relocating to Australia with their husband, which adds a new dimension to the video. The speaker also discusses the challenges of wearing a brace for recovery and their niche internet presence, transitioning from WhatsApp for business to sharing personal health experiences.
🏥 Recovery Journey and Physiotherapy
The speaker outlines their recovery process in three phases. Initially, they were diligent about bed rest, though they returned to work earlier than prescribed due to their sedentary job. They emphasize the importance of not sitting for long periods and the advice given for recovery post-disectomy. They were referred to a physiotherapist, Mandy, who helped them with core strength exercises. After 4 weeks, they were cleared for swimming, which was crucial for their mental health. The speaker also mentions the gradual reintroduction of more strenuous activities and the importance of listening to their body's signals.
💃 Wedding, Honeymoon, and Post-Surgical Challenges
The speaker recounts the complexities of their recovery journey, particularly during their wedding and honeymoon. Despite the physical challenges, they were able to enjoy these events, albeit with some concerns about overexertion. They experienced pelvic pain similar to pre-surgery, which led them to seek medical advice upon arriving in Australia. The doctor suggested that it might be a post-surgical flare-up and advised resting and physiotherapy. The speaker also discusses the mental challenges of recovery, emphasizing the importance of managing expectations and communicating one's condition to others.
🌏 Life After Surgery and New Beginnings
The speaker reflects on the changes they've experienced since their surgery, noting an increased empathy for those living with disabilities and chronic pain. They discuss the difficulty of articulating pain levels to others and the importance of setting realistic expectations for participation in activities. The speaker also shares their relief at being pain-free, with the exception of occasional flare-ups, and their hope that these will subside over time. They express optimism for their new life in Western Australia, looking forward to sharing insights about immigration and their digital marketing expertise in future videos.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡disectomy
💡recovery journey
💡hemilaminectomy
💡physiotherapist
💡bed rest
💡core strength
💡flare-up
💡mental health
💡immigration
💡nerve pain
💡digital marketing
Highlights
The video is a follow-up to a disectomy video that received 9,500 views and positive comments.
The creator feels supported by the internet community and aims to reciprocate that support.
The creator underwent a disectomy and Hemy laminectomy six months prior to recording.
A significant life change was relocating to Australia with her husband.
The creator wears a brace for comfort during recovery from back surgery.
The video discusses the creator's journey from South Africa to Perth, including getting married and honeymooning.
The disectomy was not a micro disectomy, and the scar's appearance is discussed.
The creator's recovery journey is divided into three phases: initial rest, working with a physiotherapist, and further recovery.
Bed rest was strictly adhered to during the first phase of recovery.
The creator returned to work earlier than prescribed due to a desk-bound job and supportive employer.
Physiotherapy played a crucial role in the second phase of recovery, focusing on core strength.
Swimming and light exercises were introduced as part of the recovery routine.
The creator experienced a flare-up of symptoms post-surgery, similar to pre-surgery pain.
A doctor's advice on dealing with post-surgery flare-ups and the possibility of an MRI is shared.
The mental challenge of recovery and the feeling of loneliness despite a strong support network are discussed.
The creator's increased sympathy for people with disabilities and chronic pain is highlighted.
The importance of clear communication about pain levels to manage expectations is emphasized.
The creator is now pain-free and no longer feels the need to disclose her surgery to a new employer.
The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to reach out for support and to share their own journeys.
