Raised toliet seat......How soon to stop using it???

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BlueAtlas

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Yep, I was a B for a while. It was actually good to be staying upstairs most of the time, as I couldn't see the mess downstairs! They did try, but no one wipes the counters like Mom! I was elated when I discovered one day that I could ball up a wad of masking tape and stick it in my grabber and walk around picking up all the little "jimmies" and dust bunnies on the carpets and wood floors. It felt so good to be able to DO something and for SOMETHING to be clean!

:D Emily
 
I did the same thing, and I still use my grabber to get the clothing from the back of the dryer. Just be careful not to grab too much at a time, so you won't be picking up a lot of weight at once. Amazing the things we can do with that grabber!

Emily :wave:
 
Ok guys........Been using the raised (5 inches higher) toilet seat since surgery for PLIF just one level...L3-L4 since my surgery 6 1/2 weeks ago.....
Every so often I use another bathroom in the house that doesn't have one and just lower myself down using the vanity for support....The nurse in the doctor's office says this is fine.

Just don't want to rush things..........What do you all think? Any positive or negative experiences..I imagine things have healed pretty well so far, and if you can sit in a car, which is much lower than most toilets...I suppose it's fine....

Just checking.....thanks....

MM thanks for your earlier feedback on this one.....
 
There's no recommended guideline on this one. It's entirely dependent on your own comfort. Use it for the rest of your life if it helps you! :D I used mine for about 7 months. My husband was so good about removing it and putting it back for me and never once complained, but he was really glad when he came home one day and I had gotten my son to put it away for good! I actually would have kept it for a while longer if I didn't share the bathroom with him and wanted to let him be rid of at least one little nuisance.

If it makes things easier for you, keep using it.

Emily :wave:
 
Okay, now ye are making me laugh, I decided to check on how the toilet seat was doing and saw the post about taking two cups full out at a time....... thank God I read down further and found you had totally changed the subject and was onto pasta !!!!!!!

Laf761 I think you are doing really well at 7 weeks I wasnt able to go out for dinner, I found sitting a real problem and still do to an extent.

With regard to getting frustrated I used to make alist and then just say can i have 10 min (was more but that was just get a move on) to get some stuff sorted, it is so frustrating and I still do find it frustrating not able to do things that I feel I should be able to do. Even read my post about swimming, has left me totally crocked today......... my 6year old told me I looked sad, if he saw me earlier !!!!!!!!!

Round1
 
Hi LAF and frienRAB ~

First, why don't you start a new thread? This is getting long and the title is a bit misleading as we covered that topic a couple pages ago!!

I'm having some of the same questions as you. I've really been sore for about the last week and I think it is from thinking I was feeling fine. That caused me to run lots of erranRAB, get groceries a nuraber of times, which involves lifting more than I should even though my intentions are good, etc. At the same time I stopped all pain meRAB, because I was feeling so good.

Well, guess what? I don't feel "so good" any longer. :dizzy: Now I don't feel motivated to do anything that requires movement -- like any exercises, etc.

Are you out of your brace??

xx M:(M
 
Pepper....genius I love your solution and Emily I'll have to try the sticky tape...How clever we get when we have to...

Thank you all for convincing me to use my body barometer...Yesterday I did nothing, after the day I did too much...I think TODAY I'm back on track.
Off to run a triathlon....only kidding!!!!!!!!

Have a good day.
 
As always you are all a tremendous help.............the toilet seat stays for now!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to bother you all with silly questions but it's difficult to judge and I'm sure you can all relate, we don't want to do the wrong thing...right???

;)
 
How is everyone doing today? I was in pain so decided to call my doctor's nurse to see if maybe I have been overdoing it or maybe I need to go back to taking something. She reminded me that it takes about a year to start "feeling good" again...and that being 11 weeks out is still fairly new to the game. I seem to need some regular hand-holding to remind me that it is normal to have a bit of a step backward every once in awhile.

At the moment I feel like I did when I first got home from the hospital. It is really uncomfortable to turn over in bed and I am so stiff. I felt so great a week or two ago that I wasn't really prepared for this setback. I thought I'd just continue to get better and better. Bummer.:mad:
 
WHAT A RIOT............ROUND 1 that must have sounded SO funny to you....one cup at a time...Gheezzzzzzzzzzz.

