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What really helped me post-op
When I had my revision in 2002 I had prepared myself for the long recovery and checked other forums and spoke with others who went through the same thing. I also have a medical background.
This is what I did and would do over again:
Have private duty nurses-especially at night or at least someone to stay with you while in hospital. Fortunately my insurance picked up the cost.
I used a practical nurse because it was cheaper. But the nurse who had the PN license but was trained as an RN in the Phillipines helped me most during the day. She washed my hair and made me get out of bed. You do not have to wait for the nurse to answer the call bell for pain meds.
I went to a rehab hospital for 2 weeks. It was also COVERED BY INSURANCE.
This: unloaded my family, enabled me to leave the hospital sooner, gave me excellent pain management, helped me learn techniques to protect my back while healing, helped me order supplies for home and how to use them-submitting those covered by insurance for me(raised toilet seat, walker, cane, etc), gave me PT to get used to being taller, straighter and "uncoiled", were better staffed and had more time than the hospital (HSS IS very well staffed but all the patients are fresh post-ops).You can indicate when you are ready to come home-- and you will be much better off having that TLC before going home. It is also a cheerier environment.
I used a pain management doctor; at first, pre-op I thought it was overkill.
I found that he was able to tweak my pain meds so that I was able to walk a mile 6 weeks post-op, sleep well, get un-constipated and function without being too dopey. He also helped my taper off the opiates and use alternative pain management, even I never heard of. I was able to keep in touch with him by e-mail.
At home, since my husband had a month more to retire, I hired a day companion from the local church. I really could be left alone 4 weeks after surgery but she was able to walk me outside, drive me to PT and do housework.
Other tips: grabbers can be bought at Bed, Bath or Beyond or Linens & Things, a plastic armed chair is heaven under the shower, foam topping on beds feels good, a commode frame over the toilet helps getting on and off,
setting up a place to stay during the day in a sunny room is helpful, topping the bed with an extra mattress from an unused bed makes the bed higher and easier to get on to.
Keep moving but rest when tired -- which is frequent.
Go back to work gradually if possible.
My surgery was really a mega revision and I was 60 at the time. Not everyone needs all of this.
Karen
This is what I did and would do over again:
Have private duty nurses-especially at night or at least someone to stay with you while in hospital. Fortunately my insurance picked up the cost.
I used a practical nurse because it was cheaper. But the nurse who had the PN license but was trained as an RN in the Phillipines helped me most during the day. She washed my hair and made me get out of bed. You do not have to wait for the nurse to answer the call bell for pain meds.
I went to a rehab hospital for 2 weeks. It was also COVERED BY INSURANCE.
This: unloaded my family, enabled me to leave the hospital sooner, gave me excellent pain management, helped me learn techniques to protect my back while healing, helped me order supplies for home and how to use them-submitting those covered by insurance for me(raised toilet seat, walker, cane, etc), gave me PT to get used to being taller, straighter and "uncoiled", were better staffed and had more time than the hospital (HSS IS very well staffed but all the patients are fresh post-ops).You can indicate when you are ready to come home-- and you will be much better off having that TLC before going home. It is also a cheerier environment.
I used a pain management doctor; at first, pre-op I thought it was overkill.
I found that he was able to tweak my pain meds so that I was able to walk a mile 6 weeks post-op, sleep well, get un-constipated and function without being too dopey. He also helped my taper off the opiates and use alternative pain management, even I never heard of. I was able to keep in touch with him by e-mail.
At home, since my husband had a month more to retire, I hired a day companion from the local church. I really could be left alone 4 weeks after surgery but she was able to walk me outside, drive me to PT and do housework.
Other tips: grabbers can be bought at Bed, Bath or Beyond or Linens & Things, a plastic armed chair is heaven under the shower, foam topping on beds feels good, a commode frame over the toilet helps getting on and off,
setting up a place to stay during the day in a sunny room is helpful, topping the bed with an extra mattress from an unused bed makes the bed higher and easier to get on to.
Keep moving but rest when tired -- which is frequent.
Go back to work gradually if possible.
My surgery was really a mega revision and I was 60 at the time. Not everyone needs all of this.
Karen