Transcripts
okay I can hardly believe that I'm
saying this but this is a part two of my
disectomy video because you guys just
blew me away I got 9,500 views on that
video so far and just the kindness and
the comments really warmed the cuckles
of my heart I feel like the internet is
not normally that nice a place to be a
lot of the time and I just feel like to
be a support structure for many other
people who going through similar things
and in many instances worse things it
just makes you feel so seen and heard
and I'm hoping that I can be that for
you guys as well so if you haven't seen
that video you might want to go and
watch that first but in a natural I had
a disectomy and Hemy laminectomy last
year it's now February of 20124 so it's
about 6 months later but you might
notice that my background has changed
and that is because I have since
relocated to Australia with my husband
so needless to say it's going to be a
juicy video so I hope you've got a
beverage I've got my lemon water because
Perth is in the middle of a heat web but
yeah I'm going to be covering some of
the things that I left out in that
original video as well as more things
that I've learned since being on this
recovery Journey with a back operation
if you're thinking this is a bit of a
weird outfit to be wearing to record an
online course with um at legia Ties on
the bottom it's about to get
weirder
[Music]
[Music]
if you missed the video I've actually
recently had a back surgery so
unfortunately I have to wear this
gorgeous looking brace so yeah Comfort
is key at this point in my recovery if
you're new here it's so good to have you
my name is migs normally I make digital
marketing videos but it seems like I
have a knack like weird niches on the
internet first it was WhatsApp for
business and now it's dis get to me so
welcome to my weird
world all right so just a little bit of
context in terms of how I got from Nisa
Western Cape South Africa to Perth
because you'll need the context for the
story I'm going to acknowledge up front
that the disectomy journey was a little
bit different for me because I was in
the process of getting married in
December
[Music]
and immigrating in January and doing so
on rout with a honeymoon in in the mix I
was asking a lot of my buddy and you'll
see as I recount some of the experiences
I'm sure that many other people would
have maybe had a more restful time post
up but because of what was going on in
my personal life I did find it hard at
points to take things as easy as I could
or should should have and many people
ask me what kind of disectomy it was it
wasn't a micro disectomy so it was just
all the surgeon called it was a
disectomy and judging by the length of
my scar which is about that big I'm
guessing there was nothing micro about
it so I will include some pictures of
the scar soon after the surgery as well
as what it looks like now because I
think that is one of the concerns is you
know am I going to be able to wear a
bikini or a bathing suit after all of
this is said and done and yes I mean the
is pretty inoffensive as far as I'm
concerned and unless you're a model I
don't think it's something that should
put you off the surgery but needless to
say I had this disectomy hemil
laminectomy and was very worried about
the prospect of getting married later on
in the year because I wanted to be
painfree and basically doing the worm on
the dance floor so we were never going
to get quite there but I am thrilled to
report that we had a beautiful wedding
and I was able to dance
painfree allow me to re myself my name
is H to the although the healing Journey
hasn't been as straightforward as what I
was hoping or expecting how I described
it in that first video I believe was
that there was a 6 we initial recovery
period post up where you were primarily
resting then following that there was a
second six- week period where you would
work with a physiotherapist which is
what I did I went back to Cape toown
which is where I was living and working
at the time and worked with a
physiotherapist at a hospital called
Vincent pilatti and I really liked the
idea of this physiotherapist because
effectively there was a pool next to her
practice which in my mind I thought if
there was like an aqua theapy part of
what she was going to help me with that
would be amazing it turned out not to be
necessary but I'll take you through that
process as well but yeah basically then
you have your second six- week period
where you work with hopefully a team of
Medical Specialists and then I'm going
to introduce like a third chapter which
is maybe the 6 weeks to 3 month period
after that so basically think of the
recovery in a three phase process so in
the first phase I was incredibly
diligent about bed rest I must admit
that I didn't take as much time off of
work as I was allowed to so I was booked
off for longer than what I ended up
taking because I have a desk bound job I
was working in e-commerce and a
primarily desk based managerial position
I felt equipped to go back to work
sooner which I can guarantee wouldn't be
the case for a lot of people because a
you just want to use the leave or B you
have a more physical job in which case
it would be less likely for you to be
able to go back sooner regardless I
wanted to go back because I felt like
any more weeks of bed rest would end me
in the Looney been so basically I would
either work from home which was amazing
because I had the flexibility to do so
and an employer that was incredibly
sympathetic in that situation which of
course isn't the case for everyone and
then when I did go back into the office
I would just be mindful about the amount
of time I was sitting so some people ask
why you can't sit I believe it's just
that that's when there's the most
pressure on your spine and so if you can
avoid it it's better to rest on your
back or sit on a bar stool that was
basically how it was explained to me it
might be slightly different with the
micro disectomy but certainly with the
disectomy that was the advice that I was
given and I did find that it was easier
even if at my desk I would sit with a
bench underneath my work desk so that
I'm either reclined slightly back
backwards slightly forwards as in
perching on a bar chair or I would be
lying down so basically just took it
very easy that first 6 weeks and
probably started working at the five
week part let's say then I was referred
to this amazing physiotherapist it's
