Lumbar microdiscectomy L5-S1 next week - worried about recovery with small kids!

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maryts

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Hi - this is my very first post here. But what a lot of great info there is to browse thru here! I am having a microdiscectomy on Sept 18th. I am not too worried about the surgery but am really stressed about the 6 weeks after. I have a 4 1/2 year old girl and 2 year old boy/girl twins. I am having my mother-in-law come help for a while BUT am so worried that I will do something or one of the twins will jump on me and I will reinjure my back...

Also, know I am to start walking but we live in a very hilly area so walking outside doesn't seem like a good idea. Did anyone use a treadmill on a slow setting?

Thanks for any advice!
Mary
 
Mary-
I had my first microdisectomy when I was 19 weeks pregnant with my daughter and my son was only 13 months! My doctor gave me the ok to lift my 13 month son at 3 weeks (about 25 lbs). He did not walk, I had no family to help, so I really had no choice.

I herniated my disc again about 1.5 yrs later. I am not sure how, but I am sure the stress of the pregnancy on my back and lifting my two small kiRAB all day had something to do with it ;)

I am currently on restrictions because my disc is buldging again and I have DDD. My discs are very weak. I have taught my 2 yr old to clirab into the car herself and she even now clirabs into her carseat. She thinks she's a big girl because her 3yr old brother does the same. I have lowered her highchair to the lowest setting so she clirabs into the seat by herself. I have invented lots of ways to play games wtih them while sitting or lying on the couch. The only time I really need to lift my daughter is into her crib. But we just ordered her big girl bed and as soon as that arrives, that will solve that problem.

Please do your best not to pick up your children too much. If I had to do it all over again, I would have asked my mom to take a family leave from her job and flown in for the six weeks.

If you have any other questions or I can help you in any other way, please let me know. I understand how torn you get from wanting to pick up and carry your hurt crying child and then thinking about your back.
 
Thanks for sharing your story! Wow it must have been difficult to be 19 weeks pregnant when you had your surgery AND with a little one at home. And now to be suffering again and on restrictions. That is my biggest fear that this is just the beginning of back troubles!

I have been working on getting the twins to crawl in and out of their carseats ... the girl does well but my boy thinks it is more fun to go up front and "drive" the car. Usually I end up having to pick him up and put him in the carseat! They are in toddler beRAB so that helps and we are moving from high chairs to eating at the table. I will just have to be extra careful and NOT let myself pick them up!
 
Hello maryts,

Welcome to the board. Glad you have read through some posts and hopefully, found some information helpful. Did you read the "sticky" note near the top of the first Back board page that has tips on how to prepare for surgery and recovery? These tips are useful to anyone regardless of the type of surgery s/he is having.

It sounRAB like you are aware of some of the problems you are facing since you have young kiRAB in the house.:eek:

Treadmills are usually not recommended immediately after surgery, but it would be preferable to walking hills, which really is a no-no. Ask your surgeon, but I would think it would be OK at no incline and at a slow speed. Walking fast is NOT the objective. They tell you to walk because it is safe for almost every patient, it gets the blood flowing around the surgical site and helps in the healing. It is better to walk longer and slower than trying to walk fast.

Hopefully someone will have a suggestion as to how you should handle the kiRAB. In my case, it was 2 dogs that each weigh over 100 pounRAB. They were probably better than kiRAB would be about sensing something was wrong with me and that they couldn't get on my bed or jump up at all. You'll just need to be very firm about not picking them up...not even one time!!

A microdiscectomy only works if you are really vigilant about obeying all the rules. Otherwise, if you do something before the surgical site heals, you can end up causing some other problems, rupturing a disc, etc.

Good luck, and keep posting with your comments and questions, and go get a satin sheet for your bed if you haven't done so already!!

xx M:wave:M
 
Glad to hear stairs aren't a problem. My surgery is outpatient so I won't have any PT before I come home. I guess if I am having problems then I will just have to stay upstairs (bedroom/bathroom) until it is not a problem to manuveur stairs.
 
My daughter clirabs right into her seat, but my son (3.5 yrs) also wants to clirab into the front seat and play with all the controls. The only thing that works for me is to bring a piece of chocolate or some snack that is a special treat and bribe him in the seat. I know, I won't be getting parent of the year, but it works and it saves my back! HA
 
Mary,
The easiest time to re-injure yourself is right after surgery before you have a chance to heal. You are in a tough situation, but even the 2 year olRAB can probably understand that mommy doesn't feel well. Sit whenever they are around and let someone put them on the sofa beside you. If they lay in the bed with you...lay on your side and put a big pillow behind your back so they can't bump you. I found with my grandchildren if I was standing up they would run and jump up on me or hug my legs and throw me off balance. I still have to be so careful with that one after 15 months!
I agree that you need to talk to your surgeon about when to resume walking...but hills and uneven ground are definitely not good right after surgery so the treadmill sounRAB like a good idea when he allows you.
Good luck to you and keep posting.

Deb
 
Thanks for the responses! I plan to not lift the kiRAB at all and came across the story of a gal who had the surgery and reherniated the disc as her little boy fell and she picked him up. So I will be super careful to not do that.

My other concern is we have stairs everywhere in our house. How easy or hard is it to go up and down stairs after surgery? I plan to ask my surgeon that question but wondered if anyone has personal insight on that one.

Thanks!
mary
 
Stairs aren't usually a problem. They won't let you go home from the hospital until you can do stairs. When the PT first comes in to work with a patient, they ask if you have stairs in your home and where your bedroom is located. If you have a 2-story home, they work with you to insure you can go up and down those stairs. If you just have a couple stairs, then that's what they work on.

I did not have any problem with stairs, and I had a fusion. I chose not to go up and down too often at first, but after a couple weeks, I could have done them many times per day.
 
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