Hi all-
Just wanted to let you know how I am doing at 9 weeks post-op. I finally started driving about 2 weeks ago, mainly local driving. Two days ago I actually traveled 45 minutes away from my house and I was out for about 4 hours on my own! I can only drive in the car early in the morning until about 3pm since that is the time my neck gets very weak and starts to collapse. I've been taking naps between 3 and 5pm so that I can get my neck back up and resume my motherly activities from 5pm to 9pm. Everyday, I am getting better and better and am walking better. 9 weeks post-op was a HUGE week for me. Today, I did 2 different outside activities with my kids and then we went out to a restaurant for dinner. I do get very tired in the middle of the day and need a 2 hr nap. My endurance is no where where it was before the surgery, which gets me frustrated, but I have to realize I am still early in the recovery process. Does anyone know when it comes back? I am starting to get peaks of energy throughout the day that were the same as I had before the surgery.
About my neck....3 weeks after the surgery it was fine. THen it started to collapse and I couldn't even hold it up for about an hour without my chin falling right to my chest. Now at 9 weeks it is still very weak but I am making it from 8am until about 3pm and then I definately have to lay down so I can make it in the night hours without tons of neck pain. I'm thinking my neck issues are muscular and that I just have to build the neck muscles back up. Every week it is SLOWLY getting better, and I hope it continues to improve. I hope one day soon it won't be an issue and that I can hold it up for 12 hours at a time! Then I will be happy I had the surgery done. PT is also training me to retract my neck. If I don't pay attention to it, it sticks out like a giraffe (which it didn't do before my surgery). Just think my neck doesn't know how to stand since I had both kyphosis and scoliosis at the same time. My kyphosis before my surgery was almost 70 degrees which I believe is very large. The only reason I couldn't drive until 9 weeks was really because of my neck. I still can't look to the right normally. It's like I can only turn my neck 1/2 way.
Anyway, I am starting to get really nervous as I only have my sitter for 2 more weeks since she goes back to college!!!! I have had her for 8 hours a day since the middle of June. As of Sept. 1, I no longer have her and I am on my own. She was a godsend to me and I couldn't have done it without her. My husband works long hours so I really only have him on the weekends to help. I am getting scared as I don't know if I can handle the kids on my own for the first time for most of the day. My son will go to kindergarten 5 days a week, but it's only for 2 1/2 hours a day and my daughter will go to preschool 2 days a week, but that's only 2 1/2 hours as well! Wish my oldest one had full day kindergarten so I could have some time to my own to sit, relax and recover. Anyway, I told my two kids they have to lie down with me everyday from 3-5pm. We bought alot of new, recent kids movies so they are excited to watch those as I lie down.
Anyway, just decided to update you all on my progress. I'll be thinking of all you who have upcoming surgeries in Aug and Sept! Good luck to JennyRN on Monday who will be getting her final surgery. I'll let you all who are having upcoming surgeries know...the first 6 weeks were really rough for me but after that it gets easier and easier. I am starting to finally get used to the metal in my back. Driving over bumps is much easier now and I don't flinch anymore. Housework is even getting easier. I got really depressed for about 3 weeks early on but thank goodness that has passed. Think that was mainly due to the meds.
Hope everyone is doing well!
JenM
Just wanted to let you know how I am doing at 9 weeks post-op. I finally started driving about 2 weeks ago, mainly local driving. Two days ago I actually traveled 45 minutes away from my house and I was out for about 4 hours on my own! I can only drive in the car early in the morning until about 3pm since that is the time my neck gets very weak and starts to collapse. I've been taking naps between 3 and 5pm so that I can get my neck back up and resume my motherly activities from 5pm to 9pm. Everyday, I am getting better and better and am walking better. 9 weeks post-op was a HUGE week for me. Today, I did 2 different outside activities with my kids and then we went out to a restaurant for dinner. I do get very tired in the middle of the day and need a 2 hr nap. My endurance is no where where it was before the surgery, which gets me frustrated, but I have to realize I am still early in the recovery process. Does anyone know when it comes back? I am starting to get peaks of energy throughout the day that were the same as I had before the surgery.
About my neck....3 weeks after the surgery it was fine. THen it started to collapse and I couldn't even hold it up for about an hour without my chin falling right to my chest. Now at 9 weeks it is still very weak but I am making it from 8am until about 3pm and then I definately have to lay down so I can make it in the night hours without tons of neck pain. I'm thinking my neck issues are muscular and that I just have to build the neck muscles back up. Every week it is SLOWLY getting better, and I hope it continues to improve. I hope one day soon it won't be an issue and that I can hold it up for 12 hours at a time! Then I will be happy I had the surgery done. PT is also training me to retract my neck. If I don't pay attention to it, it sticks out like a giraffe (which it didn't do before my surgery). Just think my neck doesn't know how to stand since I had both kyphosis and scoliosis at the same time. My kyphosis before my surgery was almost 70 degrees which I believe is very large. The only reason I couldn't drive until 9 weeks was really because of my neck. I still can't look to the right normally. It's like I can only turn my neck 1/2 way.
Anyway, I am starting to get really nervous as I only have my sitter for 2 more weeks since she goes back to college!!!! I have had her for 8 hours a day since the middle of June. As of Sept. 1, I no longer have her and I am on my own. She was a godsend to me and I couldn't have done it without her. My husband works long hours so I really only have him on the weekends to help. I am getting scared as I don't know if I can handle the kids on my own for the first time for most of the day. My son will go to kindergarten 5 days a week, but it's only for 2 1/2 hours a day and my daughter will go to preschool 2 days a week, but that's only 2 1/2 hours as well! Wish my oldest one had full day kindergarten so I could have some time to my own to sit, relax and recover. Anyway, I told my two kids they have to lie down with me everyday from 3-5pm. We bought alot of new, recent kids movies so they are excited to watch those as I lie down.
Anyway, just decided to update you all on my progress. I'll be thinking of all you who have upcoming surgeries in Aug and Sept! Good luck to JennyRN on Monday who will be getting her final surgery. I'll let you all who are having upcoming surgeries know...the first 6 weeks were really rough for me but after that it gets easier and easier. I am starting to finally get used to the metal in my back. Driving over bumps is much easier now and I don't flinch anymore. Housework is even getting easier. I got really depressed for about 3 weeks early on but thank goodness that has passed. Think that was mainly due to the meds.
Hope everyone is doing well!
JenM
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