When to return to work?

[Sexybare]

I am an autoworker. Build car gears and wonder if 3 months is long enough recovery time. Still having same issues as before the surgery, plus a few mor now. I do alot of heavy lifting, bending. Reaching and pushing and pulling. I dealt with work and chiari for the past 4 years. By the end of the day   am sick. I am in so much pain I cant take it and I cry. When is too soon to go back to work. i am terrified of hurting myself when I go back on oct 31.

[Sexybare]

It is all very hard. I am terrified of going back to work and hurting myself. But I cant stop working. I have 2 boys to take care of. I am a single mom. My bf lives with me but there no way ,even tho he makes decent $, that we could all live on his income. I also make decent $ being an auto worker, so its not an eassy option for me to stop workin. Did u ever apply for disability? If I cant go back to work that woulf be my last option. And thats a fight all on its own, I hear?!

[linnielou232]

I was in the same position as you are as far as your job duties.  I thought hell I'll have this surgery and bam, go back to work.  Well thing's don't alway's work out that way.  For me I actually and sadly had to quit my job after a year of going back and forth with this decision, but for me it was the best decision that I made even though it was a hard one for me to make. As for my doctor he said, some thing's have to change in your life in order to fix's the other thing's.  Just like Selma said.  Every one heal's differrently and for my body it has taken a lot longer than I expected.  I have had my 1st year post op Sept 27th and now I am going to a pain clinic on the 10th of Oct due to still having pain.  It is such a flustrating and difficult issue having Chairi.  We are all dealing with not just physicial issues but also emotional one's.  As my nurse's that I have seen they say take baby step's.  I also suggest you to go to PH  because after I went to PH it did help me realize there was no way I could go back to work and do the same job I did before surgery.  I wish you the  best with your recovery, but please don't rush into any thing when it come's to your job.  You could do some major damage and you could have to start this journey all over again if you hurt yourself in the job that you do.

[selmaS]

  Many will notice a return of some symptoms around the 3 month post op time frame...this is part of healing...and most is not the same as b4 surgery symptoms....but some may begin to return at this point...as the nerves come back to working ...some misfire and can be annoying...but again many will not last long...it is just the healing process.

Some may have some symptoms return or never go away...it all depends if u had  nerve damage...which is something ur NS would let u know at a post op visit.

  Chiari is life altering..u may have some things u will take forward and u must give urself time to heal...I saw marked improvements and changes from 1 yr post op to 2 yrs post op....so...do not be discouraged.

  "selma"

[Sexybare]

No my ns hasnt released me to g back to work. I go back to ns for mri oct 25. Then we go from there. I have no intentions on going back too soon. What do you mean symptoms will come back about 3 months post op? We are all going to deal with this forever, arent we?!

[lydelia]

Hey girly. I would say with your type of job, that you just really need to listen to your body. If you NEED to go back to work, then see if they can put you on some sort of lighter duty to start out with and then work your way up to your normal job from there. I am going to be in the same position as you. I am an overhead crane operator in the paper plant I work in and I move 50 ton reels of paper around all day and walk on concrete for the better part of 12 hours. That (with all the looking up) plus all of the pushing, pulling and lifting and truck driving I have to do is going to make going back to work rough for me if I don't heal properly. My NS nurse put my return to work date at 6 weeks out from surgery and I told her I think that is a really conservative estimate.

Just really listen to your body, and I would say to try to go back on an easier job and work your way back up to your old one as your body allows.

[selmaS]

  Hi...most will begin to notice a return of symptoms at 3 months post op....they should not be worse then b4 surgery, if it is, something else may be going on...talk ot ur Dr.

For the type of job u have I would think it may be too soon to go back if u feel as badly as u say....u have to look at urself , how u feel to determine when u can return to work, and it may not be ur old position, u may need to adjust  to something else until u heal more.It can take up to 2 yrs to heal completely...some people take longer, some r quicker to heal....

Do not try to put a time table on ur recovery, just try to stick to an exercise plan to keep ur neck in motion and ur self in motion.....but move forward slowly.....

I have to ask, did ur Dr release u back to work?

I was told no bending, lifting, or pushing....and I am not talking the type u do at ur job.....

   "selma"
  

[cash242]

I didn't receive PT as my NS felt that I needed to heal first and he felt that many PTs cause further damage but if you are going back to a very manual job it would be beneficial to know what you can do without hurting yourself. I wouldnt start PT until about 3 months since you are really still in the healing process.   The reality of this surgery is that it takes a long time to recover and it is different for everybody.  Ask your NS when you go back in Oct and share your other concerns with your back and going back to work.  Good luck with your recovery!

[Mazie1209]

Hi! May I ask who did your surgery @ u of m? Was it Sullivan? I also see a n.s. there and would love any insight/info/advice from experiences there and with Sullivan
Hope u feel better
mazie :o)

[Sexybare]

I went to u of m in ann arbor, mi. they never set me up with pt. I wonder why?! Also have shoulder problems in upper back and pain in lower back, which is slightly curved. Maybe there is some damage there. Does my ns check that also? I go back oct 25. Should I discuss this with him?

[cash242]

I would definetly consult your NS.  Also I didn't have a chiari specialist do my surgery and he told me I would be 100% at 2 months well that was extrememly bad advice! Also trust your body and slowly build up your stamina and muscles.  I also continued to have HA after surgery and found that I had a ruptured discs and 4 herniated ones so now going for surgery fo that. Are you doing PT I would really recommend doing that as they can even have you do exercises that replicate what you do at work so you would would have a better gauge at how you will perform at your job.  Best of luck and I pray that you feel better and can resume your life!