Advice on Type of Vehicle to get me home

[Scared]

As I am preparing to go out of state to get 1st surgery done I need advice as to what kind of vehicle to get me home “comfortably”. This is about a 6 1/2 hour drive. So I would probably be flying to the hospital then upon discharge (supposedly 5 day hospital stay + 2 week on-campus Rehab), would get a friend to drive me home. Since I have a older SUV without electric seats don’t think that would work. Thinking of renting something more comfortable for the journey home. Was told by dr Med asst I would be able to fly home upon discharge but it would mean a stop over then crammed into a tuna can to get back home (airport here is small). Thanks

[Tina_R]

I hate riding in my husband's car (a Forester) because the neck supports are in an uncomfortable position no matter how you set them. I hope you can try out the car you rent in advance. Comfort is important.

Long car rides are tough on my back and hips. After back surgery you stiffen up when seated for a long time. I need to get up and walk around a bit every two hours or even every hour.

[Scared]

Thinking a bigger, newer SUV with electric seats would work? Originally thought about a van but probably don’t want to lie down & have to log roll out (may get stuck) on way home. Thanks Tina

[Tina_R]

Thinking a bigger, newer SUV with electric seats would work? Originally thought about a van but probably don’t want to lie down & have to log roll out (may get stuck) on way home. Thanks Tina

Electric seats because they are almost infinitely adjustable? I guess so. An SUV is better than a sedan because it's tougher to get up and down from a place that's close to the ground. Too high would be hard, too, I probably wouldn't ride in a pickup truck.

Ask your surgeon about lying down in a van, I somehow don't think that's a good idea. I mean the middle seats of a van. You don't want to roll around either, best to be seated and restrained by a seat belt. My incision is on my back, along my spine. You're not supposed to lie on your incision for the first few weeks. So in bed I lay on one side or the other, not a stable position if you're lying down in a moving car - you'll roll around. Your doctor might have some suggestions about cars.

[titaniumed]

Nancy

This one is a tough one for me to answer especially after all the vehicle outings doing me in lately....Once again, in my case this has everything to do with my neck and not my back. My fusion is good. I have talked to others that had their necks done, and most of them have told me that travelling after neck surgery is an extremely painful process.

I was lucky that I only had a 15 minute drive home after my surgeries, but many in the past here have reported travelling home long distance by different methods. Some will take a car, and stop in multiple motels on the way home, and some will simply fly home....I suppose you could search "travelling" home after surgery and see what you find here. Logistically speaking, it would be best if all scoliosis surgical patients were located one block from any scoliosis center, but sometimes this is not possible. (Like in Louisville as I suggested a few months ago)

If you fly and have a medical emergency on the plane, they will radio ahead and they WILL pick you up when they land and take you to a hospital. You will become a "NO FLY" status, and not let you on another plane until a doctor clears you. If you fly and have 2 flights to your destination, its something to be aware of.

I was not even weaned to orals so my drive was after an injection. I would make sure you are weaned to orals before you leave the hospital. This was not an easy transformation at home since I did not have the option for a shot. That's why I started the hot water soaks for pain control. It can be extremely painful in immediate recovery for adults. I knew all about this as it was explained to me, talk about the crazy brave, that was a wake up call.

I am still recovering on my neck, taking diclofenac in a pill form and also diclofenac topical 1%. cream. I cant comment on the topical cream since I am mixing this with a pill. It also bothers me on amount of application which kind of bothers me. You don't know exactly how much your are absorbing????? (smug face) My arm was killing me and my Aunt was going to rub it on my arm, and that's not the problem, the problem is in my neck. You don't want to be going nuts with this stuff or have to explain this in a foreign language. (smiley face)

Its a good thing I am not in Japan.

Ed

[Scared]

Electric seats because they are almost infinitely adjustable? I guess so. An SUV is better than a sedan because it's tougher to get up and down from a place that's close to the ground. Too high would be hard, too, I probably wouldn't ride in a pickup truck.

