SERIES 3, QUESTION #1

[Guest guest]

Greetings, Feisty Members --

The time has come for another Question. This one is specifically for

those of us who have already had our big operations. The Feisty Forum

has explored this question in various ways in the past, but maybe you

have some updates or new ideas -- and no doubt some of the time-honored

advice bears repeating. So please respond, if you can, for the benefit

of anyone just now on the brink of surgery:

What advice do you have for people embarking on major spinal surgery,

possibly for the first time in their adulthood? Your answer can relate

to any issue, from footwear for PT to handling interpersonal

relationships with a range of hospital caregivers to delegating

helper-tasks efficiently when lining up your family " support staff. "

Just a few of the possible issues you might choose to address: What do

you wish you had known before your surgery? Did you encounter any

surprises it might be useful to share? What emotions went with you to

the hospital? What helped you to deal with any last-minute doubts or

anxieties? Were there any personal items you were especially glad to

have with you? Were there any items you never needed and could have left

at home? Were you on the general hospital diet, or did you have special

dietary requirements (vegetarian, kosher, low-sodium), and in either

case,

were you satisfied with your hospital meals? If not, were you able to

enlist people to bring you frozen yogurt or send out for pizza? How did

your PT go? Did the therapist(s) have a good understanding of your

specific condition? Did anyone push you to get up or walk too early, and

how did you handle (or how do you wish you had handled) this pressure?

Did you have good chemistry with your surgeon? Did he or she keep you

informed and remain readily available during the early days? If your

surgeon had to be away at some point, were you satisfied with the

post-doc spinal fellows who handled your care in the surgeon's absence?

Do you have any hard-won wisdom to share re handling communications

breakdowns or misunerstandings at such a vulnerable time? Was the

nursing coverage about what you expected, or were there frustrating gaps

or delays due to understaffing? Would you advise anyone with

discretionary income (possibly a minority of us " early retirees, "

especially in such uncertain economic times) to hire a private-duty

nurse for the first couple days and nights? Who was with you in the

hospital--partner/mother/sister -- and how do you feel your chosen

companion or " crew " bore up under the pressure? How could things have

gone better; what kind of advance planning might have helped?

..

Well, you get the idea. Thanks in advance for your replies, fellow

feisties!

Best,