post surgery brace

[suejeryl]

hi, everyone...i may have to wear a brace for 3 months or so after my surgery. can anyone tell me what this brace is like in terms of number of hours of day worn; whether you could get the brace on and off on your own; and (most important :) ) how you dress when you're wearing it...does it fit under or over clothes? if it fits under clothes, do your regular clothes fit over it? thanks!

[LindaRacine]

Sue....

You should check with your doctor's office, because they're all very different. My brace was hard plastic, lined with a thin layer of foam. I wore it for 5 mos. post-op, whenever I was out of bed. I wore an all cotton camisole and panties under the brace, and my regular clothing over it. I couldn't wear anything tight fitting.

--Linda

[spincon58]

I didn't have to wear a brace after surgery...why does your doctor ask this of u..?

[suejeryl]

hi, connie! my doctor said i MAY need to wear a brace for extra support if it looks like my bones are not in good shape as a result of the osteoporosis and arthritis i have; also, he doesn't know how much bone he'll have to remove to get my pinched nerves unpinched. i'm in the mindset that i'll have to wear a brace; today i purchased some lovely hanes "muscle" undershirts shirts in wal-mart's men's department; buy 5 get one free. such a deal! just keep your fingers crossed for me that if i have to wear a brace the temperatures down here get below 90 degrees! :)

[Theresa]

Hey Sue,

I was originally told that I would have to wear a brace also. But after the MRI he said that I wouldn't need to wear one. Sometimes though I wonder if it would have been better to wear one. Theresa

[suejeryl]

hi, theresa...i still remember how good it felt to wear my brace when i was a little kid; seems like a post-op brace might provide a little peace of mind; as i recall, it's pretty hard to move the wrong way when you're wearing a brace!