Kayleigh is back home from the hospital. She had a spinal fusion surgery (T3 to L4) on Monday November 19th and was discharged on Thursday the 22nd. The surgery was long (~8 hours) at Kaiser Hospital on Sunset Blvd in Holloywood. So far there have been no complications and she is doing OK. The nurses there were awesome. She is down to one Vicodin every 5 hours and a valium twice a day. The biggest problem just seems to be stiffness in her back. We try to get her up as often as possible to move around. For those who are scheduled for surgery, here are things that have helped us out.
A hospital bed at home. We tried the first night without it (4 nights post surgery) and she was miserable.
I purchased a Memory Foam Mattress Topper at Costco (like a Temperpedic Pad)that really helped (When she layed on it the first time, she cried because it felt so good)
Also, the nurses showed us trick on how to move her in the bed. Put an extra sheet on top of the bed that she lays on top of. When she gets into bed, many times she needs to be slid up on the bed, so we pull the sheet she is laying on and she says that feels real good.
She is very sensitive to being straight, sometimes I have to rotate her hips so they are aligned with her shoulders (in the same plane)
She still has her meltdowns but feels good after, so its best to just let her have them.
The raised toilet chair and shower seat are also a must. A heating pad on her stomach comforts her a bit as well.
The nights are the worst and my wife and I trade off so at least we get sleep every other night.
She complains of lightheadedness and dizziness when she stands up, I am assuming this just from laying around so much and from the changes in her body. She is 2.5 inches taller and glides around when she walks.
She enjoys watching TV when she can focus
She has been very strong through this adventure. This is a 15 year old girl who has always been terrified of doctors and needles, she amazes me how she has just accepted it. There have been a lot of prayers said on her behalf and I am sure we couldn't have gotten through it without them
A hospital bed at home. We tried the first night without it (4 nights post surgery) and she was miserable.
I purchased a Memory Foam Mattress Topper at Costco (like a Temperpedic Pad)that really helped (When she layed on it the first time, she cried because it felt so good)
Also, the nurses showed us trick on how to move her in the bed. Put an extra sheet on top of the bed that she lays on top of. When she gets into bed, many times she needs to be slid up on the bed, so we pull the sheet she is laying on and she says that feels real good.
She is very sensitive to being straight, sometimes I have to rotate her hips so they are aligned with her shoulders (in the same plane)
She still has her meltdowns but feels good after, so its best to just let her have them.
The raised toilet chair and shower seat are also a must. A heating pad on her stomach comforts her a bit as well.
The nights are the worst and my wife and I trade off so at least we get sleep every other night.
She complains of lightheadedness and dizziness when she stands up, I am assuming this just from laying around so much and from the changes in her body. She is 2.5 inches taller and glides around when she walks.
She enjoys watching TV when she can focus
She has been very strong through this adventure. This is a 15 year old girl who has always been terrified of doctors and needles, she amazes me how she has just accepted it. There have been a lot of prayers said on her behalf and I am sure we couldn't have gotten through it without them
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