Three weeks post-op as of today! Yeah! Thought I'd put a little message out there for what milestones I've hit at this point...
Sleeping - still not sleeping through the night, because my pain med schedule has me up at 3 am every night. Besides that, I also wake up to use the bathroom and pace my house for 10 minutes or so every few hours to loosen myself up. I wake up fairly stiff still.
Showering - I am finally able to raise my arms up enough to shampoo my own head. My showers are independent and have been for the last week or so. Shaving is something I do as little as possible , but it is possible, I just have to sit down.
Walking - I am able to comfortably walk a little over a mile, and try to do this atleast 2 times daily, and feel better with 3 times.
Driving - I drove for the first time two days ago. I practiced on some back roads before going on to the highway. I was amazed at how much more mobility I have in my neck than when I first got out of the hospital. We don't have freeways here in Alaska, and my route to work is pretty straightforward, so I don't feel like a hazard to other drivers.
Work - yes, I am back at work, but only part-time. My disclaimer to that is that I have a flexible boss, a desk that raises and lowers, a desk job, and a great couch in a break room that I can go to whenever I need to.
Pain meds - my bout with pain last week has greatly diminished, so I am trying to stay away from the oxycodone. I'm taking Vicodin and Tylenol, and it seems to be effective.
Stamina - my energy level is definitely at its greatest earlier in the day. Yesterday, I worked for 3 hours, and went home to lay down with an ice pack. I also went to bed around 10:30 pm and woke up at 7 am, so it definitely wore me out. But I woke up feeling pretty well rested, and that is a change from a week ago. Energy is certainly something that comes and goes at this point; in the morning, I take a shower and walk, and usually need to lie down for 15-20 minutes to regain energy.
Some people close to me think I am rushing certain things, but only I know my body, and I don't think I have done anything that I haven't been ready for. I have been totally comfortable with setting limits for myself and admitting when I am not ready for something. For myself, the sooner I have returned to doing things as I normally did them, the sooner other things have followed. My body definitely lets me know when it's time to be still or lie down, and when it's time to move, and I just try to stay in tune with that.
Sleeping - still not sleeping through the night, because my pain med schedule has me up at 3 am every night. Besides that, I also wake up to use the bathroom and pace my house for 10 minutes or so every few hours to loosen myself up. I wake up fairly stiff still.
Showering - I am finally able to raise my arms up enough to shampoo my own head. My showers are independent and have been for the last week or so. Shaving is something I do as little as possible , but it is possible, I just have to sit down.
Walking - I am able to comfortably walk a little over a mile, and try to do this atleast 2 times daily, and feel better with 3 times.
Driving - I drove for the first time two days ago. I practiced on some back roads before going on to the highway. I was amazed at how much more mobility I have in my neck than when I first got out of the hospital. We don't have freeways here in Alaska, and my route to work is pretty straightforward, so I don't feel like a hazard to other drivers.
Work - yes, I am back at work, but only part-time. My disclaimer to that is that I have a flexible boss, a desk that raises and lowers, a desk job, and a great couch in a break room that I can go to whenever I need to.
Pain meds - my bout with pain last week has greatly diminished, so I am trying to stay away from the oxycodone. I'm taking Vicodin and Tylenol, and it seems to be effective.
Stamina - my energy level is definitely at its greatest earlier in the day. Yesterday, I worked for 3 hours, and went home to lay down with an ice pack. I also went to bed around 10:30 pm and woke up at 7 am, so it definitely wore me out. But I woke up feeling pretty well rested, and that is a change from a week ago. Energy is certainly something that comes and goes at this point; in the morning, I take a shower and walk, and usually need to lie down for 15-20 minutes to regain energy.
Some people close to me think I am rushing certain things, but only I know my body, and I don't think I have done anything that I haven't been ready for. I have been totally comfortable with setting limits for myself and admitting when I am not ready for something. For myself, the sooner I have returned to doing things as I normally did them, the sooner other things have followed. My body definitely lets me know when it's time to be still or lie down, and when it's time to move, and I just try to stay in tune with that.
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