Ask your surgeon about lying down in a van, I somehow don't think that's a good idea. I mean the middle seats of a van. You don't want to roll around either, best to be seated and restrained by a seat belt. My incision is on my back, along my spine. You're not supposed to lie on your incision for the first few weeks. So in bed I lay on one side or the other, not a stable position if you're lying down in a moving car - you'll roll around. Your doctor might have some suggestions about cars.

I was told 12/17 dr would do anterior & posterior cuts. Since I will be in rehab 2 weeks hopefully will be able to get home by a more comfortable SUV. Have so much to plan for.

[Scared]

Well Ed good to hear from you FINALLY- Per logical thinking I am assuming that I would get the Cervical fused 1st. Don’t know where in the Thoracic spine fusion will start but know it ends at pelvic/sacrum. I too experience multiple pain from Cervical now -neck constantly deep ache especially when I turn my neck driving. Concerned how it will be for me post-op )driving. Nothing helps me with pain but short acting opioid which I HATE. Tried everything but can barely do ANYTHING. What do you think about renting a newer SUV after spinal fusion for trip home? I would already be on oral pain Med.

[titaniumed]

I was told 12/17 dr would do anterior & posterior cuts. Since I will be in rehab 2 weeks hopefully will be able to get home by a more comfortable SUV. Have so much to plan for.

Ok, so they will do an A/P on you. Ask about stage dates. I had a 2 day stage, they started from the front. I was out and not awake between both surgeries.

As far as which levels and exact procedure will be up to your surgeon. No-one here can advise on this. Also suggesting fusion lengths is not advisable.....

Renting an SUV sounds feasable. Someone will have to drive for you, you wont be able to drive.... Do not drive on meds.

Ed

[Tina_R]

I do like the idea of a good sized comfortable SUV. They perform better in snow than sedans, if the weather should not be good. I have owned both.

If snow is predicted that could slow the trip down a lot. Then you might want to break up the trip by staying in a hotel halfway through.

[Scared]

Ok, so they will do an A/P on you. Ask about stage dates. I had a 2 day stage, they started from the front. I was out and not awake between both surgeries.

As far as which levels and exact procedure will be up to your surgeon. No-one here can advise on this. Also suggesting fusion lengths is not advisable.....

Renting an SUV sounds feasable. Someone will have to drive for you, you wont be able to drive.... Do not drive on meds.

Ed

I don’t understand term “stage” -does that mean surgery is done on same day but at different times or next day? Of course I’m not going to be driving 🤨. Why can’t you discuss having full fusion? I don’t have financial means for another surgery down the road- although totally understand it could come to that given the unknown.

[titaniumed]

A staged surgery would be doing the front first, then waiting a day or two, then doing the back. I wondered about it when it was explained to me, but like I said, I was out so it didnt even matter. He could also do the anterior on the same day which would not be staged.

Staged surgeries are more than one procedure usually a short time period apart.

There is no way a lay person can possibly suggest which levels to fuse as we are not trained. Your doctor will make that call.

Ed

[Tina_R]

A staged surgery would be doing the front first, then waiting a day or two, then doing the back. I wondered about it when it was explained to me, but like I said, I was out so it didnt even matter. He could also do the anterior on the same day which would not be staged.

Staged surgeries are more than one procedure usually a short time period apart.

There is no way a lay person can possibly suggest which levels to fuse as we are not trained. Your doctor will make that call.

Ed

I think it is negotiable to get fully fused in one operation if you don't want to risk multiple operations for whatever reason. Rather than limit the fusion and wait and see if more fusion is needed. Multiple operations mean extra expense, extra possibility of complications, and pushing recovery time back more months or even years.

I don't see why this can't be discussed with the surgeon. Some surgeons may be open to it and others not. But it's OK to broach that conversation.

20/20 hindsight, I would have been better off being fully fused in one operation.