Hi ho! Hi ho! It's back to work I go...

[Susie*Bee]

Victory!

Well, a small one anyway, but it seems big to me! I worked FIVE 8-hour days in a row, including having lunch and recess duties the last 3 days. Amazing! I will rest up this weekend, except normal stuff and going to church tomorrow... so I'll be ready to tackle the classes and all that entails. Oh, that's right, I offered to go clothes shopping with my daughter who's about to head back to college. We'll see if that happens or not...

I did ok at school, but by the time I came home each day I was pretty beat and usually laid down for about half an hour to rest... then pretty much rested in the evenings. Now-- just 177 days to go till school's out. (or should it be: !!!)

Thanks, Jamie and Louisse, for your encouraging posts. Louisse-- it's almost time for you-- I know you'll do fine and hope you have figured out a way to have someone post so we can hear the good news afterward! I may not be posting much at all during the week, but found it was my little time of relaxing-- to read the new posts on the forum.

Hugs to all, Susie

[debbei]

Good for you Susie! I'm glad things went well for you. Are you getting help on the things that aren't easy for you to reach/manage?

I'm used to working from home. I go into the office maybe once a week. But, even though I haven't had surgery yet, on days when I go into the office, I come home POOPED, and I need to take a little nap. LOL

[Singer]

Good work, Susie! I am also slogging through 8-hour days in the office but thankfully only 2 days a week....singing, too. It's great to get out of the house and think about something OTHER than our bodies, isn't it??

[Susie*Bee]

Yes, Chris! Yay! We're making progress! Glad to hear you are doing so well.

[loves to skate]

Hi Susie,
We just got back from vacation with the grandkids today so haven't had much time to post in the past week or so. I'm glad to hear that you are doing well back on the job. I'll bet you are really great with the kids because you are so great with us adults with our concerns and worries. We are all just big kids after all and you are definitely a people person. I'm sure that once you get used to all of the activity at school, it will energize you. Take care and God Bless. Sally

[tillgurl]

Susie, when did you have your surgery?
Is your job physical at all....?

I had surgery at the end of June...and MIIIISS my job!
But it involves alot of bending over to serve customers and lifting heavy boxes. I took a 6 month leave of absence until December when I'm done my first semester at my first year of college.
I figured that if my doctor said I can do sports after 6 months, that I should wait that long to work again.
But I'm moving out for school anyways, so whatever lol.

How did people treat you when you went back?
Because I'm also nervous that when I go back people will want me to work hard like I used to.
I still feel like my co-workers and friends dont totally understand just how serious the surgery and that while i may not be in PAIN, I am still am in discomfort for sure.

[Ginger W.]

The idea of an 8 hour work day sounds so overwhelming to me now!

You've come so far, Susie!

Let us know how teaching the class groups went for you. Didn't that start today?

Ginger

[Susie*Bee]

It IS a bit overwhelming for me, but hopefully will get better as I adjust. The main thing is the JOLT of going from a relaxing day to a stressful, high-sction day with no real down time. Yesterday I was exhausted and discouraged, but I still think it is do-able. We'll see. The jury is still out. I was great to see the kids and the classes were fine, but it's just the non-relenting busy-ness of a full day with no breaks to speak of. It's hard!!! I'll let you know after I've tried it for awhile. Thanks for asking! Susie

[SIsForSarah]

Hi Susie!

Don't get discouraged - it sounds like you're doing great! For what it's worth, the first week with the kids always completely exhausts me and I usually end up having to take a nap after the first day (partly due to the usual sleepless night the night before the first day). And this was happening to Ultimate-and-soccer-playing, bike-for-hours, not-having-herniated-disc-problems-yet, twentysomething me. So I can only imagine what it would be like coming back from having extensive fusion surgery later in life as you did. Just as with any endeavour requiring a lot of energy, I think you have to build up your working-with-kids endurance again. The first week will be tiring, but it will get better. And I've started to learn that the school will still run if I take the occasional day off (better to do that then run yourself into the ground and have to go on leave). Good luck with the rest of the week - I'm sure it will only get better from here!

- Sarah

[Qikdraw]

It IS a bit overwhelming for me, but hopefully will get better as I adjust. The main thing is the JOLT of going from a relaxing day to a stressful, high-sction day with no real down time. Yesterday I was exhausted and discouraged, but I still think it is do-able. We'll see. The jury is still out. I was great to see the kids and the classes were fine, but it's just the non-relenting busy-ness of a full day with no breaks to speak of. It's hard!!! I'll let you know after I've tried it for awhile. Thanks for asking! Susie

Keep up the good work Susie! I'm glad things are going well for you, even if a bit difficult. Just don't overdo it please. If you need to sit down for a few minutes, sit down. There is no sense in hurting yourself. So be careful!

