I need back surgery…a fusion and stenosis L4 and L5. I have severe weakness in both legs and a foot drop on the right. What can I expect when I get home? Will I be able to take care of my personal needs? Get out of bed without help. go to the bathroom, dress??? I don’t have anyone at home to help me with this… someone can feed me and give me meds. Should I plan to stay in a rehap place for a week or two?
Have you asked your doctor any of these questions? These seem like basic things that they should be advising you on, especially since everyone’s at a different place going into surgery.
I was hoping for some first hand experiences for people who have “been there”…
i haven’t been there, but i think you’re right to get the ducks in a row. do you have any local LPN’s who hire themselves out on an hourly or daily basis? you probably want to call someone like that now and talk about what you might need; up where my parents were in NY, these nurses would accompany people to the hospital, take them home, help with medical needs as well as feeding, dressing, etc. i think there were also people who could be hired for light housekeeping and driving and such.
hope you feel better when it’s all fixed!
Nadia, I had a fusion (also L4-L5) just about a year and a half ago. My surgery was on a Wednesday and I was home that Friday. I don’t live by myself but I live with my sister, who is in a wheelchair. She’s fairly independent in the house, particularly if things are set up for her, but she still needs a certain amount of assistance. So I went home and basically eased right back into my role as a “care-giver”. I was walking pretty well the day after surgery. In fact, when they got me up the morning after surgery, the therapist asked me if I wanted to use a walker. Since no one had told me that a lot of people do use one initially, I probably looked at her as if she had 2 heads and said, “no”. She walked up and down the hall with me a few times and then turned me loose. I had no trouble walking around in the house and within a few days was walking around outside - just 5-10 minutes at a time and then back inside. (Sorry for the lack of paragraphs - my computer is acting up right now!) I did do some cooking before surgery - like chilli, lasagna, soup, etc. - things that could be split into 1-2 serving containers and frozen. We also ordered food from places that delivered. My sister would go out in her motorized chair and meet them in the driveway so I didn’t have to try to juggle answering the door, cartons and the dog. We also had our pet sitter come over twice a day to help with the afore-mentioned poodle-monster for the first week. My doctor allowed me to start driving after 10 days and my first purchase was a long-handled pooper-scooper. Probably the single most useful tool that I had was a “reacher”. My sister already had a few so I didn’t even have to buy one. But one thing I can almost guarantee, especially when you’re alone - just because you don’t want to drop things, you’ll drop everything. So the reacher was invaluable. The hardest thing for me, actually, was standing still. The first several weeks, if I was standing at the stove, attempting really simple things, I would suddenly just feel overwhelmed and irritable - like my mind wouldn’t work. I was fine if I was sitting or moving - probably just part of the “post-surgical blues” or something. Anyway, if I can answer any specific questions, let me know. I’m 43 days away from a knee replacement and I’m much more concerned about that than I was about my back. And you know, that’ll probably work out just fine too.
Thanks for that…I am the sole caregiver of my 89 yr old mother…she is doing well at this point, but she surely would not be able to support me, if needed…I feel better…I am fit, sort of, so just want to be able to get on my feet when I get home. Everything else, I can organize…
