Post SRS Recovery Time

[Julie Marie]

For those who have been through the surgery, I was wondering if you'd share your experience regarding recovery time.  How long in bed?  Did you require outside help?  How long before you could do everyday things?  How long before you felt 100%?

A friend who had it last January told she planned a month and needed pretty much all of that.  Her job is partly physical but light duty compared to construction.  So I'm starting at a month for recovery time.

Since I work construction there's no way I can transition on the job.  If I wait until April 2008 to retire I'll be fully covered medically, a very strong incentive to keep working.  But waiting that long for SRS could prove to be very difficult emotionally.  I find myself getting down a lot lately.  I have discussed this with my therapist and she sees no problem with me having the surgery while still working.  "Who would know?" she said.  Exactly my thoughts.  There are other incentives to have it before I retire such as not having to deal with the Patriot Act getting in the way of changing my vital records.

I am using my friend's estimate of about a month that I would take off work.  Most likely that wouldn't happen until late spring or early summer.  It's possible I could make a deal with my employer where I am on light duty for a while.  I spent 8 years as a project manager and hopefully they will have something for me to do in the office until I can return fully to the field.  But there's no guarantee.

So I'm wondering how long I can expect for recovery time before returning to work.  If I can do office work for a while, would I be able to return to work in less than a month?  If I have to return to the field can I do so after only a month?  If I had some idea of the expected recovery time I could better plan this.  My employer will only know I'm having necessary surgery 'down there' (they won't know I'm having SRS) and I will be out for whatever time I think I need but I'll have to give them some idea how long.  Any help is appreciated.

Thank you,
Julie

[cindianna_jones]

I stayed away from work for three weeks.  But I was in marketing.  I had no physical work to do.  I'd recommend 4 to 6 weeks if you are doing anything physically demanding. 

Cindi

[tinkerbell]

I stayed away from work for three weeks.  But I was in marketing.  I had no physical work to do.  I'd recommend 4 to 6 weeks if you are doing anything physically demanding. 

Cindi

That doesn't seem that bad at all; I am mainly concerned about pain although Dr.M says that the pain is minimal


tinkerbell

[cindianna_jones]

That doesn't seem that bad at all; I am mainly concerned about pain although Dr.M says that the pain is minimal

tinkerbell

The pain was nothing compared to other things I've had to deal with.  I don't think that it will be any problem for you.

Cindi

[Julie Marie]

The pain was nothing compared to other things I've had to deal with.  I don't think that it will be any problem for you.

Cindi

Hmmmmm...  Maybe not for Tink but as for me...  I've never had surgery of any kind.  Never spent overnite in the hospital.  Never had a broken bone (a couple of chipped ones but no cast).  I've been lucky but I may find that luck will do nothing for me when it comes to recovering from SRS.

Julie

[DawnL]

I returned to work after two weeks.  The first week was light duty but by week three, I was working
at about 80% of normal.  My work is modestly damanding physically and requires a fair amount of
sitting which is quite a challenge at first.  I took nothing but Ibuprofen for pain after the first ten
days.  I began walking a mile at a time after two weeks, very slowly at first.  You cannot do any
heavy lifting for 5-6 weeks, period.  My FFS was much worse than SRS for recovery and pain.

Dawn

[stephanie_craxford]

I stayed away from work for three weeks.  But I was in marketing.  I had no physical work to do.  I'd recommend 4 to 6 weeks if you are doing anything physically demanding. 

Cindi

That doesn't seem that bad at all; I am mainly concerned about pain although Dr.M says that the pain is minimal


tinkerbell

Who's Dr M Tink, or does he not want his name revealed ?

Steph

[Nicole]

You can get back to work in 2 to 3 weeks, but you may want to take more time off.

I was always tired, in pain and didn't feel like doing much at all for about 3 months. After 6 months I was around 90% full fitness walking everyday and light jogging once a week.

It all depends on how your body heals, I was fit going in and took my time after SRS. What ever you do don't rush at all.

[cindianna_jones]

Who's Dr M Tink, or does he not want his name revealed ?

Steph

Would that be Dr. Marlow in Trinidad?

Cindi

[Sheila]

I spent 5 days in the hospital but on the third day I was up and about. When I went back to our hotel I was able to walk there and we did go to a few malls while in Thailand. I flew back after spending two weeks in Thailand including hospital time. It was a 23 hour flight. When we got back to the US I went out and did most everything except lifting. I didn't mow the lawn for about 5 weeks after I got back. I was walking around and doing most everything.  Five weeks after surgery I got a job driving school bus and had to do a physical, one part was dragging a dummy (75lbs) across the floor about 25 feet. I did that and was very careful. I wouldn't advise it for anyone else. As far as construction work, what do you do? I really wasn't a 100% for about year and half, when I mean 100%, I mean I could finally ride my bike comfortably. That was the only thing that got in my way. I did everything else, even joined a gym. I did the stationary bike with the seat that looked like a box.
   I really didn't experience any pain to speak of. I was really more uncomfortable. The dialation process hurt the most, especially when you first put it in. If you could wait until you retire, I think you could enjoy the process a little more, but I do understand that you have gone this far and waiting is not some option. You have waited all your life. Good luck.
Sheila

[Melissa]

Who's Dr M Tink, or does he not want his name revealed ?

