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Whooopee! The big day has
come. It's time to go home.
It's not quite as easy as it sounds. You will be ready at 9:00am and the doctor
won't get there until 11:00am. Or, you'll be already and your ride is late.
Or, you'll be already and realize you don't have your walker. Murphy's Law.
Maybe this won't be as bad for you, but remember, getting home was my obsession :)
 | Going from your room to the car will probably be
the longest walk you've had since the surgery. (Yes, you get out of the wheelchair,
at least the lumbar patients will.) So be prepared to be very sore and very tired by
the time you get to the car. I made sure I had a pain killer about an hour before I
expected to leave and I think it was a good idea.
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| Get into the car very slowly. I can't
emphasize this enough. I can not describe the pain you will get the first time you
move the wrong way. Believe me, the doctors don't have to warn you about bending and
twisting, at least at first. Someone on the message board recommended using a
plastic bag on the seat of your car (wish I'd known about this sooner). You may want
to ask the physical therapist in the hospital how they would recommend you get into and
out of the car.
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| Be sure to remind whoever is driving you home to
go slow and avoid bumps when possible. They don't have to go ten miles an hour but
they probably have no idea how sore you are so a little back seat/side seat driving isn't
such a bad idea.
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| Getting out of the car is even trickier then
getting in because most people have a tendency to twist and then lean forward to get out
without even thinking about it. Go slow! Turn your body slowly and have the
person who drove you help you get up. Most likely it is going to hurt.
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| Once in the house, get flat! You may want to
have someone put down either a heating pad or an ice pack. I found heat helped at
first but that's not the case for everyone.
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Recommended Books
Please e-mail me with any questions,
additional suggestions, or criticisms.
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