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How to safely travel home after spine surgery
Spine Health | Last Active: Jan 30, 2023 | Replies (9)Comment receiving replies
If anyone had a lumber herniated disk repaired and lives far away please tell me how long you waited to go home. Mine was lumbar and very painful to sit. Sitting needs to be no more than 30 min. Now I can only do 5 min.
Dr was great. Only complaint is Mayo had MRI 8/24 and it took till 1/12 for surgery. I could have had surgery 3 months earlier if I didn’t schedule with the orthopedic first. That was a 2 month wait and wrong dr. Plus I waited a month because I was hoping it would get better. Didn’t know what I know now. Research, don’t wait. Make appointment. Can always cancel.
Replies to "If anyone had a lumber herniated disk repaired and lives far away please tell me how..."
@melinda7 I understand the frustrations of waiting. I would have done my spine surgery 2 years earlier, but the surgeons didn't understand the problem and wouldn't help, and that is why I came to Mayo. I did the waiting game over and over, and then waiting for imaging tests, and then nerve studies, and waiting for appointments again, and no one would help.
Does Amtrack run between Rochester and where you live? It is expensive, but you can get a sleeper car so you can lay down until you reach your destination. That should be less than 6 weeks of hotel bills. You would be home in about a day or so with all the stops for passengers. Do you have someone to travel with you?
I did just check Amtrack between Minona, MN and Atlanta, and it would be 2 days, and a room on the train is around $1000. It doesn't run direct, and does the trip in 2 legs. I don't know if that is better than flying. I have ridden Amtrak in coach with a reclining seat, but I wouldn't advise that after surgery because you wouldn't be comfortable and will have people right next to you, and probably wouldn't sleep.
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Hi Melinda,
Hoping your pain recedes soon and wish you a speedy recovery. Everyone's recovery will be different and you have to be guided by how strong you are feeling.
If you dont have a driver, you may want to consider flying as it may aggravate you and be too difficult to drive yourself. Once I took a long car trip from Florida to Chicago when my back was causing terrible acute pain. We rented an SUV so I could lay down in the back, with lots of pillows . We took breaks so I could get out and walk.
It work out well.