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  • work after surgery question

    Hi everyone,

    I have a question for those of you who have been through surgery. I am finishing my master's degree in mid-August, and having my surgery on September 23rd. I wanted to wait until I was finished with grad school before I dealt with the scoliosis issues since I have been a full-time student (I would lose my grad assistantship if I took off during the middle of my program). When do you think I could reasonably start job-hunting/interviewing/working? Is mid-November reasonable to expect to be able to go to interviews and appear normal? :-) I know everyone's recovery is different, but I am having a hard time with not being able to plan out my job searching strategy yet. Thoughts?

    --Steph
    dx age 13 with thoracolumbar scoliosis, wore Charleston brace for 4 years
    31yo, main curve has progressed to 52*, up from 34* @ skeletal maturity
    anterior surgery T9 - L3 scheduled for 09/23/09
    --Steph

    Anterior surgery 9/23/09
    Fused T10 - L3

  • #2
    working

    hi steph
    what kind of work will you be looking for?

    jess

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by sed78 View Post
      Hi everyone,

      I have a question for those of you who have been through surgery. I am finishing my master's degree in mid-August, and having my surgery on September 23rd. I wanted to wait until I was finished with grad school before I dealt with the scoliosis issues since I have been a full-time student (I would lose my grad assistantship if I took off during the middle of my program). When do you think I could reasonably start job-hunting/interviewing/working? Is mid-November reasonable to expect to be able to go to interviews and appear normal? :-) I know everyone's recovery is different, but I am having a hard time with not being able to plan out my job searching strategy yet. Thoughts?

      --Steph
      dx age 13 with thoracolumbar scoliosis, wore Charleston brace for 4 years
      31yo, main curve has progressed to 52*, up from 34* @ skeletal maturity
      anterior surgery T9 - L3 scheduled for 09/23/09
      If you're just finishing grad school you're a lot younger than me, and young patients seem to heal much more quickly. But in my case, no way did I appear notmal after one month. I wasn't even wearing regular clothes by then, only stretch pants and pig poofey shirts with a teeshirt underneath. Bra's were a 4 letter word then. I couldn't have interviewed for maybe 3 or 4 months.

      Let's see what responses you get from younger people.
      __________________________________________
      Debbe - 50 yrs old

      Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
      Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

      Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
      Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
      Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

      Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
      Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by sed78 View Post
        dx age 13 with thoracolumbar scoliosis, wore Charleston brace for 4 years
        31yo, main curve has progressed to 52*, up from 34* @ skeletal maturity
        anterior surgery T9 - L3 scheduled for 09/23/09
        I agree with finishing grad school first. Good call.

        My only experience with recovery rate is my one teenage daughter so that is probably not relevant.

        I see you wore a Charleston for 4 years for TL curve. My daughter wore one for about 13 months for a T curve. She recently decided to stop wearing it and she has ground to stand on with that decision. She has had periods of stability and periods of greater than one degree a month while wearing the brace just as she has had for the period before the brace. Clearly, the curve progression is unrelated to brace wear for her. She is very likely skeletally mature at this point and so it wouldn't do anything anyway but there are plenty of other reasons to stop.

        I just wanted to say you are yet another person who had a curve well below 50* at maturity that nevertheless progressed to surgery territory far faster than the prevailing wisdom suggests. The degree (or degree+) a year thing is only supposed to occur for curves over 50*. I believe this needs more study.

        Assuming you were skeletally mature at 16, you progressed 18* in 15 years which of course is more than a degree a year, something surgeons will maintain rarely happens for a 34* curve at maturity.

        I find myself typing this over and over... you could be an exquisitely rare case or they could be underestimating how many people progress to surgery territory who are even well below 50* at maturity. I realize this group is self-selected and isn't an accurate sampling but still.

        Congratulations on the Masters and good luck with surgery.
        Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

        No island of sanity.

        Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
        Answer: Medicine


        "We are all African."

        Comment


        • #5
          I would get the job first, and then have surgery. There is no reason to rush in. . . funny saying that since you have been putting it off the several years already. Job markets today are really competitive. I would secure the position and have surgery next year.

          But that's just me.

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm 23 and had surgery almost three months ago. I was fused from T12-L3. I went to a job interview at about two months post-op and although I felt reasonably well, it did seem a tad too early for me. I felt that mentally I wasn't quite in job interview mode yet and needed to rest for another week or two to be more refreshed. I was also concerned about physical recovery prior to surgery but it has quite a significant mental/emotional toll on you as well. Please don't underestimate this but saying that, I'd assume all going well, you should be fine by the end of November. Don't be hard on yourself if you need extra time though, at the end of the day it is pretty major surgery.

            Good luck with your surgery and job hunting
            Diagnosed at the age of 18 (2004)
            46° curve
            Surgery scheduled for April 27, 2009 - Anterior fusion from T12 - L3

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by sed78 View Post
              ... I am finishing my master's degree in mid-August, and having my surgery on September 23rd ... When do you think I could reasonably start job-hunting/interviewing/working?
              I'm having surgery August 13 and hope to return to work parttime in mid Sept so I'll let you know how I feel after a month. I'm 43, so a bit older. I work 3 miles from home and sit at a computer all day. Am thinking of bringing a recliner into my office and using a wireless keyboard. I also have the option of working from home if it's easier for me to work an hour here and there when I feel up to it.

