# More questions about recovery



## melissafitz (May 5, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I am scheduled for TT on 8/20. It's been so helpful to read everyone's experiences, and get an idea of what to expect. After I have been through it myself, I hope I can be as helpful to someone as others have been here.

I have a question about recovery, as a couple things have occurred to me that I hadn't thought about before. I am a speech therapist working with young children (ages about 2-4). I already spoke with my surgeon about when I could return to work, and he told me to take a week off and then see how I feel and maybe go back half time. I already only work part time, and knowing this is coming up, have not been replacing clients who finish, so I do feel like my schedule is manageable for when I go back, and then I can add more clients as I feel up to it (I am self-employed, so have control over my schedule).

BUT, here's what didn't occur to me until just now: 1) I drive to my clients and see them in their homes. Am I going to be okay to drive 1 week after surgery? and 2) Normally, I carry a big box of toys into the child's home to use during therapy. The box has wheels, but I will have to lift it in and out of my car, and also carry it up and down stairs with some of my clients. So, now I am wondering if the driving and the transporting of the box are going to be the real challenges when I return to work? I can get creative about the materials I bring into the home . . . but will I be able to drive 1 week post-op?

Also, I am signed up to be an assistant coach for my 7-year-old's volleyball team, starting 3 weeks after surgery. I had assumed by that time, I will be up to it . . . now I am starting to wonder . . .


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

You should be able to drive one week after surgery. I have a herniated disk in my neck and my surgery was around 3.5 - 4 hours...so by the time I was out, my neck was pretty stiff. It took me about a week and a half before I felt nimble enough to drive, but I think that was on the longer side of normal because of my pre-existing neck issues.

I was not permitted to lift anything more than 25 pounds until after my stitches came out. That was kinda overkill on my surgeons part...my stitches were not removed until day 11 and I felt fine by then. In fact, we went to the follow up, had the stitches removed, and then came home and started re-roofing our house...so I was lifting 80 pound bundles of shingles and felt fine. I would give yourself a week of total rest and then slowly see how you feel.

Assuming you are started on a reasonable levels of meds after surgery, I don't see why you couldn't coach.


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## melissafitz (May 5, 2013)

Thank you so much!

I know I will have to see how things go . . . but I was beginning to wonder if I made a mistake telling my clients' parents that I'd be back after a week!

It's so helpful to know what others have experienced. Thank you!


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## Eliza79 (Jul 23, 2013)

I think it all depends on the tightness you are feeling during week two. Maybe I am just weird, or it's due to the size of my incision, but I am on day 10 and not yet up to carrying heavy things. I carried a basket at the grocery store yesterday and put way too much stuff in it and later felt more sore than usual. For me moderate lifting is still important. I am still waking up quite sore in the mornings and having trouble getting comfortable in bed at night, so maybe it is taking me longer to heal than others. Although i am pretty fit, There is no way I could be roofing a house right now! 
I do walk my large dog everyday for at least an hour but it hurts when she pulls. I have not yet attempted to drive but feel like I will be ready sometime this week for sure. 
My advice would be to give yourself 10 full days to recover ( including weekends) before you intend to drive to clients' houses and carry boxes up stairs.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Can you split the "big box of toys" into a few lighter containers? Or just carefully select a few for each child to play with?


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## melissafitz (May 5, 2013)

Thank you all for the replies. Yes, I definitely can lighten my load when I go to visit kids . . . it just threw me for a loop when I first thought of this, as I am used to toting my "big box of toys" around with me!

I think I will just leave things the way they are as far as my work schedule. And if I do need to take a little more time off than I anticipated, then I will just have to do that. I hate canceling on people, but I know it is important not to go back too soon!


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