Last week I had lots of trouble sitting but this week it's much better, it's amazing how it changes eh? I did nothing today and was SO much happier..How long ago was your surgery Round 1???

Emily....can't believe you did the same thing...I thought I was such a genius, that makes 2 of us..

Went out for Chinese..it was so much easier and nice to get out...

Nighty night...ladies.........Oh I guess it's almost morning in Ireland.;)
 
I was just thinking that I thought we'd already talked about this!! I was going to remove the one I have in the powder room, but after using a toilet in one of the upstairs bathrooms, I realized it really is a lot more comfortable! Of course I imagine it depenRAB on how tall one is to begin with!! Even before back issues, I felt the toilets in this house were too low.

Why don't you ask your sister for her opinion?? :rolleyes:
 
MM, I'm sorry you're feeling so yucky right now. It will pass! It's very normal to have ups and downs for no apparent reason. For me, 3 months was a big milestone in feeling better, and again at 6 months. I hope it will be the same for you. At both points, I just felt like I had turned another corner and had gotten stronger and had more energy. Keep hanging in there! It will get better! It's a long slow process. Keep your chin up, sweetie!

(((((((hugs)))))))
Emily
 
I guess that is one hurdle I have not had to conquer. My children fill the pans with water and then I put my hot pan on a large cutting board and slide it over to the edge of my sink and using the side of sink supporting the pan I dump noodles into a strainer. The things we do to cook.;)
 
Laf -- I'm 5 weeks post op from my 2 level fusion l4/l5-l5/s1 and use mine still to this day.
 
Good morning Emily....Silly question do you think at 7 weeks (today) a soaking wet bath towel is TOO heavy to grab out of the washer? I feel a bit
strained today?? I also live in a condo with stairs which I have been doing 3-5 times a day..Do you think this is too much. "They" tell you to listen to you body and I generally feel pretty good, or did until yesterday.

Last night I just couldn't get comfortable to sleep either...:confused::confused::confused:
 
Nah, that's not a silly question. If it's not tangled up with other stuff, you can probably safely get out one at a time. If you had a big load and they're twisted up, that's gonna take some pressure to pull it out. I had my kiRAB pull out things like that for quite some time. I could do things like socks and underwear, but nothing big that would require pulling to get it separated from other stuff.

The stairs, well, that's a good question. I can't remeraber how often I went up and down stairs at 7 weeks. Probably not very many times a day, maybe twice? If you're hurting today, I'd say the stairs are a likely reason. If you can avoid them a little more, that might be good.

If you can rest on a heating pad or ice today, hopefully you'll get back to where you were in a day or two. But then again, I remeraber having days that I was much more sore for no apparent reason at all. Like everyone says, listen to your body and take a step back on those days when you're hurting more.

Almost 2 months out... you're making progress! Hang in there and keep following the "rules." It will be worth it!

Take care,
Emily :wave:
 
Well do you know what, I am half tempted to put mine back on as now my husband has got into the habit of putting the lid down on the toilet, and I have to bend down to lift it up. At least when the riser seat was on it he couldnt do it. !!!!;)

Round1
 
Emily that sure is a good suggestion also with the duct tape. Home Health physical therapy came by yesterday and I told her I am hurting so much more this week and not sleeping well at night. She told me I was probably overdoing because I am getting up more. I don't feel like I am doing that much but maybe more than I think. Thanks to all the "veterans" for the good ideas.

Linda
 
Laf761
I would think MM is right on this about your height having some bearing on it any way. I am only 5'2" and the PA who assisted in my surgery said she didn't think I would need one. Of course, I told her she was just having too much fun with that question. So I never did go get a raised toile seat. I wouldn't see any problem on the continued use of one if you feel more comfortable with it anyway.

Linda
 
MM....I thought I started a new thread...not sure where it went......

I hear too that there are MANY ups and downs...I was feeling good again and decided to have my hair colored, but leaning back in the shampoo chair kinda did me in..I though leaning back instead of "bending" forward would be ok.....NOT......Learning something new everyday...Don't get discouraged and hang in there...try and lay low for the weekend and start next week with new energy....

Warm regarRAB,

Laurinda;)
 
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