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  • Trying to decide whether to accompany husband on conference trip

    Hi all,

    As a reminder, I was fused from T9 to S1 with pelvic fixation on January 23rd. I live in Syracuse, New York.

    My husband is traveling by car to Boston for a conference from May 4th to May 8th, so essentially 5 days and 4 nights away from home. He has invited me to come with him. I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to go. Or more accurately, whether or not I would be comfortable both in the car for 4 to 5 hours or so at a time, and in unfamiliar surroundings for 5 days (I'd welcome the different scenery for sure...). I have no idea if the chairs in the hotel (the Colonnade in the Back Bay area) will be comfortable for me, or whether or not the bed will be comfortable for me. Right now I spend the first few hours sleeping in a recliner before I go to my bed; I've found that I am more restless due to discomfort if I try to spend the whole night in my bed.

    I've also developed a routine here at home that would have to change quite a bit if I were away; for one thing, I most likely wouldn't be starting off each morning with prune juice. And I doubt there would be a good place for me to do the exercises that I am supposed to do at my kitchen sink; I don't think that hotel rooms have counters that come up that high as a rule.

    If I don't go with my husband, then I'll have to count on my son being willing to pull my car out of the garage and point it out to the street for me -- which a 24-year old isn't always going to be willing to do or even available to do (sometimes he works very early hours). And I'll also have to make my own dinner for 5 nights (he's the cook, not me -- the best I can do is microwave something, but that gets old after a couple of days).

    Whether I stay here or go with my husband, there will be challenges either way. Any advice? Is anybody familiar with the Colonnade Hotel in Boston's Back Bay area? If so, can you tell me whether or not the rooms have comfortable chairs and beds?

    -- Thanks,
    Mary
    -- Mary D. Taffet
    Lumbar curve 27 degrees in 07/2007 > 34 degrees in 03/2009 > 38 degrees in 02/2011 > 42 degrees in 09/2011
    Laminectomy L2-L5, Fusion T9-S1 (sacrum) with pelvic fixation 01/23/2012 w/ Dr. Richard Tallarico, Upstate Orthopedics, Syracuse, NY

  • #2
    Hi Mary...

    I could not have withstood a long car ride at 3M postop. If it were me, I would probably opt to stay home, as I would be afraid that I might be really uncomfortable, and potentially ruin the trip for my husband.

    Regards,
    Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

    Comment


    • #3
      I think that you would be better off staying at home.
      Melissa

      Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

      April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

      Comment


      • #4
        Well, I was just about to say "go," until I read the other responses. I tend to do whatever Linda says.

        But I will say that I just got back from my first post-op trip to St Louis. I had to spend about 4.5 hours in the car two days in a row. I took my Valium and Norco and a big soft pillow and it was tolerable. I think I would base my decision on whatever you think will be best for your mental health (the security of staying home vs the distraction of getting away.)

        Best wishes,
        Evelyn
        age 48
        80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
        Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
        Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
        Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
        Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Confusedmom View Post
          Well, I was just about to say "go," until I read the other responses. I tend to do whatever Linda says.

          But I will say that I just got back from my first post-op trip to St Louis. I had to spend about 4.5 hours in the car two days in a row. I took my Valium and Norco and a big soft pillow and it was tolerable. I think I would base my decision on whatever you think will be best for your mental health (the security of staying home vs the distraction of getting away.)

          Best wishes,
          Evelyn
          Evelyn,

          One difference between you and me is that I no longer have any pain meds, and I've never taken Valium ever. What is Norco by the way? I keep seeing references to it, but have no idea what it is.

          Another factor I have to consider is that I am big-time into genealogy, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society library is not too far away. That could easily keep me busy for quite a while.

          -- Thanks,
          Mary
          -- Mary D. Taffet
          Lumbar curve 27 degrees in 07/2007 > 34 degrees in 03/2009 > 38 degrees in 02/2011 > 42 degrees in 09/2011
          Laminectomy L2-L5, Fusion T9-S1 (sacrum) with pelvic fixation 01/23/2012 w/ Dr. Richard Tallarico, Upstate Orthopedics, Syracuse, NY

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
            Hi Mary...

            I could not have withstood a long car ride at 3M postop. If it were me, I would probably opt to stay home, as I would be afraid that I might be really uncomfortable, and potentially ruin the trip for my husband.

