Post Surgery Questions

[nj_jl]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if initially post surgery if you need someone with you 24/7? My parents and sister live over an hour from me so my boyfriend and friends will be taking care of me overall. Is it possible for me to stay home alone while my friends/family are at work for 8 hours? The majority of people I know work full time and are not at liberty to take off from work.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

[crepehanger]

needing someone....

Nj_jl- I would think that would depend on whether or not you went to rehab- if you are able to walk and get to the restroom without anyone else, fix your own meals (microwave frozen dinners!), you would probably be okay for 8 hours, barring no post-op complications. i went to rehab and was darn glad i did, because i was alone all night from the time i came home, and had night workers asleep during the day, so i was really what you would say alone. Go to rehab if you have a choice, as they won't release you to come home until you can take care of yourself. it's scary as hell to feel helpless, but you won't have to! Good luck with your decisions, you'll do fine either way ! lisa

[nj_jl]

When I spoke to my doctor he said that I would be in the hospital for 5 days and while in the hospital they would work on me walking right away. I was under the impression that I would start to walk within a day or so and leave the hospital walking. My doctor did not make any reference to rehab so I was just assuming I would go home after surgery. I was told to look into physical therapy 6 weeks or so after surgery. Does everyone go to rehab after surgery? This is the first I have heard of this so I have little knowledge about it.

(I'm 26 years old and scheduled for surgery September 18th).

Jamie

[berta@aloha.net]

No, not everyone's insurance covers rehab. In fact most don't, I believe.
I think whether you need someone 24/7 depends on you, how much you are having fused, which dictates how mobile you are after you are released, your age, (and you are young), etc. I needed help to get up out of bed to use the bathroom, plus I was so medicated that it was up to my husband to make sure I stayed on my pain meds, got me water, food, etc. I really needed to be waited on in the beginning.
Bottom line, it would be best to have someone with you at least for a few days, all hours, when you first get home. You don't want to strain at all in the beginning, and you need to rest, and you'll need an elbow to hold onto to take your walks, etc. Plus just someone to talk to!! You go thru lots of changes emotionally too.
Good luck!

[suzyjay]

I had surgery in Feb and was fused from t4 to l4 and I am 44 years old. I was able to use the bathroom by myself and get around a day after surgery but very weak so it helped to have someone with me for the first month (husband & parents). If I didn't have anyone, I could have taken care of myself after about two weeks.

Sue

[Janet]

NJ-JL

I was told that I would need 24/7 for the first couple weeks after leaving hospital (5 day stay), to assist with toilet, shower, etc., and that they would NOT send me to rehab (even tho my insurance covers it).

Different hospital /doctor said I would go to rehab for 10 days following 10 days hospitalization, and that I would be able to toilet/shower on my own by the time I got home. However, I will need household help for laundry, cleaning etc. for a while. I too only have people nearby who cannot take time off work, so I have asked them to help with buying groceries, cooking an extra serving or picking up take-out for me.

Who is your doctor? What type of correction will you have done? I suggest you discuss rehab with the doctor.

[abhbarry]

I couldn't imagine going through this without getting help for the first few weeks post-op. I am currently almost 5 weeks post-op and still need quite a lot of help. For those of you considering surgery, if you are not going to rehab, I highly highly suggest getting care at home (and maybe having family members or friends switching off). The caretakers get very tired too.

Best,
Anya

[Singer]

I can't imagine going through this surgery without rehab afterwards...I was completely helpless for the first couple of weeks. I got a bit more independent at rehab and by the time I got home I could go to the bathroom and dress by myself. At 3 weeks post op , I still need a lot of help showering.

[Karen Ocker]

A lot depends on one's age. Recovery for a person in their 20s is much easier than 30, 40, 50 0r 60. Also, a revision(re-do) of an older type of scoliosis surgery is more complex than a person having surgery for the first time ever.

What helped me and what I suggest is-- to ask your scoliosis surgeon for the names of people your age who had the same surgery.

[SoonerSonia]

I agree that it depends on age. I am 25 and did not need 24 hr care right after the hospital stay. In the hospital I walked, went to the bathroom and fed myself by the time I left. My mother had come to stay with me but I feel like I could have made it 8 hours a day without her if I needed to. I'm only 10 days post op and I'm fully functional. Things take me a long time to do, but I can do just about everything (minus bending and lifting, of course).

[nj_jl]

Thank you for all of your responses. SoonerSonia-I am hoping that my recovery follows a similar course to yours (and from what my doctor said it seems that he is expecting my recovery to proceed that way). I am planning on asking my boyfriend, sister, and parents if they would take off a few days (different ones) for my first week or so.
My doctor is Dr. Errico of NYU. He said that my surgery would be posterior and would not extend much into the lower back. He also told me I would not have to wear a brace after surgery. I acutally spoke with a 32 year old girl who had the surgery done by my doctor and she said she had her mother stay with her after surgery.