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How to safely travel home after spine surgery
Two weeks ago I had a lateral herniated disk and severe stenosis corrected at L5/S1 at Mayo in Rochester. Dr wants me to go home if not such a long car ride which is 14 hours. I’m thinking I need to stay for 6 wks post surgery and go home on a private plane which will be 4 hours. I need to see if seat reclines to avoid a stop at 2 hours. I think safer all around if can do without stopping.
How have others gone home after this surgery when live far away?
Thank you!
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I am looking forward to your decision. Do you mean staying in hospital or staying at a hotel or motel? You area caught in the middle. I suspect you need exercise to build up your muscles. The questions are: what kind and how much.
Sorry, I can't be more helpful. Good luck!
@melinda7 I'm glad you are on the mend. We spoke a while ago before you made a decision to go to Mayo. Are you able to share who did your surgery and what you thought about the procedure?
What I would recommend is driving home over 2 to 3 days and only drive as far as you are comfortable with each day. You will be able to get up every few hours and walk which is important to prevent blood clots. Do you have someone with you to do the driving? The first couple weeks are the worst. If you do stay 6 weeks before returning home, you may feel a lot better by then.
My husband was my driver coming home a couple days after my cervical spine surgery on a 6 hour drive, and I did just fine. I was very tired, and couldn't rest comfortably, but I did fine and was happy when we got home and my kitty came and got in my lap to greet me when I got home. I know your surgery was more involved. Recovery takes lots of patience. Hang in there!
I live near Philadelphia, PA and had cervical spinal surgery at Mayo Clinic-Rochester. I stayed in Rochester for two weeks and then used a car service to get to the airport in Minneapolis. From there, it is about a two hour flight to Philadelphia…much shorter than the 1100-mile car trip!
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.
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2 ReactionsHi 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.
@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.
Good idea! Glad no sudden stops or accidents! I did this prior to surgery and got a lecture from my son who is a mechanical engineer with Honda. I like laying down in back seat but until I heal I won’t. Since I posted I bought a 4” memory foam seat cushion. Flying back private and seat reclines!
I would be so motion sick plus too rough of a ride. Great idea though.
I went home in an ambulance after my lumbar fusion on a 22 mile ride in Los Angeles County highways. I felt every crack on the road.