Hi to all!
I wonder if your Doctors ever mentioned to you that after you had back surgery of any kind - if you have to be in air, you must wear tight stockings (you get them at the pharmacy) from your toes to the highiest area of your tigh to prevent blood clots?
I heard this from many people who had back surgeries done and their Doctors told them the same thing. Just something more to learn...
I had no clue. Interesting I will add this to my list of doctor questions. I am currently debating about going to my parents in August for a little vacation with the kiddo's. Don't know if I can handle the flight or not
How far away is it? I have such a fear to fly nowadays; not flight itself but all these lines, millions of people, they want you 2 hours prior to your flight...
I don't know by you, but all this 3-state area airports so crouded. I am glad that they really check you out now (since 9/11) but if you can't stand for long or no place to seat - you are in trouble!!
Let me know what does your Doctor tells you about stockings.
Interesting. My surgeron never mentioned anything about that, and I had a a DVT with cloths in both lungs. I've flown back and forth to Minnesota several times the past two years and haven't had any problems what so ever and my surgeon knew about my flights in advance....
I had a hemi-laminectomy in June of last year and in July I was on a plane to Greece (about an 8 hr flight) my Dr was aware of the trip and I was not told to wear the stockings. I was just told to get up and walk around not because of blood clots but a stiff back. Luckily on both fronts all was fine.
It worth to ask your Doctor if this is the case. I was told and so did many other people who had back surgiries. He even wrote down to me which brand is better to buy. I did not fly yet though.
Do you know that i find out from others about NO NO for Advil/Aspirin meds if you had fusion?? My Doc never told me that and i was taking for a month in between Percoset and Oxicodone?
When i asked him he said: " I never told you this? Sorry, you are not allowed to take these meds". Oops, too late!!
How were you able to seat for 8 hours in a plane? I can't seat more than 20-30 min max without suffering. Were you OK?
I always request an isle seat and take along a back pillow that has those squishy little beads in them. I had a three level fusion done. My doctor was well aware of my flying, in fact I cleared it with him before I left on my flights to Mpls. to New Orleans and also to CA. (I'm on the East Coast) He didn't have any issues with any of the flights. His only reccomendations were to make sure that I stood up occasionally and walked up and down the isle if I could, but stand up for sure.
Good for you!!! As i understood- seating does not brings you more pain? I am glad if i can seat 20-30 min at the time... I guess everybody's case is so different.
I am dreaming to travel and be able to visit my family (all together 26 hours, no staight flights) and i am scared still. How long ago was your surgery?
Moldova I have never heard of this either ? I even mentioned about flying to the Dr. because of the hardware and he never said anything like that. I'll ask him in a couple day's if I don't forget
I would love to fly again , money is very tight here so I don't see it happening soon . They better bring more than boxcutter's with me around .
I am two years post op. But I started flying at just about 15 months after my three level fusion, then my second surgery. I needed to go home and move my parents. So on top of not being able to walk without a walker and not being able to BLT and all sorts of complications from a broken back and a 3 level fusion I flew home....have been flying on and off every 3-4 months ever since....
My pleasure to share...
Are you having your surgery in Germany? Can i ask you why in Germany, not here? Not for anything, just a curiosity.
Good luck to you: i am 15month after my big surgery and my heart wants to go to visit my family, but physically i can't. I am glad if i can seat for 20-30 min, forget all the hours i would have to if i go. I am a pusher, always push myself to do things, but here i am really not capable at this point, maybe my second surgery will resolve my problems and than i can fly!!!!!!
Good for you , Bake, this is a good sign to me if you can travel already so well. I presume you are doing great after your magor surgery?
Define great. Am I alive? Can I drive? Am I working full time? Can I walk? Yes to all.
My life is drastically different from what it was before the surgeries, and it certainly isn't how I expected it was going to turn out. I also survived a severe DVT that extended from my lower calf to my groin. I was an emergency admit to the hospital throwing clots into both lungs. My hubby found out afterwards that 60% of all blood clots are found on the autopsy table. To say I had several guardian angels watching over me is an understatement.
My life has changed. Some for the better, some not, some different. You learn to live with it. You learn to accept what you have been given and you decide if it is going to rule your life or you are going to rule it. I chose to let it live with me. My surgeon informed me at my last visit that I will be living with some degree of pain the rest of my life..probably due to my back breaking after the first surgery. What a wonderful piece of news. OK, I'm still processing this, but it is not going to take over my life..but it comes in handy some times... So, you do your best and move one.
I have learned some patience. If I push myself too hard I will pay for it. This then causes a ripple effect for several days. Although this irritates me some. it places an undue burden on my hubby and that isn't fair to him because he has gone through all of this with my without a word of temper or guilt (well one or two but that's it). And I could NOT have made it this far this fast without him..
Life is what you make of it.....make it good!
Last edited by ibake&pray; 05-31-2007 at 08:08 AM.
Jill , I think your right , we may never ever be as well as we were but we have to make the best of it for what we have . No more football /baseball or horsing around in the yard , I guess it's time to grow up . and enjoy life . Even if it does involve walker's or canes .
I bake&pray,
When life gives you lemons - make lemonade, right?
I know what you are saying and it takes 2 of us to thank God for our husbands. I would not be able to do it without him too. When i grew up - in my family parents leaved with: no word "i can't" there is word "i don't want to". It meant we could not say i can't - and that was it.
And now i still feel so uncomfortable to admit to myself if can't do something: like bend, drive (due to my permanent nerve damaged in my foot and leg. I still tried to drive and almost hit the pole on a road, because i don't feel which pedals I am pushing.) seat or stand for 20 min, etc...
But acceptance comes with time - 2 month after surgery when i even was not allowed to graduate from a walker to a cane i asked my Doctor to sign papers for me to go to work. It took much of his time and my tears to convince me not to do so because i will be back with worse problems. It was hard to accept. For some reason i was so sure that i will not be the one on disability, that i will go to work no matter what (i had a dream job), that i will go back to my 4-5 times a week to the gym in no time....
So by now i accepted all the above "never be there again". Pain? This even was not on my list , because i have childhood rumotoid arthrities all over my body and i really never knew what means to leave without pain. I had 7 magor surgeries in my life (not back related) so more pain will not make any difference for me.
Like i said previosly, i was born to be needed. These is what so hard to accept - not to be able to help my daughter who has a baby, not to be able to go to work and help my guys the way i did before, not be able to cook for a party for my friends and family i used to do. On my weekends i used to cook for "Meals on wheels" for poor people and deliver food to their appartments... I never concentrated on my own problems no matter how much lemonade i had to drink and now i feel that i have to learn somehow how to leave this new unknown life - and i don't know yet how. Especially i am facing another 3 levels fusion and all this uncertainty puts me back.
I loved what you said about if you do too much and it hurts - it is not fair to your husband because he is been with you on it. This is a great thought, because when my husband tries to stop me from doing too much or from doing things i am not suppose to - i get unhappy saying that i want to leave my life. And than i am in a lot of pain. You are so right saying that is not fair to him and in a way it is selfish of me. But i would not think that way if you wouldn't said it.
Thank you, sweet hear that you find time to reply. I wish you all the best in your recovery and best wishes to your wonderful and supportive husband.
So, you do your best and move one. 
and enjoy life . Even if it does involve walker's or canes .
