Two weeks to go - Any semi last minute advice?

[Cirobi]

Hi everyone,

I've been mostly lurking and reading posts as I try to mentally, emotionally and in some cases physically prepare for my surgery date which is about two weeks away. The daily level of pain in my back has worsened over the last couple of months, so I've been trying to train myself to let my darling boyfriend take over tasks I no longer feel comfortable attempting. I've also been trying to prepare myself around my house as much as possible with some of the details that will hopefully make recovery more comfortable.

I'm at the point where I've started pre-surgery appointments for testing and meeting doctors that will be involved and the whole thing has definitely become more real now that I'm this close. Since this is the first major surgery I've ever faced, I'm definitely at the point of being very scared of the whole thing. I'm comfortable with the procedure in terms of what is going to be done and how they'll do it, but just the idea of major surgery has me freaked out. I won't be backing down because I'm entirely frustrated by the fact that I'm in this gray area of able bodied but not - able to do most things but I pay for it in severe pain later.

So, I turn to the group for general advice. How do you prepare yourself for this type of thing? Is there anything I should make sure I pack for my hopefully short hospital stay after the surgery? How do you know what to bring for a hospital stay? Are there any little things I should consider doing/preparing around my house before I go in for the surgery?

Sorry if this seems a tad frantic at all. By nature I'm a worrier (unfortunately), so I just want to be as prepared as possible before-hand so that I can rest and recover as smoothly as possible.

As always, thank you. This forum has been the best and most helpful place to be since I came across it and since I found out surgery was likely my resolution to these back problems.

Kind Regards,
Sara

[Harrison]

Hi Sara,

Sorry for not replying earlier. On the "old and crusty" part of the site, there's a paper I wrote back in 2004 that may be of interest, see: http://adrsupport.org/post_op.html

Recovering From ADR Surgery - One Patient’s Holistic Perspective

I have to update it soon, but it may address some of your questions. In the meantime, what other information might help you? Have you watched a video of the ADR procedure? Do you have any questions not "fully" answered or addressed to your satisfaction? Now is the time to let us know how to help...

[Cirobi]

Hi Harrison,

Thank you for the link. I brought it up and have been combing through them between various things at work. It's very helpful.

What I'm mostly concerned with at this point is being fully prepared around the house prior to surgery. I think I have anything and everything readied, but suggestions from others always helps. I've found that no matter how much I list out things to do, there's always one or two things that slip by (mostly due to not even making it on the "to do" list).

The other thing is, I have no way to prepare for the day of surgery. Since I've never had anything other than an outpatient procedure done, I feel completely in the dark for pre-surgery day preparation or preparation for a stay in a hospital.

What do you take to the hospital?

Should I pack my own clothes or am I stuck in those less than comfortable hospital gowns?

I have a night guard because I grind my teeth at night. If I'm put into a deep slumber by anesthesia, should I insist they allow me to have that on during the procedure or is that unnecessary? I'd rather not grind my teeth down unintentionally if I can avoid it.

I know some of these may be silly questions, but I figure it's best to ask since I really just don't know and I'm the type who wants to have all my ducks in a row if possible. I know there's a lot about the surgical outcome that can vary, but I feel pretty mentally and emotionally prepared for that. I'm basically just anxious and scared because having major surgery is very serious unknown territory. The bits and pieces I've read of other forum members' surgery experiences has helped tremendously on the post-op portion. Even though I'm scared and anxious, I feel prepared for the fact that the post-op and recovery portions will be very difficult.

It's just pre-op that I feel kind of in the dark about. I have the remainder of my pre-op testing appointments, so I was thinking of asking some of these questions then but remembered that many of you have experienced all of this and may have some suggestions as well.

