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  • Lack of Stamina/Activity Level

    I have a very demanding job and I'm concerned that I won't have the stamina to do it after my surgery. I'd like to be able to continue to work up to the same standards once I go back to work after the surgery. Did anyone experience a change in their activity level after surgery? Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

    Thanks!
    MishP
    38 y/o
    Diagnosed with Scoliosis at age 6 - Bracing didn't help
    Brace off at age 12
    Saw Chiropractor/massage therapist
    Pre-op
    Upper Curve - 115 degrees
    Lower Curve - 85 degrees
    9/18/07 Anterior/posterior surgery w/Dr. Boachie-Adjei
    Fused T2-L3
    Not sure of post-op correction

  • #2
    Mish,

    You should be able to get to the same level that you were at in time. Don't start back thinking that you feel great and you can pick up where you left off. When I first started back to work, I would come home so exhausted and sore that I would pretty much eat a little something then be in bed for the rest of the night. It took me about 2 months before I wasn't feeling so tired. I had a very demanding job at the time in an elementary school library. I was constantly up and down with the kids, shelving books, walking around doing lunch duty. When 3:30 came I was practically crawling to my car to go home. I would also take little lie down breaks during the day as well.
    Theresa

    April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
    Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
    Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
    Fused T2 to sacrum
    June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
    MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

    FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

    Comment


    • #3
      Don't make the same mistake I made. I went back to work full-time after being on disability for 3 months. I was spent by 4pm and in a lot of pain. The fact is that surgery presents it's own set of limitations. Your body changes and it takes time to adjust. I would strongly suggest going back part-time for a bit and slowly work your way back into a full-time schedule.
      Brandi
      Congenital Scoliosis, 58* lumbar curve
      Combined Anterior/Posterior Spinal Fusion w/Laminectomy May 22, 2006
      L1-S1
      Dr. William Lauerman
      Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
      Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy @ L3, Posterior Spinal Fusion L2-L4, rod removal with re-instrumentation T10-S1 and Laminectomy February 5, 2009 to correct flatback
      http://brandi816.wordpress.com/

      Comment


      • #4
        low stamina for mths for me....!

        You won't like what I have to say but I'll tell you... I was amazed how this surgery zapped my stamina for months..(I was super active before). I think I was lucky that I did not have to go back to any job but probably would have been ok at 5 mths or so for a p/t sit down job, minimum hours... I'm older than you at 47 so you'll probably bounce back faster. It is only at 10 mths for me that I actually have been researching some work & even feel like it what with the house & my family (2 boys-8 &11) & all there is to do here. I also did not have the desire for months to do much of anything, It was a very slow pace. I'm just now getting to much of the 'clutter' on my bureau. I remember another surgery patient saying that at many months after her surgery she was just getting her bureau cleaned off & I thought, wow, unreal...but it was the same for me!
        Everyone is different on how they recover....ly
        Last edited by lelc2002@yahoo; 06-06-2007, 04:59 PM.

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi MishP,

          I'm curious - you seem to have some of the more extensive curves that I've seen on this forum. Are you in a lot of pain? I'm just wondering what caused you to decide to have surgery now, or why you may have waited.
          32 y/o male
          S curve - upper, 50 degrees, lower 43 degrees
          Waiting and watching after seeing 2 doctors...

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm only 2 weeks out of surgery as of tomorrow and when I left the hospital the Dr. put a tenative date of Sept. 1 to return to work. When I reminded him that I work in an all autistic classroom with alot of very strenuous work and had a requirement to lift at least 40 pounds he said that would not be a job I would be allowed back to without a lot of written restrictions, but would deal with that when the time came. Right now I can't imagine ever being able to do my job again, but only time will tell.

            Thanks,
            Patty
            Patty 51 years old
            Surgery May 23, 2007(43 Birthday)
            Posterior T3- L4
            Pre surgery curves
            T-53degrees
            L-38degrees
            and a severe side shift to the right.
            Post surgery curves
            Less than 10 degrees
            Surgery April, 2006
            C4 - C6

            Comment


            • #7
              Thanks

              Thanks everyone.

              I suspected that I would probably have to go back part-time for a while. I was just hoping I would only have to work part-time for a couple of weeks, but it sounds like it might be for longer than that.

              Hopefully, I'll get my stamina back sooner than 10 months...ugh Lynne! You must have been so frustrated!

              BrianB - I think I might have told my story in a past post. Long story short, I didn't even consider surgery until the last two years because my pain increased, I lost height, and my curvature went past my original 75 degrees. Plus I noticed that my breathing capacity decreased. I was supposed to have the surgery when I was 12, but my parents declined and had me see a chiropractor instead (which has been great at pain management the last 25 years). I can honestly say that it was absolutely the right decision at the time and I don't regret that I never got it done. The surgery is so much better now than it was back in the 80's. Plus the surgeon turned out to be one of the worst (another long story).
              MishP
              38 y/o
              Diagnosed with Scoliosis at age 6 - Bracing didn't help
              Brace off at age 12
              Saw Chiropractor/massage therapist
              Pre-op
              Upper Curve - 115 degrees
              Lower Curve - 85 degrees
              9/18/07 Anterior/posterior surgery w/Dr. Boachie-Adjei
              Fused T2-L3
              Not sure of post-op correction

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi MishP,

                It's good that you are asking about this now so that you aren't surprised later. Your story sounds almost exactly like mine except that I had my surgery at 47; wish I'd had it at 37.

                My parents declined the surgery for me as well; I wore a Milwaukee brace which did nothing except make me have poor self image. Chiropractors helped me live with the curves and pain which eventually got severe--72 and 77. Your curves are very extreme, also, so it will take a while for your body to heal and your muscles get used to being uncurved. Everything will have been cut and you will have to wait for it to heal and then, very slowly, start moving and loosening things up and gradually strengthening those areas. Physical therapy often doesn't start until 3 months. At 6 months, I was still having problems, so went back for some more which helped resolve the pain and get me going again.

                Before my surgery, I had done cake decorating in retail store bakeries for 10 years. The scoliosis and standing ruined my sacro-iliac area so I knew I would not be able to work on my feet anymore. Also, the lifting of 30-50 pound frosting pails and cakes all day was no longer possible. Even now, at 11 months, if I lift more than 15-20 pounds, my back lets me know it doesn't appreciate it.

                I had pain and inflammation in my upper back at the top of the rods (T5) until about 7 months post-op which prevented me from even being able to sit for more than an hour or two. I still have to be careful about hunching forward at the top of my rods or it causes problems. At 7 months postop, I started a class to learn medical transcription (had done office work before the bakery) as it has been a great financial sacrifice for me not to be able to work.

                Despite all of this, I am very glad that I had my surgery and I am sure that you will be, too. As you can see, the progression of the curve does not stop as you get older; it can get much worse and you want to get it stopped while you are still young enough to make a good recovery.

                Whatever your job, I would suggest that you play it by ear and see how you do afterwards. Certainly you will want to start up part-time and gradually work up as you are able as the other posters stories suggest.

                Deb
                age 48
                surgery 7/24/06
                T-5 to L-5
                T72, L77
                50% correction
                DON'T WAIT TO GET STRAIGHT!!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Deb,

                  Thank you so much for your post. You are three years older than me and when I read your post I saw into the future of my 13-year old daughter if we don't get her taken care of now. I don't know if you made that up, but I love "Don't Wait to Get Straight." Although she is a risser 0, we believe she now has finished the bulk of her growing (over 5'5") and should be fused. I am glad she had the chance to grow these last 3 or 4 inches before the surgery. Now I know it is time or her curves will be in their 70's one day. I wish you good health and happiness.
                  Melissa
                  From Bucks County, Pa., USA

                  Mom to Matthew,19, Jessica, 17, and Nicole, 14
                  Nicole had surgery with Dr. Dormans on 9/12/07 at Children's Hospital of Phila. She is fused T-2 - L-3

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Mish---I should say I feel most of my stamina at pretty normal levels now at 10 mths. It slowly came back month by month. Keep in mind that I was vacuuming a bit/cooking light dinners, driving short distances, all by 2-3 mths. I really tried to do a lot early on. I was extremely active before surgery and wanted to get back to everything. I was exhausted every evening-early! I had great stamina/energy prior & I tried to over due at times.
                    It's just that your mind wants to go & go and your body is still so tired and coming back to life little by little each month, that's the only way I can describe it! I finally learned to accept the slower pace and now I'm back to normal...or I'd say 98%................LY

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      It's just that your mind wants to go & go and your body is still so tired and coming back to life little by little each month, that's the only way I can describe it!
                      Lynne, you described it perfectly
                      Brandi
                      Congenital Scoliosis, 58* lumbar curve
                      Combined Anterior/Posterior Spinal Fusion w/Laminectomy May 22, 2006
                      L1-S1
                      Dr. William Lauerman
                      Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
                      Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy @ L3, Posterior Spinal Fusion L2-L4, rod removal with re-instrumentation T10-S1 and Laminectomy February 5, 2009 to correct flatback
                      http://brandi816.wordpress.com/

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Thanks Lynne! Well put indeed!

                        Deb - It does sound like you and I lived the same life!

                        I understand that it will probably take a while for me to get "back to normal". I actually had a meeting with my boss today and he seemed a little put-off that I would have to come back on a part-time basis. (I'm an executive assistant for a Chief Financial Officer.) The corporate environment is demanding and they don't really have a lot of sympathy for a long period of time. So we will see what happens.
                        MishP
                        38 y/o
                        Diagnosed with Scoliosis at age 6 - Bracing didn't help
                        Brace off at age 12
                        Saw Chiropractor/massage therapist
                        Pre-op
                        Upper Curve - 115 degrees
                        Lower Curve - 85 degrees
                        9/18/07 Anterior/posterior surgery w/Dr. Boachie-Adjei
                        Fused T2-L3
                        Not sure of post-op correction

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          It seems to me that many of us were very active people prior to our surgery. I think we are all tough people to have been able to work hard even though we were always dealing with constant pain.

                          I tried 7 times, once a month to go back to my job, and I found that the physical and mental stress of it was still to much for me after a year post op.

                          But we are all different. Your body will let you know what you can and can't do, and there is no shame in that!!! Listen to your body!!!

                          I got to the point that I realized that it wasn't worth going through the unnecessary stress of trying to return to my job as much as I used to love it!!!

                          I guess my point is, don't give in to the pressure of your employer!!! Your heath and well being should come first now.

                          Just my opinion,
                          Shari

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