HELP!

Having a spinal fusion can be a very humbling experience. Neither of my parents fully understood how much they would have to do for me. And I had no idea how much I would be relying on them, either. So here we go. I'll do my best to give you that idea, so you can have fewer surprises.

Obviously, you will not be able to roll over in bed by yourself for a while. It was about a month after I got home for me. My parents would also help me get up and lie back down and gave me my pain medicine, as well.

And then there were times when I was already frustrated by my trig homework, but then I would drop my pencil. Hmmm... There was no way I could get that. So that's when my sister came in handy. (Until she got sick of picking up pencils and found an excuse to go do something else.)

The things we do every day without a second thought suddenly become difficult. For example, you will probably need help changing your clothes. Try putting a pair of socks on (nylons are even harder!) without bending your back. It's not as easy. Now imagine that you have an incision all the way down your back that is healing. Those socks just became your enemy. But thankfully, my mom was always there to help me change clothes.

Taking a shower was hard at first. Most importantly, you do NOT want to fall. We used a shower stool that I could sit on while my mom washed my hair. You also won't be able to reach your feet for a while. So I suggest that you don't try taking a shower on your own without help until you feel like you can do it.

Here's something I never thought of: going to the bathroom. When I first got home, I couldn't sit without a lot of support behind my back. So buy an extra pillow or two to put behind you when you need to use the restroom, and then you can just throw them away when you don't need them anymore. And if it helps, you can buy those high toilets that I think older people use, because it really is difficult to get up and down without accidentally using back muscles. Just put your feelings aside, and let your mother help. It will save you some pain.

There's no room for pride when it comes to back surgery. Don't worry about asking for help, because you'll need it, and you'll be thankful you got it.