Thanks,
~Sara

[cathydownunder]

Hey Cirobi
Being 2 weeks out from second surgery everything is (unfortunately) still fresh for me.
To answer a few questions....
I'm sure you won't be allowed to wear a mouth guard, dentures are even a no-no and plates etc.
With the muscle relaxant part of anaesthesia you shouldn't grind anyway.
You'll be in a hospital gown for at least 24 hours or more, (I was 2 days) after that nighties are best so you don't have a waistband over the incision area. And if you've been given surgical stockings to wear they can be hot too.
It'd be strange if you weren't anxious before surgery and it will increase the closer you get.
Hospitals and theatre are not associated with pleasure unfortunately and even for old hands like me (I've had 10 surgeries) it's scary. Ask for a pre-med before surgery to relax you. You'll still know what's going on but you just won't care as much! LOL.
Be prepared for ups and downs emotionally after too, especially if you have pain. And make sure you press that PCA button regularly, don't wait till the pain's bad to use it. It's a mistake I made over and over.
Hope that helps, anything else you want to know just ask.
Cathy

[Cirobi]

Thanks Cathy,

I'm glad you brought up that PCA thing. I would definitely be the type to try and hold out as long as possible before pressing the button. I did that when I was on mild pain killers after getting all 4 of my wisdom teeth out. Of course, I found that I really couldn't hold out very long the first 24-48 hours, haha. Hopefully I can battle my natural stubbornness and make sure I keep the pain dulled sufficiently.

Also, thank you for the suggestion about the night gown for pajamas. I usually wear a t-shirt and loose fitting shorts, so I should probably get to the mall and get a couple nighties. Boy will that be a blast from the past. I haven't worn a night gown since I was a little kid.

I hope you're right about the anesthesia helping me avoid grinding. I remember with the discogram, while I didn't get a more heavy duty anesthesia, the relaxer they gave me didn't relax enough for me to feel a need to bite my tongue to avoid clamping my teeth together subconsciously while I waited.

Thank you again for the advice. Every little bit helps. I think I would be concerned about myself if I wasn't at least nervous about this.

Thanks,
Sara

[Dave C]

Good morning Sara,

I want to wish you the best on your upcoming surgery. I have found this community very friendly and informative in my journey through the ADR experience. The pain pump will only deliver a predetermined amount over a set period of time. You can “push the button” as much as you want, but it will still deliver the same set amount. I just had a two level Prodisc implant on C5/6, 6/7. My pump was set for every 15 minutes and boy oh boy did I hit that button. I don’t know if this is true or not, but my doctor told me that the more pain you are in, the slower you could heal. I guess if your mind was preoccupied on the pain it could be true. Use the meds they allow. No sense being more miserable.

As far as the teeth grinding, I know that I had a tube down my throat. Not sure if Lumbar surgery uses this also, but I would ask. If they do, there is no way you will be able to grind. Once you are out of recovery, they should allow your mouth guard.

I was out of their gowns 2 hours after recovery. Shorts and a tee shirt was my ticket. Bring comfortable cloths. Not sure how long you will be there, but an MP3 or IPOD along with a hand held game will break the boredom.

Good luck and Peace be with you,

[Cirobi]

Hi Dave,

Thank you a bunch for the suggestions. That's an excellent idea about the mp3 player and reminds me I need to order an adapter for my larger one (I had gotten a small one for going to the gym, but alas it hasn't gotten much use lately ). I was also planning to bring some of my cross stitchery in case I'm coherent enough while bored, but I wasn't sure if needlework was allowed in hospitals anyway. Maybe someone here knows.

I think I'll only be in the hospital for 3 days unless I run into a complication of some sort, but 3 days can seem like ages if you're not doing anything and not sleeping through it. Well, it would for me if I get bored enough.

I was told by at least one other person that they do a breathing tube for lumbar too, but I'll be sure to ask my docs. I would imagine they might have to since they're doing some heavy duty sedation for the procedure. I still don't like the thought of that heavy duty sedation but oh well, whatcha going to do right?


Thanks a bunch again for the advice everyone who's suggested things so far. This has been extremely helpful. It never ceases to amaze me how you can think you may have thought of everything and yet forgot some of the simplest things along the way.


Thanks!

~Sara

[LBP]

Well I am 2 months out of my 2 level surgery. I'm starting to forget some of the details...your brain tends to forget the bad stuff.