            Regards,
            Linda
            Linda, thanks! I'm sort of leaning that way, especially since my husband will be bringing two students with him. One I've sort of met a couple of times, but I've never met the other one. I wouldn't want to hold anybody up by being the slow poke that I am right now, and I haven't yet returned to my full set of daily dressing tasks (i.e. I still haven't put on any makeup since the day before surgery) so I'm not going to feel totally presentable to others just yet. Though at least one of those students came to see me when I was still in the hospital, so I'm sure I've looked worse.

            One pro of going on the trip would be the ability to walk longer distances more easily, since that section of Boston is mostly flat if I recall correctly. I live halfway up a drumlin here (i.e. leftovers dumped by a glacier during the last ice age), so if I'm to walk in this neighborhood, I have to go either uphill then back downhill, or downhill then back uphill, to get anywhere. For that reason, I don't go very far when trying to walk outside.

            -- Thanks,
            Mary
            -- Mary D. Taffet
            Lumbar curve 27 degrees in 07/2007 > 34 degrees in 03/2009 > 38 degrees in 02/2011 > 42 degrees in 09/2011
            Laminectomy L2-L5, Fusion T9-S1 (sacrum) with pelvic fixation 01/23/2012 w/ Dr. Richard Tallarico, Upstate Orthopedics, Syracuse, NY

            Comment


            • #7
              Three months is pretty soon for such a trip. I'd stay home too. I went away for one night at 2 months post op. At three months I went for a three night trip. Fourth month, 10 hour drive and five nights away. Baby steps ^^
              50 years old!!!!!
              Wore Milwaulkee Brace 1976-77
              Original curve 36 degrees ( measured in the 70s)
              Advanced to 61 degrees 01/2011
              Surgery 07/11/2011
              Fused T1-L2 (curve now in the 20s!)

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Mary,

                I had my surgery a week after yours, and I would say I'm not ready to consider such a long car ride and who knows what beds in the hotel. For me, almost all hotel beds are too soft and unsupportive. This past weekend we went to the coast, which was one hour twenty minutes each way, with a restaurant meal seated in a very uncomfortable chair, and some walking around in between. I was very sore and tired and cranky by the time we got home! And I didn't even have to wear makeup!

                I would lean towards staying home. Otherwise I think you may be prone to overdoing things and paying the price.
                Gayle, age 50
                Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
                Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
                Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1


                mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
                2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
                2017 curves stable/skeletely mature

                also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable

                Comment


                • #9
                  Norco is a narcotic pain med with Tylenol in it, similar to Percocet or Vicadin.

                  Wow, I keep forgetting you're off pain meds. That is amazing, and, yes, would make the trip more difficult.

                  I had to chuckle about the makeup. I put mine on for the first time today in six weeks because I have to go sign my daughter up for kindergarten and am likely to see half the town. I'm taking my walker (a.k.a. security blanket) with me.
                  age 48
                  80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
                  Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
                  Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
                  Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
                  Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    My walker was sort of my security blanket too. As far as a trip that early, I wouldn't chance it. I think there's just too many opportunities to be uncomfortable and to push too hard. After such a huge surgery, you need to really be careful for a while. I didn't go anywhere beyond the city limits for months--mostly just to therapy--whoopee! Janet
                    Janet

                    61 years old--57 for surgery

                    Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
                    Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
                    Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
                    Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
                    T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

                    All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi all,

                      Thanks for all the feedback!

                      This has now become a non-issue; I've been uninvited, so I don't have to worry about the decision anymore. Before I was allowed to drive again and before I had street shoes I could manage to get on by myself and before I could put ALL of my socks on by myself, my husband figured he'd have to take me with him because it wouldn't be safe to leave me home by myself. But now that I can drive and can manage my own socks and have at least one pair of street shoes I can wear that don't have to be tied (since I still can't tie my shoes by myself), my husband has decided he really doesn't want me to come along anyway. He doesn't like having family with him at conferences anymore, but said that whenever I'm ready to travel somewhere for vacation, he's got lots of vacation days and would be happy to take me anywhere I want to go.

                      Problem solved!

                      I'll remain home in my comfort zone....

                      -- Thanks again,
                      Mary
                      -- Mary D. Taffet
                      Lumbar curve 27 degrees in 07/2007 > 34 degrees in 03/2009 > 38 degrees in 02/2011 > 42 degrees in 09/2011
                      Laminectomy L2-L5, Fusion T9-S1 (sacrum) with pelvic fixation 01/23/2012 w/ Dr. Richard Tallarico, Upstate Orthopedics, Syracuse, NY

                      Comment

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