Brad

[Wishing]

Dear Susie*Bee,

I'm glad you're managing all the demands of your job even though you're getting tired. Can you talk to someone about having a little help? Can you get a volunteer person to help with reshelving and doing some of the busy work so that you can save some energy. Since you have physical limitations, the school is probably required under the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) to make accomodations for you. I would think that would entail providing an assistant for you, and one cannot be fired because of a disability as I understand it. I got tired reading your original description of all your duties and needed to take a nap. However, I'm sure on the plus side, it must be nice being out with your peers in the work scene.
Do take good care and don't overdo. Do ask for help is needed. Rita

[nzgirl]

Hi Suzy!
Wow... you're doing great! Can you take short breaks in the day and take a rest somewhere? When I start working, it's likely that I'll have my own office so I'm planning to get a rollout mat thing that I can lie on for a rest, or a couch. As it is at the moment, 8 months post-op (I think!) I'm still needing rests by mid-afternoon on the couch. I'm also working hard to strengthen my postural muscles to increase my endurance.
You're doing well, if it cumulates and you get worn out, is there an option of going part time to build up to full time work? Or splitting your day into two four hour blocks and taking a long lunch? I'm just thinking creatively, I imagine it might be hard in your line of work to do that, but don't be afraid to ask.
Take care!!

[Susie*Bee]

Awww... you guys are all so nice. I wish I had more time to write, but have to get ready. Just want to say that I appreciate your concerns and all, and if there was any way I could ask for help or different hours, I would try for that. Unfortunately, this is pretty much all or none, and I don't have any other options. I do have a few high school workers who do some things for me. I may get a parent volunteer at some time to help with re-shelving. But that would only be because I don't have enough time in the day to get everything done, not because they think I could use a hand. I'm afraid it's pretty much like if I can't do the tasks that come with my job, I should move over and let someone else get hired. So I'll do my best. I feel funny asking for help, although yesterday I had someone else get a new crate of milk cartons out of a cooler. I knew there was no way I should/could lift it from down where it was, and they weigh quite a lot. I don't have any breaks where I could go lie down. It'll be ok. I think I'll be alright-- and time will tell. I am glad my scoli appt. is next week, so I can check on things then. Yesterday my neck/shoulder/upper back area was cramping up and very achey by the end of the day, and my lower back ached-- and I got occasional sharp pains in my mid back. Better go, running out of time. Thanks again! Susie

[Singer]

Working post-op

I suspect my opinion is not a popular one, but I strongly feel that my first priority is to protect my back for the rest of my life. That doesn't mean I don't intend to have a life -- but it does mean that my life is different than it was before the surgery. I'm still looking for the balance between pushing myself and abandoning certain things....but if I were consistently getting sharp spasming pains from working, I would consider changing careers. I'm not trying to counsel you, Susie -- just stating how it is for me.

I've been working (mostly computer work) for over 3 weeks now, partly in the office and partly at home, and I was very sore in the beginning, but I could tell it was just muscular, and it's gotten less and less as my body has gotten used to the new routine. I think it takes time to recognize what's simple muscle soreness and what is too much for us to handle.

In other words, based on trial, error, and instinct, I've abandoned gardening (something I loved), major house cleaning (don't love it, ha ha), and amusement parks, but I've pushed through soreness to continue singing, working, and hiking.

I have spoken.

[Susie*Bee]

Chris-- I so much appreciate your "I have spokens" interspersed throughout the threads... And I like this one too, and I totally agree with you. My back is my priority also and I have taken really careful care of it, but right now I need to see if this works ok. I have no options here for some other work (that I can think of...) You have to imagine two tiny towns with populations of less than 1000 each, plus people sprinkled all over out in the "country"-- like me. Put a school in the middle, on a two-lane highway. This is my life. There are very few businesses to speak of, and very little job turnover. There's at least a half hour commute to any bigger towns that would have jobs. I enjoy working with the kids, reading stories, etc. It's the rest of the work that's the hard part, plus the fairly long day-- partly because I'm not used to it. Today I feel ok-- but I didn't have both 1st grade and kindergarten classes in the afternoon, finishing off my day... They can be soooo cute, but they are also so active and demand a LOT of energy.

I would RATHER stay home-- I enjoy that also, and have relished this year off... heavens, I still have ALMOST ALL of the projects I wanted to do over the year still waiting for me to start, so I KNOW I have plenty to fill my time at home. Unfortunately, we have our last little daughter still in college, and my income would come in extremely handy. If this doesn't work out, I will try to figure something else out. I'm just hoping it will, and that it will just take a few weeks to get used to the extra energy and busyness. I'm not going to push myself to the limit and do damage. I have my list of questions for my scoli doc, whom I'll see next Thursday. They include asking about the neck aches, etc. But it did that some anyway, before I went back to work. It's quite possible I have a problem there (in my neck). I'll try to find out if I'm going to be making things worse by working. BTW-- the sharp pain I felt was after school, and just an on and off thing for a few seconds... no consistent spasms or anything. I think it is mostly muscular; not used to this regimen of not relaxing, etc. I think I'll be able to figure out within a month if this will work or not. I REALLY work hard at sticking to my restrictions too, and have given up and/or adjusted my life to that. Thanks for your concern! Susie