Preparations and Lessons

The Sunday after my surgery, I remember Dr. Shaun (from Baylor Scoliosis) coming to check on me. I was so drugged up, I kept falling asleep while he was trying to talk to me about how I was doing. Because of that, he advised that I take less meds. I, of course, differed in that opinion.

Dr. Shaun said it looked like I would get to go home the next day. In preparation for that, they would start removing my tubes and wires one by one until I was all free. As I've said, I had a lot. First, they removed the epidural line, which delivered morphine directly to my spine. I was worried this would hurt, but I barely felt them pull it out. It was a really tiny tube, only about the size of a pencil lead. Unfortunately, this meant I didn’t have that fun little morphine button anymore.

Even THIS is hard to do?!
Later that day, they removed my catheter, and the occupational therapist helped me to the bathroom.

The seat seemed too low, so it was hard to sit down. Wiping was so surprisingly awkward. It’s one of those things that you don’t think about ever. So now I couldn’t bend anymore like I used to. The OT said they could get me an apparatus of some sort to help me reach all my areas, if I found I couldn’t get clean. It took some getting used to and was surprisingly hard to do, but I didn't need the device.

Showering with an audience
My last day, my OT came in to show me how to shower. She was a woman, but honestly, I wouldn’t have cared too much if the OT was a man. They’re professionals, and you just don’t care when you’re in the hospital. You’re in too much pain to care. By the millionth time I asked my nurses (men and women) to make sure my catheter wasn’t kinked or was in there right, I stopped feeling embarrassed. All pride flies out the window when you're in the hospital.

So my mom, my OT and I made our way into the bathroom. It was a walk-in shower with a seat, detachable shower head and a shower curtain. It was so cold in there! The water was fine, but I just remember shaking, I was so cold, possibly due to meds, too. I sat on the seat, and the OT handed me the shower head. She explained how I would need to move to get clean and watched as I did everything on my own. First I would get wet; then use the washcloth and soap to clean. The OT had me (remember I’m sitting) put one foot onto the knee of the other leg, so I could clean my feet and legs better. I know this doesn't sound that hard. But you have to keep in mind, my body wasn't moving normally anywhere anymore. EVERYTHING is connected to your spine in some way or another. The act of putting my foot across my knee pulled on my back. So it wasn't just the stuff that required my back moving that was hard. All parts of my body were stiff and awkward and somewhat pained, as they were all affected by my back, and all in turn affected my back when I tried to move them.

Try it
Washing my hair was the hardest part. I wasn’t allowed to move my elbows above my shoulders. Try this. Try to rub your whole head right now like you would in the shower, and do not move your elbows above your shoulders. Keep them as low as possible. It’s more difficult than you thought, isn’t it? And you probably have full range of motion. I was super tight and every move hurt, so that made it even harder to do. So, I would get my hair wet the best I could with the shower head. Then I’d put the shampoo in my hands, and would try to bend my head toward my shoulder this and that way, while I tried to reach everywhere with my hands up and elbows down. Then I’d rinse and hope I did an OK job.

The OT handed me a towel, and I did my best to dry off. My back and incision had to be lightly patted dry- no rubbing. Then, I had to get dressed for the first time. I had new silky pajamas with a button-up top. The button-up tops were essential in the beginning, as getting on shirts without moving my arms was very, very hard. If you're going in for a fusion, get button up tops!

I sat on the edge of my bed while the OT explained how to put on my underwear. While sitting, I would hold my underwear in one hand and lift one leg up and over the knee on the other leg to get my foot through the leg hole. I would keep holding the underwear while I put that leg down and, leaning slightly forward with my arm, try to step my other leg through the other hole. It was hit and miss, but I got the hang of it. My pants went on the same way. If I dropped them, I had to get help getting them back in my hands, so I could try again. The top was easier to get on. I gave up bras for awhile, as I was worried about the strap rubbing my wound. Socks were the hardest part! My feet were practically impossible to reach. Again while sitting, I would put one leg up across the other, so that my ankle of one leg rested on my knee or thigh of the other. Then I would hold the sock open and try to move my foot into it. Just getting dressed was a trial.

My mom helped me dry my hair. While it was all very tiring and overwhelming to have to learn how to do everything differently then I used to, it felt really good to be clean, in clothes and out of the hospital gown.

I was very impressed with the OTs at Baylor. They were supportive and helpful, but also made me (and this was good) do things by myself, so I would learn. It’s still amazing to me how EVERYTHING changes after this surgery. You just don’t think about it going into the hospital. I never thought that I would have to have someone tell me how to put on socks or wash my hair. Today, I can do all these things normally, except I sometimes look like an old lady trying to tie tennis shoes. It’s harder than you think.