What do you need for your hosp stay:
1) one or two pairs of underwear a size larger or at least very loose to compensate for swelling in the mid section.

2) a grabber because it's too hard to move in the beginning and it helps to pull up the sheets/blanket or grab personal items etc when you are by yourself.

3) if you wish to wear a bra, do you have one with removable straps, otherwise as long as you have the IV in, you'll only be able to pull up one strap. I am not one of those women who prefers to be braless

4) I preferred my zipper front robe with pockets over a nightie. easier to get on and pockets are good for holding lip balm, kleenex, etc.

5) a family member, spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend to stay with you immediately when you awake from surgery and for big chunks of time during your hosp stay. Having someone at your side in the hosp room for chunks of time to watch over your care is priceless. I didn't have such a great experience in the hosp. It took a min of a half hour to respond to a page, leaving me alone on the comode forever when I didn't feel so stable to get up and move back to the bed because the comode was cutting off my ciculation on the back of my thighs..., or going too long without pain meds when my morphine bag ran out, needed nausea meds etc. It took too long for them to respond to calls for assistance. So having someone there to go fetch your nurse or cna is really helpful.

I was in a hospital gown for most of the time because I was attached to an IV, catheter, a pain medicine ball and an electronic compression machine for my lower legs. The IV was for the morphine pump but in addition I had a pain med ball that went directly to my incision site. Once the catheter was removed I still had to move the IV and med ball with me when getting out of bed to go to the bathroom on the comode. I also had to be unclipped from the leg compression machine, then re-hooked up, which I couldn't do on my own.

I hated the non-stick hosp socks because every time you moved your feet it bed, it seemed like those socks would roll right off my feet so I preferred my own socks while lying in bed. But my dad had to put them on for me. 2 months later and I still need a grabber to help me put on my socks, underwear, and sweat pants.

I did get to wear my own underwear on the 3rd day? I also wore a short zipper up robe (rather than a nightie) It had pockets which was nice. When you eventually go to the bathroom, whether on the comode or in the bathroom, it can be very difficult to pull up your own underwear if you let them fall to low!

Do you have a grabber yet? PT/OT people might loan you a walker and a grabber but they don't show up for a couple days. It could really help you to have a grabber from day one. To help you pull up the sheets/blanket, grab something off the food/clear liquid tray, grab a personal item off the near by nightstand etc.

As long as you have the IV in (for pca) you probably wont be able to wear reg clothes. After the first 2 days, I couldn't take it anymore and demanded I get to put on a bra. So I just had one strap on, & one down on the side of the IV. I also brought a light robe to hang over my shoulders for when I got up to go to the bathroom and to keep me warm. I assume you've timed it so you wont get your period that week! You don't want to be dealing with that for a couple weeks post surgery.

It was hard to keep the temp in my room comfortable. It was either too hot or too cold. So plan accordingly.

Your mouth will be very dry, so having some lip balm is a must.

I was a vegetarian so it was very difficult to be on the liquid diet, I had to bring my own broth, and homemade veggie jello. So if you have spec diet needs, have someone bring your own stuff as a back up. The hosp kitch may not get it right. As soon as I graduated from clear liquid to any kind of liquid diet, I had my dad bring Jamba Juices every day (fruit smoothies). The meds made almost everything taste bad. (still a prob 2 mos later) The one thing that tasted really good was fresh fruit and fruit drinks. If you have any personal preferences, make sure you boyfriend can bring it to you. It was also very difficult to drink things because I couldn't sit up high enough in bed. BENDABLE STRAWS really help. I would have my dad empty the hot water out of the coffee mug, and pour my apple juice etc in to that mug with a bendable straw to drink my liquids without making a mess.

I hope you will have someone at the hospital every day with you for big chunks of time. They can get you want and need when/if the hosp staff doesn't show or takes forever to respond. Also your boyfriend or family can pay attention to make sure you are getting pain meds when needed, nausea meds when/if necessary, ask questions and just be your advocate in general.

