
Originally Posted by
titaniumed
You know about scoliosis surgery recovery.....if a revision is warranted, prepare for a long recovery period. I am not a believer in returning back to work to pay bills, and jeopardizing it by enduring WORK RELATED STRESS....If you can work now and save so you can take a year off, your probably better off. I took 18 months off before returning to the office. Co-workers just don’t understand what we go through and some of them you cant teach, and they have no compassion. I have given up and have started growling now.....I need a bear suit for work. Should I go with the black bear suit or the grizzly suit?
Ed
Dear Ed,
You are quite right about trying to avoid being pressured back to work in order to pay the bills. This happened to me, although I could have tried to hold out longer strictly for the bills (and racked up more debt). Unfortunately for me my hospital was downsizing at the time, and I felt that I would be very vulnerable if I extended my leave outside of the FMLA job protection, not to mention insurance coverage. My cost for self-pay COBRA insurance for my family would have been over $2200/month, and nobody can afford to lose their insurance when they are only weeks out from scoliosis surgery. Planning ahead if possible for an extended period off work is ideal if it can be managed.
My vote is for the grizzly suit, definitely...
Gayle, age 50
Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1
mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
2017 curves stable/skeletely mature
also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable