Laura O.
Hello again, Laura P.! Thank you so very much for all the info. and support. I actually do have some new questions for you. First, did your throat area hurt any after the surgeries? I mean, did it affect your ability to swallow comfortably right after surgery? (I know it must sound silly, but I'm just curious.) I have had a mildly sore throat following surgery from being intubated, but wondered if there was any discomfort from them moving and pushing around everything to reach the area they are fixing. Next, I have been told that the hard collar is very uncomfortable...that it pushes against your chest, making it sore also? I do not know the pain tolerance level of the ones who have complained though. I have a fairly high tolerance to pain. I know this because after the birth of my first child, (no epidurals, or saddle blocks, etc.) I had several vaginal tears that the dr. needed to stitch closed. He noticed that I flinched when he began, ordered a local, and then informed me that I was bleeding it out too fast to do any good. He continued to stitch me up inside without any pain killer at all. My nurse later told me that I was the bravest post-partum patient she had ever seen. No yelling or cursing....of course, I had to remove a sizeable amount of bedsheets from my crack when he was finished! LOL! Anyway, I'm no stranger to pain, just wondering what to expect. And finally, what is involved in recovery? None of the drs. I've spoken to will give me an idea of how long it could take. They say it varies from patient to patient. My long term disability company wants an idea of how long I will be off work. I told them the dr. won't even guess until he sees what all needs to be repaired and how it will have to be done. He has seen all of my films, but prefers to actually "see for himself" when he goes in there. My primary care dr. said I could even end up on total disability as I work in a factory, sewing boat seats. He said only time would tell for sure. But how much time? Any pre-op and post-op info you could give would be appreciated. As the day draws near, I find myself a bit nervous. Mainly from not knowing for sure what to expect. But I am ready to be rid of the pain and numbness and loss of balance! Only 7 days to go! I will try to check back in here daily, until I go to the hospital, to read everyones' posts. Thanks for your thoughts & prayers!