              Also, T-9 to L-3 is not that big of a fusion. You may be up and at 'em faster than you think.
              Sandy

              Thoracic curve was 55 degrees, now 30
              Lumbar curve was 68 degrees, now 26
              Rib rotation was 17 degrees, now 0
              Degenerated discs and sacral arthritic spurs, plus significant spondylosis
              Fused 8/13/09 at age 43 from T-9 to pelvis with iliac screws anchoring hardware to the pelvis, plus osteomies by Drs. Anthony Moreno and Geoff Cronen, Tampa, FL

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Steph,
                I was 45 when I had my surgery and I'm now 13 months post op. I had every intention of going back to work at 2 months post op. I'm an executive assistant so my job is not phyiscally demanding and I have the freedom to get up an walk around at any time. I was no where near ready for work at 2 months. So I shot for 3 months post op. Nope, not ready. I was 4 months post op before I went back and only at half days then. Keep in mind that I'm considerably older than you and my fusion is a tad longer than yours. Everybody is different.
                Good luck!
                Becky, 46 years old
                Diagnosed at 13 with mild scoliosis
                Ignored until 448/07
                Left thoracic 49* T5-T11
                Right thorocolumbar 60* T11-L4
                Surgery Monday, June 9, 2008 Oklahoma Spine Hospital
                Fused T-10 to L-5
                14 titanium pedicle screws
                Corrected to approx. 10* YEA!!!
                Email

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks to all who have responded to my question so far!

                  Someone asked what type of job I will be looking for: Advising/Student Services in Higher Education...so it will pretty much be an office job in a college or university. I anticipate to be sitting at the computer most of the day.

                  Regarding having the surgery first vs. getting the job first: This is an issue that I have spent much time mulling over. I see pros and cons from both sides, however for both me and my family I think it is best to do it sooner rather than later. Part of this is psychological - the impending surgery is a large thing looming ahead of me, and I really want to just get it over with!

                  --Steph
                  dx age 13 with thoracolumbar scoliosis, wore Charleston brace for 4 years
                  31yo, main curve has progressed to 52*, up from 34* @ skeletal maturity
                  anterior surgery T9 - L3 scheduled for 09/23/09
                  --Steph

                  Anterior surgery 9/23/09
                  Fused T10 - L3

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hi Steph,

                    I had my surgery last summer when I was 26. I started back to school at 3 months post op. I only took 11 credits, but this was still difficult for the first month and a half. I walked a mile from my car to the chemistry building 4 days a week (and then back again). I could have gotten a handicap parking permit but I managed. I'd say wait 3-4 months to go back to work. If you have an office job the 3 months is probably good. My fusion was pretty long too and I seemed to recover a bit slower than most people my age.

                    Best of luck!

                    Shell
                    Chemist, 30

                    1998- 18 degrees
                    2003- 33 degrees
                    2005- 37 degrees
                    2006- 44 degrees
                    May 2007- 47 degrees
                    December 2007 - 50 degrees X-ray

                    Surgery May 27, 2008
                    Fused T1 to L2
                    Curve corrected to 15 degrees X-ray

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by briarrose View Post
                      Hi Steph,

                      I had my surgery last summer when I was 26. I started back to school at 3 months post op. I only took 11 credits, but this was still difficult for the first month and a half. I walked a mile from my car to the chemistry building 4 days a week (and then back again). I could have gotten a handicap parking permit but I managed. I'd say wait 3-4 months to go back to work. If you have an office job the 3 months is probably good. My fusion was pretty long too and I seemed to recover a bit slower than most people my age.

                      Best of luck!

                      Shell
                      Steph--

                      I would advise on getting that handicap parking permit. I had mine for 6 months (that's the temp one in NJ) and I really appreciated it during the icy months. I didn't want to take any chances falling.
                      __________________________________________
                      Debbe - 50 yrs old

                      Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                      Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                      Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                      Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                      Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                      Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                      Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I returned to work at 6wks; I'm a single mom so I really had no choice. The couple of weeks were tough, but I made it. I would get up and walk every hour, took a heating pad and a pillow for my chair. Now I'm 3months post-op and doing much better. I still use the pillow, but don't have to get up to walk as much.
                        ~Em

                        Diagnosed at 13, Milw brace-didn't wear it like I should have.
                        pre-surg 78* Thoracic,
                        post-surg 22* Thoracic.
                        Fusion from T2 to L2 scheduled for April 15, 09 in Tulsa, OK

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          work

                          dear steph
                          i was the one who asked about type of job...

                          i think it is very wise to wait til after surgery..that way you can take your time recovering & not have to worry about getting back to work!

                          best of luck to you
                          jess

                          Comment

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