Steph

Would that be Dr. Marlow in Trinidad?

Cindi

Nah, Dr. Meltzer in Scottsdale, AZ.

Melissa

[Teri Anne]

My first week was pretty painful (after Menard operation in Canada).  I received some heavy duty drugs for pain but found that they made me nauseous.  I tried cutting my dose in half so I'd feel part pain and part nausea (rather than 100% pain or 100% nausea).  After about a week and a half, I was riding in cars and walking.  I noticed, when I first rode in cars, that the bumps were, uh, bumpy (so I asked my brother to slow down, lol).  I could walk fine (albeit slowly) a day or so after the operation.  It seemed odd to me that some of the smokers (I'm a non-smoker) were moving around better than me (and I went for long 3 mile daily walks before the operation).

I felt little electrical charges (like a small zap of electricity in my torso) every few hours in the week or two after the operation.  I was told that this was my nerves re-connecting.  With Meltzer, I understand that with his process there are less nerves disturbed so there's probably less or none of that.  It wasn't a debilitating electrical zap...just something out of my norm, lol.

I've often wondered how many post ops have orgasms.  For one year, I had none and presumed that I was dead as far as that was concerned.  A year after the operation, after an, er, exciting dream, I suddenly awoke and realized that I could have an orgasm.  To quote Gomer Pyle (an old television show), "Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

Good luck with it.  I've heard nothing but great things about Meltzer. 

Teri Anne

[Julie Marie]

As far as construction work, what do you do?
Sheila

I'm an electrician.  The work could include lifting bundles of pipe, the lightest is 40 pounds and 10 feet long.  There's a lot of time spent on ladders and a lot of working over your head.  The job I'm on now I work with the tools only about 30% of the time because I'm either doing foreman work or blueprint work.  The former involves a lot of walking while the latter a lot of sitting. 

Waiting may be the more advisable way to go but lately I've really been down about this back and forth life I'm living.  Every time I think how life would be if only I had SRS (then at least I'd feel like a woman) my spirits lift.  I've heard it said one shouldn't have SRS unless it's a matter of life or death.  Well, I'm there and it's time.

Thank you all who have replied.  You have given me a pretty good idea what to expect for recovery.  Now I have to find that window of opportunity.

Thanks again!
Julie

[tinkerbell]

Who's Dr M Tink, or does he not want his name revealed ?

Steph

Dr. M.  is Dr. Toby Meltzer!  Sorry, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say his name in the forums.  I am sure he doesn't mind his name revealed for obvious reasons..


tinkerbell

[cindianna_jones]

Is anyone considering surgery in Trinidad with Dr. Marci Bowers?  I understand that she has made some improvements in Dr. Biber's procedures?  I'm not up on these things anymore.  But I saw her on the tube the other night and I really liked her attitude.

cindi

[DawnL]

Is anyone considering surgery in Trinidad with Dr. Marci Bowers?

I had surgery in Trinidad and I think Marci Bowers is the best. 

Dawn

[umop ap!sdn]

Isn't it necessary to have one year RLE first or are there exceptions to that? 

(Meltzer is right here in my neck of the woods. I'm strongly favoring having it done locally so I'll probably be going to him.)

[BrandiOK]

   If for whatever reason, <crosses her fingers>, something happened and I couldn't go to Dr. Brassard my second choice at this point would definately be Dr. Bowers.  I've read so many good things about her current technique and her patient care.  I've gone through scores of letters, blogs and stories from recent patients of both Brassard and Bowers and they are the two that stand out to me.  I usually research the surgeons every 3 or 4 months to keep up on what thier patients are saying.  I scratched a couple of potential surgeons off my initial list simply because I found too many indescrepencies among their patients. 

  My roommate had hers done last may by Dr. Brassard and the results were amazing.....I haven't seen any of Dr. Bowers work in person but from what I've read her results are fantastic also.

[cindianna_jones]

When I watched the documentary, I saw the room where I was set and my window.  They showed the outside of the hospital.  Wow... memories came flooding in.  The only bad thing about Trinidad is the long bus ride back out to the airport after it's all over.

Cindi

[Julie Marie]

Isn't it necessary to have one year RLE first or are there exceptions to that? 

Some therapists consider 24/7 less 40 to be the RLT.  Mine is one of them.  She knows I can't transition on the job as it could be dangerous to my physical well being.  And she knows if there was any way I could without risk being hurt or killed I'd do it.  Sure, I could quit but then I'd lose my medical coverage and a large portion of my pension, something I've worked over 30 years for.  That's just plain foolish.  She and I have talked about SRS while still I'm still working and she is agreeable that it can be done successfully.

From what I've seen the SOC is a guideline and not hard and fast rules that must be strictly adhered to.  Look at the requirements for HRT, three months therapy but no mention of how many therapy sessions are required.  That leaves the therapist to use their best judgement. 

My therapist knew I was going to transition before I did (my feeling, she never said that).