Compressed Spine Fracture - Is Sqad About Please??

[Smowball]

Feeling very lost and in so much pain I don’t know what else to do.
Had huge fall in bathroom on Monday morning - cut v long story short after ambulance called, CT scans, MRI etc I have a compressed fracture of spine, and another fracture right above. All sent to parent hospital neurosurgeons etc who think at mo I don’t need surgery, but to keep in body spinal brace until pain is under control, which it isn’t yet. Cannot sit up, stand up, which they have tried me to do but the pain is off the scale. Am on tablet morphine, codeine, and oral morphine twice a day plus IV paracetamol. Brace is so so uncomfy and not sure what it’s even doing but is just digging in to me. Can’t seem to get any sense out of anyone what on earth I’m meant to do when I get home as I can’t even sit up here in a hospital bed - can’t even change any part of clothing as cannot bend whatsoever. They just keep saying speak to doctor next week/pain relief team……. Will they make me stay here till I can stand?? Again I can’t get an answer out of anyone and I just can’t take much more like this. It’s a manic department anyway so feeling utterly lost and alone.
Can anyone offer any advice on usual recovery please?? Anything at all would be so appreciated.
Xx

[jourdain2]

Smow! Hi! I was just wondering how you were getting along. I can't pretend to understand all the pills and combinations of such, but I'm glad that you seem to be coming out of the pain-fest. It's horrible.

As for the constipation -- well, there is always the last resort of the good old-fashioned enema if nothing else works. Hope you get away with not having this. Only had one (when about to give birth) and it was 'interesting' although painless!
Hope you manage to get home soon and start rebuilding your life, it will happen - honestly. :)

[Smowball]

Easy peelers, ah right ok. Thanks wolf x
I’ve had salad this eve x

[andres]

Oranges and bananas might help. Drinking plenty unless advised not to by the doctor. 11 days is a long time to go without a bowel movement. Should you start having stomach cramps or abdominal pain let the staff know right away.

[Smowball]

Jourdain hi, yes they wanted to do the enema this eve but my obv worry is that in this state pain/movement wise I won’t get to bathroom in time if it starts to work.
Andres hi - yes I had a banana this eve too, and I’ve been drinking so much water it’s mad - I have a catheter and they’re having to empty it so so often. Dread to think how much water Ive drank today.

[pastafreak]

I find toasted seeds...pumpkin, linseeds/flaxseed, and sunflower seeds. Lots of fibre in them. Nice to nibble on.
I'm not sure about bananas...I always thought they were supposed to bind.

[pastafreak]

"I find.....to work"

[Smowball]

I thought that bananas bind too…… keep being told the opposite tho.
Will def try the seeds tho x

[Mamyalynne]

If they decide on the enema, ask for a commode.

[Smowball]

Things started to ‘move’ very slightly this late afternoon thank god!! Not much but a little bit. So hope is there !
Everyone in my 4 bed bay was discharged today apart from me, so I was only one left until a couple of hours ago, when I was joined by some newbies. Lady opposite is 90 yrs old, and at the mo is on her mobile fone to her 92 yr old husband! Says she’s had her gall bladder removed. Seems to have a great sense of humour.

[Tilly2]

You are living the high life there Smow. So many interesting characters.

[andres]

Bananas will help if they are soft and ripe but the under-ripe green hard ones won't .