probably very unlikely that you guys are
cap tonian based but I will link her
details Mandy so Mandy basically put me
on a nice routine where once a week I
would go and meet with her and she'd
make the exercises harder and harder it
it wasn't exercise as in the exercise
that we thinking of it was more like
lying on your tummy and doing this with
your legs so just trying to lift your
legs a little bit behind you I would
describe it as like micro exercises just
focused basically on getting your core
strength back and then only within like
let's say 4 weeks did I then start to go
fortn nightly and I could do more
interesting activities so it was very
mind numbing in the sense that the
activities were very micro and minor but
I'm sure that that's part of the course
and then I begged her at some point and
just said go I need to swim I need to
get on a bicycle I need to do something
so she cleared me then for swimming
probably 4 weeks into seeing her so 9
weeks post up and that was actually my
sport of choice because I felt like it
had that like mental health uh component
which the other exercises obviously
didn't and I just felt better about
myself because I was able to go to the
gym put on a czy and just feel like I
was reintegrating back into society
versus just taking a little bag I had a
bag of like fah bands like small Ferra
bands which is totally fine but it just
does nothing for you mentally and I'd RI
heavily on exercise for that and to like
you know curb anxiety and just feel
peaceful and like myself so I really
struggled with that because anyone who
knows me in personal life would know
that I'm often considered the sporty one
I love Outdoors Z activities I like
hiking I love sports I love tennis I
love running I like being on the
mountain in K toown I like all those
sorts of things so for me that was one
of the hardest parts was yes you're okay
and you can walk and you going go to gym
and at some point you can drive I think
it was maybe 6 to 8 weeks after I could
drive but you don't really feel like
yourself and I think that part is just
mentally very challenging to come to
terms with anyways after 6 weeks of
working with Mandy taking me to the 12we
recovery part she said you have made
great progress you don't need need me
any longer just keep on building up so
at that point I was still swimming and I
would swim let's say 2 km I think
normally spending between 30 minutes and
40 minutes in the pool I'm not a very
strong swimmer so don't read into that
it was basically just me flailing around
and at least having the mental health
benefits of being able to go to gym not
daily but sort of every second day and
then I did run my first 4 kilm run with
my husband where we just took it very
slowly and like I think walk around and
then now more recently I actually had my
second run post up even though it's now
months later it's now February of 2024
and that was a 7K run walk as well so I
would definitely not say that I'm like
1,000% but certainly I can run walk 7 km
I can swim I can do all the normal
things I'm back to being able to lift
things although I'm very mindful of what
I lift where the healing Journey got a
little bit more complex was the wedding
and the honeymoon so the wedding was
very fortunate to be able to dance have
a great time I'll insert pictures it was
just like the Best Day Of Our Lives like
just truly phenomenal but obviously
recognize that this is so not normal for
that to be the biggest consideration but
I guess anyone would have some sort of
things coming up that they might be
nervous about and this just happened to
be mine we did sort of ramp up in terms
of seeing family ended up playing padel
the one day um with my husband's family
and just having a great time sort of
letting the hair down there was
definitely a day after the paddle that I
felt not great at all I felt like oh my
gosh have I overdone things but at the
same breath I felt like you have to
strike that balance in terms of doing
things for you and for your mental
health and pushing yourself slightly
versus just being bedridden the whole
time with this disectomy but then where
it started to get a little bit more
complicated was we were going on
honeymoon on the process of immigration
so that was quite a tricky one because
we were honeymooning in Singapore and in
Bary in Singapore a lot of the days we'd
hit 23,000 steps and of course I mean
even someone who doesn't have a back
injury that would be hectic for but I do
recall feeling quite frightened in
points where I would just have this
severe pelvic pain getting out of the
bed in the mornings was tricky again and
I still thought to myself oh my gosh
have I repped something am I going
backwards and that would be my biggest
piece of advice with the physical
recovery is it definitely feels like two
steps forward one step back but with
anything I think there's that like cute
graph of like what progress actually
looks like you do find over time that it
tracks a bit better nevertheless I did
have some down days and then similarly
in B it's much of the same basically I
couldn't lift my bag and I know that I'm
not meant to be lifting heavy things but
it was like worse than usual where like
I couldn't I didn't even feel like I
could have like a laptop bag on my back
so so there were just a few instances
like that where I did feel actually that
it was affecting my quality of life
anyways ended up going to a doctor as
soon as we landed in Australia just to
get medical advice on this pelvic pain
which was very similar to the pain that
I had prior to the op if you've watched
the first video you'll know I never
actually had back pain prior to getting
The L4 L5 dis kick to me because in my
mind it was a hip issue because of the
pain in my hips so very similar pen
thankfully both what I'd Googled and I
know obviously Googling is not the best
idea but both what I'd Googled and what
he had told me was that you often are
likely to have what they call flare reps
post the surgery so that means that
maybe the inflammation comes back a
little bit you have similar symptoms but
it's not nearly as bad as the original
pain although in my case I would say
some days it did feel close to the
original pain the difference though was
when the doctor did the assessment
there's a particular assessment where
they make you lie on your back and you
pull your legs up and push your legs
down while they push against you that