Are you on any special meds other than pain meds? I had to bring my own meds which they kept in a hosp safe or something like that. I am on AciPhex for chronic heartburn. I cannot go a day or two without it. So as soon as I was on a liquid diet, I had to demand my AciPhex and I had to educate my nurse what it was. My Obgyn told me to go off my birth control pills for surgery, and stay off untill my next period. Have you consulted with your OBGYN about this? You might need to go off these pills for awhile to avoid blood clots etc. Check with your dr if this is something you take. Otherwise, leave all other meds at home. Sounds like you will probably need your mouth guard post surgery during your hosp stay. So pack a bag of stuff and have your boyfriend or family member to bring it to you the day after surgery.

One last piece of advice. My surgery ended up taking 5 hours about 5 hours later than sheduled. My surgeon was in a very long surgery right before mine so my surgery was delayed from a lunch to dinner time start time. By the time I woke up after surgery and was transferred to my room, it was close to midnight and my dad was too exhausted to stay when I needed him most. Tell your person to go home and rest while you're in surgery so he/she is fresh and able to stay with you for a couple hours after you wake up. I was in sooooo much pain when I woke up and so uncomfortable that I just cried when my Dad left at midnight to go home. I understood he needed to rest but I really needed someone there. That was the worst time for me, those first few hours when waking up from surgery. I couldn't hit the morphine fast enough.

This isn't intended to scare you. I admit I don't do well with surgery and I am a slow healer.

Feel free to pm me if you have any more questions. I had a whole duffle bag packed ahead of time of stuff I wanted with me in the hosp room. It was filled with mints, wet wipes, pads, lip balm, lotion, deoderant, underwear, bra, 2 robes, dirty laundry bag, slip on shoes, dental pick/floss, my own sensitive toothpaste, toothbrush, hair brush, hair band, notebook and pen to journal, cell phone, and loose fitting clothes to wear home on discharge.

On a postive note, my left side sciatic pain has finally subsided. My surgeon is very pleased with my progress, even though I am still taking about 8 percocets per day. I feel pretty good while on the meds so my surgeon took it as a good sign that I will feel this good in a few more months without the meds.

Best of luck

[Harrison]

Amy, nice post. Thanks for sharing your insights! You rock. And soon you will be rocking and rolling!

[LBP]

Sara,
one more thing, there are things you may or may not need at home after discharge. For example, I absolutely needed: a raised toliet seat, bed rail, pillow wedge, 2 grabbers, and fabric "basket" and cup holder attachment to my walker. I also purchased a shower chair and grab rail for the tub.

My ins covered the walker (obtained while in the hosp). During my hotel stay for recovery, I had to walk down to the continental breakfast. It was very helpful to have my little basket and cup holder because I took the food back to my room. I wasn't comfortable sitting. Later when I started to walk for exercise, I liked having the cup holder on my walker to carry water and basket to carry my cell phone. I needed my hands free to hold the walker. I was getting calouses on my hands from holding the walker so tight.

I wouldn't necessarily buy all these items ahead of time but it is helpful to scope out your local drug stores and/or handicap supply shops to find out what they have in stock and prices. A day or two before discharge you'll have a better idea of what you'll want at home and then you can send someone to puchase and assemble these items.

I still recommend getting a study grabber before going into the hospital. I had 2 because if I dropped one I needed the second one to grab the dropped one, otherwise I was screwed. I was in a hotel for 3 weeks before flying home. I was alone in the that hotel room for 2 of those 3 weeks. So I kept one grabber in the bathroom hanging on the back of the door and the other one I kept in the main room.

The grabber can help with shaving too! I cant stand unshaven legs so I figured out a way to rubberband a razor to the end of the grabber. I used the grabber to hold a sponge in front of the razor to apply soap to my legs, then released the sponge to CAREFULLY shave my lower legs. Afterwards, I used another sponge with my grabber to apply lotion to my lower legs.

OT/PT might recommend a special sock tool but I figured out how to put footsie socks on with my grabber.

Look at your shower at home. Do you have a shower caddy to hold shampoo/soap? You don't want to be bending over and reaching for these items after discharge.