Gosh, Sulynn, you're having surgery on a Saturday? Good luck with it!!!!! I hope all things go well with the surgery so that the recovery is smooth! that is first and foremost!
Right now I'm one month post-op, and I keep wanting to do some easy yard work, but it's way too early for that (well, actually, I did do some pruning so I could get so my compost pile). I still have some pain, which is more irritating than anything, but I'm still sick of the pain. Anyway, it's so soon in the entire recovery process, and my pain/injuries are really very old, anyway...
Yes, you must be very careful for a few months (Or longer) so you don't mess with the fusion process. It just isn't worth the damage that can cause! Yes, I would say stairs may be something difficult, especially if you will be in a collar. Please discuss this with your doctor! It may very well be, since you have to get to the bathroom, that he will either make you stay up there.... or at the other extreme allow you to go up and down the stairs without your collar, so you can actually see your feet and have less of a chance of tripping. So it's worth asking about...
I agree with Debbie; you should not have any trouble with brushing your teeth, as your waist will not be incumbered. And it's likely you can do that, too, without your collar. Ask about that, too, as well as having to wear the collar in the shower... or not. If you need to do that, you will need to have a hard collar (don't forget the extra set of pads, whether you need it in the shower or not).
Flexible straws are very helpful, especially the first two weeks or so. I have to get pills into the back of my throat, or I cannot swallow them, so I had to carefully lean back from the waist (supporting my head with my hands), to accomplish that. Be careful! With these collars, you cannot get your head into its usual positions for swallowing anything, so it may be a bit of work at first! And belching? did we tell you about that, too? Most of us have had burping problems right after surgery.... I think some of that is also the awkward head/neck positions, and the difficulty of eating/drinking with the collar, etc....
Difficulty with lifting arms? I think that will depend largely on what type of surgery you have. And the skill of your doctor, and, and, and... I had a lot of trouble washing my very long hair with my first surgery in 1989... no fusion. This time around, I have very short hair ( I gave it away last year), and there was no problem getting my arms up to wash my hair. If you have a corpectomy or a posterior incision, you will likely have more trouble with your arms. One hint for laying back and sitting forward.... use one hand behind your head or neck to help support it: don't "pull", just guide! You'll catch on, and if you can't lift your arms, Cliff discovered that pulling on the ends of a long scarf aroung his neck accomplished the same thing (what a genius
).
Vomiting and anaesthesia? Definitely a problem! If you know for sure that you cannot tolerate something in particular, definitely tell everyone who comes near you before surgery. And especially the anaesthesiologist! They can give you a different type of anaesthesia, or they can give you meds to prevent nausea.... Whatever, if you think your stomach is upset the next day, do not leave to go home... at least not without a Rx for antinausea meds (hopefully a suppository). And make sure you have soft foods at home that can be eaten easily... yogurt, ice cream, popsicles, applesauce, mashed potatoes, soups, Gatorade, pop... Make somebody get them in the flavors YOU LIKE, not just ones they would pick out for themselves. And maybe some saltines, too... At one critical point in my recovery, everything we had was either the wrong flavor, or too sweet (hey, and I never think anything is too sweet!); I could not even bear to think about even a Ritz cracker! I just wanted to barf at the thought of anything! That's when the Gatorade came in handy... as well as some anti nausea meds (and this was on day 4!) How about ginger ale, too?
You'll need lots of pillows, a recliner or a 45 degree wedge, or a couch cushion to give you the best angle for what feels comfy at the moment. Sitting up seems to be the way to sleep for a while, and that's where the recliner comes in handy....
Be sure to post back when you get home... and whenever you have questions. We'll try to help keep you comfortable! And remember, log roll if in bed!
Now go out and have a good surgery!
wr
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- 12/29/89 C5-6 Microdiskectomy (no fusion)
- 4/9/03 ACDF C4-7 with plating and donor bone
[This message has been edited by winged phantom (edited 05-09-2003).]
Surgery in the morning...last minute questions 
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