Hospital Stay in US
 

Just wondering how long I will be in the hospital this week after my surgery. I've been told anywhere between 2-6 days. What is typical for a lumbar fusion and multi level ADR in the cervical?

Also, has anyone found it difficult to get out of the blue smock and change into pajamas? Trying to figure out what to wear when I get to the hospital and when I am admitted and back from surgery.

Will I be in to much pain to read? I was thinking about taking a book.

Thanks for your help and advice.

CB

Are you having both the lumbar and cervical procedures done at the same time? That would be brutal. Unless you're in your teens, I can't imagine a typical person having the physical reserves to effectively recover from that much elective trauma. My neurosurgeon was initially hesitant last year to do an outpatient cervical microdiskectomy six weeks after the lumbar fusion.

My two-level lumbar fusion came with four days in the hospital. My cervical ADR (one level) was an outpatient job, in and out, back home before lunch. A two-level cervical ADR might have an overnight stay, but that's just a guess.

Yes I am getting a fusion in the limbar and a multi-level ADR in the cervical today. My surgeon didn't seem to concerned about doing both at the same time. I think because I am in great shape and slim. I know that some surgeons prefer to get it done with one surgery rather than putting a patient through it twice. I guess since I'm an acod hiker of 14ers he thinks I can handle it. We shall see. I believe morphine is the cocktail I'll be on. I'm sure I'll need it!

I spent two nights in the hospital. My nurse and the surgeons were quite impressed with my progress.

Time
 

I had a pretty good bounce after about 10 days, but it did not last, and I am four months this saturday, but getting better and better.
Walking on the treadmill, always did, and does help, but I do not do it every day, try to do different movements, even walk up and down stairs, and stretch the arms.
Hope to have another xray here in a few weeks, and be sure, before I really start to push, it takes a LONG time to get where you were, so it may take a year, two years, if you think about it, (hard to think like this, where you are now) for all the muscle, ligaments, and the other discs/other parts of the spine, to change.

My Observation/experience.