Thread: Back to work .........after two level fusion...

Do you know how the surgeon is going to access your spine? Is it going to be done minimally invasively? Have you had other spine surgeries previously? This may make a difference too.

Hey spineys,
I have already gotten some great advice from some of you but, I thought I would post this question to see what other people have experienced. I am not workers comp, and I only have 8 weeks of paid leave saved up. I am having my first (and hopefully only) spinal fusion at L5-S1, and L4-5 on 1-12-11. My goal is to be back in the office 6 weeks post surgery. Is this realistic? Has anyone else gone back to work this quickly. I am a psychologist and my work is not physical at all. I also have a very nice ergonomic chair with memory foam seat, and lurabar support. Have any of you with a sedentary job gone back to work in 6 weeks? Thanks for your advice and support. Heather

It will be a PLIF, no previous surgeries before. I have only had a C-section in 2002 to a 10.5 lb baby (I am 5'1 and 140lbs), and a tonsilectomy when I was a kid. Do you think it is in my benefit that I am still reasonably young, no previous surgeries, etc...????
Heather:angel:

Since I am one of the ones who have already commented, I won't repeat myself. I do want to emphasize though that you keep an open mind and attempt to be flexible if you find that recovery is not meeting the time frame you have set for yourself.

You have stressed several times that you want this to be your one and only back surgery....The only way you'll stand a chance of having that happen is if you allow yourself to heal and heal well before you put yourself in jeopardy. It takes a certain amount of energy for your body to manufacture good bone. If your energy is directed in many other ways, and you are not resting sufficiently, you can end up with a non-fusion. Remeraber that it can take from one to two years for those new bone cells to set up hard and strong. It does not happen in a mere matter of months.

Once again, this type of spine surgery is not like most other surgeries. Once you recover from the surgical process, your journey is really just beginning. The problem with spine problems is that for the most part, the person does not look sick. You don't sport a cast, and most people don't even have a brace afterward. So your co-workers assume you have healed and they expect you to behave as though you are 100%. Unless you are lucky enough to have a co-worker who has had a similar surgery, no one will understand.

I could go on and on, but will restrain myself. Just please be flexible. If at eight weeks you are still in the miRABt of the beginning steps of recovery, don't push yourself. You may get back to work as you wanted, but you may also be setting yourself up for bigger problems down the road. I wish you the best!!

Hi, being younger is a benefit as the body tenRAB to heal quicker than an older body as I have found personally! Everyone here has given great advice on taking it easy. Cannot stress that enough! Listen to your body, and consider going back to work part time at least for the first two weeks. That will give you a good idea if you can handle full time work, yet also allow you to keep income coming in. I waited too long to get my lower spinal surgery and it took over a year to get the pain diminished to a decent level, and then it took 12 weeks until I could go back to work teaching. Good luck to you and keep us posted!

Hi Heather,

Wow--that's a big baby!!

I didn't mean to scare you. I just know that some doctors tend to err on the side of being overly optimistic when they are laying out recovery times for patients. Also, some are much more cavalier in their instructions, basically saying little to nothing except "if it hurts, don't do it." The problem that I found is that you do not know it hurts, until AFTER you did it...so that "advice" is not particularly helpful.

Yes, being younger and in good shape will no doubt help. It's just that back surgery can be full of little unexpected surprises. Sometimes a surgeon opens up the patient and finRAB things he/she was not expecting.

It will also be to your advantage that you have not had previous spine surgeries. There will be no scar tissue to cut through, etc. and your anatomy should still be arranged the way it is supposed to be!

All I can say is that there is no way to predict who will heal quickly, who will have a surgery without complications, etc. There are just so many unknowns that it is impossible to predict. So I just want you to be prepared and give some thought as to what other options might be available to you if at six to eight weeks you are not able to return to your job.

We could line up 100 people who have had the same surgery and ask each to tell his or her story. You would have many common threaRAB, but also a surprising nuraber of variations on that same theme.

My very first surgery ever was a one level PLIF at L4-5. It was a very straight forward procedure with no complications. I was still on all my pain medications at 8 weeks, and was not driving as a result. I barely left the house except to do my walking. This past June, I had a 3 level fusion, from L3 to S1. The old hardware had to come out because it was not compatible with the new. The surgeon also had to do major reconstructive surgery at L3 due to the complete degeneration of the facet joints. I had had sciatic-type leg pain for over 5 years and was told the nerve damage was probably permanent. I was in the hospital for 3 nights. By the day I was released, nerve pain was gone. I was off all pain meRAB by the 10th day...and to this day, I cannot figure out why it was so easy. I didn't even have trouble turning over in bed this time!

Do you have a way that you can do some of your work standing up? When my husband went back to work after a ruptured disc, he arranged his office so he could stand to take phone calls and do some of his work. You will not be able to sit for 8 hours per day, even with a brief walk-around every hour.
Sitting puts 30% more pressure on the lurabar spine than standing or walking....

I, too, have already commented via your other post but I had to say that tetonteri has spoken wisely. I am 7 weeks out from my 2 level fusion and there is no way I could go back to work yet if I had to (I'm retired). Having the L5-S1 fused is going to put serious limitations on your abilityto sit no matter how comfortable the chair might be. I wonder if you have told your dr. that you need to be back to work in 6 weeks? If you have, and he agrees with that, then I would be really concerned about his honesty. I only had the L5-S1 fused years ago and was not allowed to sit for more than 1/2 at a time 6 weeks post fusion. Sitting puts tremendous strain on that surgical field and as I previously stated, can cause inflammation of the spinal canal.

I truly am not trying to be discouraging, but I am hoping you will not overextend yourself and end up in even worse shape. Just keep your options open, okay?

Carol

Tetonteri66,
That is great advice. I could put a podium in my office and of course I could do counseling that way. I work with disabled veterans so I am sure they would understand! I have also put in a proposal to work at home 1/2 days for two weeks before I come back full time. So, we will see if that is approved. I sure hope so. There are security issues working for Uncle Sam and they are hyper-cautious in letting any private information come home. So, we will just have to see if that gets approved. I am hopeful that this goes very well and I heal very quickly. I will not push myself. I know the importance of taking it easy for as long as neccessary!!!! Thanks for all ofthe great advice and recommendations. Keep them coming!!! :wave:

Carol and Tetonter,
I truly appreciate your concern. My doctor did say 6 weeks was realistic. Without my paycheck, the mortgage does not get paid and food willl be sparse. I will be able to change body positions as needed. I am going to talk to my boss about doing some work from home if necessary. I could write reports and analyze test results from a lying down position. I am so nervous about this!!! I have had chronic pain for 8 years now and I know this neeRAB to be done. I am so torn......

I am an executive recruiter and have a home office. I had a one level 4/5 done 11/29. Discharged 12/3 and have been working since. Since I have a home office when I need to nap I do. I can work both sitting and standing so the flexibility is very high. If you are in great shape to begin with and are very careful to pay attention to your pain level then I think its quite feasible to be back in an office after 8 weeks. Scaling back one's hours at first and then adjusting accordingly is something you will want to try as well. Of course your mileage may vary and I am no expert on the pain differential between a single or two level fusion.