was the exercise that I failed prior to
the up because it was part of the reason
why I wasn't driving I had no strength
in my feet I still had the strength in
my feet so he just said to me like look
it is likely to be a flare up that
you're worried about I suggest resting
seeing a fizio again to work with you to
help you and then only if you are really
truly serious about reinvestigating this
you could get an MRI it's different in
Australia because MRIs and imaging are
on Medicare so it might still be
something that I investigate but
basically his explanation was an MRI is
typically something that a surgeon would
assess and by the time you've gone that
route you're basically saying like am I
a candidate for surgery so he's just
saying like basically be careful of the
questions that you ask because it's
going to go very surgical route quite
quickly whereas if you start with a
physio see if things get better anyways
I was unemployed and looking for work so
I was able to rest a lot but also
worried about price of a Physio and so
basically I just bided my time time for
a little bit and thankfully for me the
symptoms started to decline so Point
number one I mean obviously everyone's
going to be different but the process I
can't articulate enough is just not
linear at all because to be totally fine
for the wedding in December dancing
playing pedal doing all the sorts of
things that I was you know wanted to be
able to do to like a few weeks later
which was now 6 months postop to still
be feeling like oh my gosh I have these
down days where I'm just teary I'm at
that like low level of chronic pain
where Everything feels like a big
inconvenience or a bigger inconvenience
than what it should so just a few things
like that where I would say definitely
seek the medical advice I'm not saying
don't but there'll definitely be Parts
where you feel like you've taken two
steps forwards and one step back and
that's okay and then the second part of
that is just that the mental challenge
cannot be overstated it really is such a
mental game where you feel like so alone
you can have so many people around you I
have the best support network in the
whole world my husband is like basically
Mother Teresa and my friends are
incredible like they made such an effort
in terms of like coming over for coffee
and tea and all the things that didn't
require um physical exertion so it was
not for lack of people not understanding
the magnitude of the situation but you
do still feel alone and lonely and like
no one really understands what being in
chronic pain is like which brings me to
my next point which is I think that the
surgery does change you in terms of your
sympathy level for people living with
disability of any kind and I know
specifically with mental health people
will say if you break a leg you have a
cast and then people know how to handle
that whereas with an injury like a back
injury no one really knows a how much
pain you're in or B how to handle it so
I would suggest clearly articulating to
the people around you today my pain is
at a level 6 out of 10 or 8 out of 10 or
10 out of 10 I'm not going to be able to
participate in X Y or Zed or I'll have
to let you know closer to the time and I
think the more candid you can be
although initially it felt like a bit
victim complex to me to just
consistently Drive the point home of
like bear in mind I'm in pain and I
think it is better for everyone involved
because you can manage expectations in
terms of what you can and can't do and
feel free obviously in the comments also
reach out to me if there's something
that you want to ask or feel less alone
about because I think that mental peace
is really really tough but overall I
would not obviously say that I regret
the surgery you can tell that I'm now no
longer in pain hopefully that's obvious
um apart from these semi bad days where
I just feel like I get very tired like
let's say at 4:00 I'm starting a new job
and don't even feel the need to have to
disclose that to a new employer which
was something that I was really worried
about because it's not something you
want to lead with in a job interview
that you'd had B back surgery recently
but it no longer affects me to the point
that I feel like that's relevant
information and just in general to not
have the nerve pain I think that the
nerve pain that would travel down my leg
like shooting um tingles or shooting
pain so the nerve pain was really what
irked me I can still I can can handle
pelvic pain if it's like minor and I'm
hoping that you know over time it
subsides and eventually goes away but
it's that tingling pain and the loss of
feeling that was really stressing me out
prior to the surgery so if you have
anything that vaguely resembles not
being able to feel parts of your leg not
feeling like you're able to drive and
especially with The L4 L5 they will
often ask you about your balls so not a
nice thing to talk about but if you have
any issues that are like bladder related
that's also a very strong indicator that
you need help immediately in the first
video I did mention that I made the
decision to have surgery very quickly
which I know other people in the
comments have said that they've waited a
lot longer so I think only you can know
whether you need time to make the
decision or not in my case I was so
panicked by the pain that it sort of
overrode all sorts of logic and just
made me want to get it over with as soon
as possible but it has worked out
because I had a wedding to attend and I
had a honeymoon and all sorts of other
things but yeah I hope you guys are
going to stick along for the journey as
as I say we're now living in Western
Australia so if you want any insights in
terms of what it's like living here or
immigrating from South Africa or
anywhere else then a lot of my content
will be focused around that and then of
course my digital marketing stuff that I
always do but if you have any questions
or comments specifically please do get
in touch I'd love to hear from you guys
thank you so much for the support in the
previous video and for thinking of me
and I'm very happy to say that I'm pain
free and I hope that you will be too and
yeah let's all just be on this journey
together of healing being kind to one
another and hopefully eradicating this
terrible back I can't wait to see you
guys in the next video so we can keep on
doing digital better
[Music]
bye
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