JenParker

[Radiogirl]

Hi Jen....need a check in with you....I'm going to be going thru exactly what you did with Lenke in 31 days. RitaR is there right now. So, can you please let us know...one month later, how are you doing? What have you noticed? What can you do or not do now??? Tips, hints, anything would be so helpful. Also..one big quetion about staying at Parkway after surgery...was the bed okay or was it not comfortable? Please let me know.

Thanks!

[jenparker]

Howdy from JenParker

Hi!

31 days to go! OK. I'll answer about the bed. I could not sleep but I'm not sure it was the bed! I would toss and turn and keep my mom awake until about 4 am. Then I would finally get tired enough (I walked the halls a lot during the night with my walker), we would hang out the "Do No Disturb" sign and sleep until about noon. I wish it was a better story to tell you but I was miserable.

What else do you want to know? Things I wish I knew: the bottle of hydrocodone is all you get (use it wisely--it is the best of the narcotics).

The staff at the Parkway are fabulous! They will do anything to try to make your stay better. I was in an "accessible" room--so we kind of borrowed one of the wheelchairs from Barnes Jewish. My mom would give me a type of wheelchair bath and then she would wash my hair while I sat in the wheelchair with my head leaning back. (There is a huge stash of Barnes Jewish wheelchairs by the parking garage--you pass the parking garage every time you walk from the Parkview Hotel to the hospital). Don't worry. We put the wheelchair back.

We did "borrow/steal" two pillows from Barnes Jewish. The nurse told us we could--I swear! We told her how I was going to have to fly home and she told us to.

If you fly out of St. Louis airport ask for a man named "WES" to help you with the wheelchair in the airport. He was the BEST!!!!! He knew which lines to go through and made everything fabulous. He went so slowly over every bump--and he knew where every bump was.

Send me more questions. I would love to help.

Jennifer

[jenparker]

Oxycontin not hydrocodone

Oops.

I meant you only get one bottle of Oxycontin (you do get one refill for the hydrocodone--Norco). The Oxycontin just lasts so long and gave my shoulders the only relief so that I could sleep.

[Radiogirl]

Wow...Jen, thanks for the tips!....Two more questions (for now! ha!)...well 3 really. 1. How are you feeling now, what is your pain level? 2. How many nights did you stay in Parkway? and 3. How long was the plane ride home and how bad was it??? Did you take extra drugs???

It is soooo helpful to have you answer my questions...and while it's still so fresh in your memory!!! THANK YOU!!!

Laura

[LindaRacine]

I'd like to encourage anyone having a conversation with only one other individual, to exchange email addresses (via private message).

[Radiogirl]

Jen, I will send you a private message with my email address. For some reason private messages only allow a certain number of words, and it's hard to respond through them. Thanks.

[KathK]

Hi,

This is my first post, although I've been reading the forum for over 2 years (when I first found out that my curve had progressed as an adult)!

I am scheduled to have surgery with Dr. Lenke in early June. I am very interested in this same information, i.e. details about the Parkway hotel, about Barnes-Jewish hospital, and about flying home after surgery. Would you mind including me in your emails, Jennifer and Laura?

Thanks so much!!!!

[Doodles]

Kathy--Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you've already learned a great deal here. I think you'll be very pleased with Dr. Lenke. Best of luck to you. Janet

[Shari]

Hi KathK,

I want to welcome you as well. You are in the right place. I remember my first thread. I was a nervous wreck by that time. I was 9 days away from surgeries and scared to death. Great place for questions, comfort and support. It can get addictive. I was on this forum every night after work for months. I wish I would have joined sooner.

Still very happy I joined, just sorry I left for a while.
Shari

[KathK]

Thanks for the kind welcome, Janet and Shari! Now that I have taken the "posting plunge", I know that I will be asking more questions of you all in the next couple of months!

[Shari]

Jump in anytime!!! Don't be nervous, in a while you'll feel like you have a new family. You can share thoughts, fears and any concerns here.

There is always at least 1 person here that feels the same way as you. Usually more.

Shari