Caregiving for back fusion

F

funsearcher!

Member
My roommate is having a spinal fusion tomorrow and I will be her caregiver for the recovery. Not clear on the level of care that will be required from me or the duration of the care. Any experience with spinal fusion surgery? Hers is the lumbar L4-5,
 

funsearcher! said:
My roommate is having a spinal fusion tomorrow and I will be her caregiver for the recovery. Not clear on the level of care that will be required from me or the duration of the care. Any experience with spinal fusion surgery? Hers is the lumbar L4-5,
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I've had that surgery. My son took me to his house afterword, thinking I'd need intense care, like having to be carried to the bathroom and stuff. But I got around just fine and was ready to come home after just a few days. I used a walker for a little while, and then a cane, but by the time my 3-month check-up rolled around I was already back to playing basketball and soccer with the neighbor kids. I do have to go easy on myself, but that surgery was awesome. Reduced my back pain by a good 50%.
 
Well_the latest is that my friend has been in a rehab center since Friday and is quarantined to her room. All weekend she was miserable. They are only providing the minimum painkillers because of opiod addiction fears. OT showed up this morning and PT is coming this afternoon.. She is so frustrated because everyone is in full PPE, even though she had tested negative twice. I have brought clothes to her but she did not receive them for 7 hours. Stifling hot in her room because of the baseboard heating and broken controls.
 
Murrmurr said:
I've had that surgery. My son took me to his house afterword, thinking I'd need intense care, like having to be carried to the bathroom and stuff. But I got around just fine and was ready to come home after just a few days. I used a walker for a little while, and then a cane, but by the time my 3-month check-up rolled around I was already back to playing basketball and soccer with the neighbor kids. I do have to go easy on myself, but that surgery was awesome. Reduced my back pain by a good 50%.
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Did the operation inhibit or limit your flexibility, Mur?
 
funsearcher! said:
Well_the latest is that my friend has been in a rehab center since Friday and is quarantined to her room. All weekend she was miserable. They are only providing the minimum painkillers because of opiod addiction fears. OT showed up this morning and PT is coming this afternoon.. She is so frustrated because everyone is in full PPE, even though she had tested negative twice. I have brought clothes to her but she did not receive them for 7 hours. Stifling hot in her room because of the baseboard heating and broken controls.
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Sounds like they're being over-cautious to me, but it's probably current protocol.
 
funsearcher! said:
So today I saw posted in the newspaper that there is an outbreak at the rehab center. She will have to be in quarantine for the entire 2 weeks!
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It's a shame they didn't send her home with you after a reasonable recovery time - like, as soon as she could ambulate with little assistance. I went home a few days after surgery. Rehab started several months later.
 
41 year old daughter had the same thing in January 2020, she had the surgery on Thursday was ready to get discharged the following morning they kept her until Sunday.
Recovery was uneventful, not unexpected issues came up, trouble with the stairs, she had a few rough days trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, her pain level never reached a 10 during convalescence.
She wound up getting Covid which caused a bit more difficulty with healing.
She has gotten probably 85% relief from the constant back pain and numbness in her leg and foot so she’s taking the win.
Just to add, she had 2 prior back surgeries before this fusion, a discectomy and another one that I forget the name of, she was EMT, injured during a patient transport.
 
My D-I-L’s mother had it done in December. She went from hospital to home because D-I-L stayed with her for a few weeks. Care was mostly helping her move around, fixing meals, help in and out of the shower, making sure she did her PT, and keeping track of her medications. After D-I-L came back home, another daughter would check on her twice a day.

she is getting around pretty well now. Still has days that aren’t as wonderful as others, but they are getting longer and longer in between.

I have no doubt she will do better when she is home with you and with the weather getting nicer, you’ll be able to get her out for walks, which are so important.
Prayers 🙏 and best of luck to both of you💕
 

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