Are there any questions that you either feel are important to ask or wished you had asked when you met with your doctor? My symptoms were pretty strong at my last visit and my focus wasn’t great so I’m trying to put together a written list. So far most of my questions are post surgery related.
[ ] When can I drive
[ ] When can I workout and how should I start
[ ] When can I resume work
[ ] Is there anything I can do to help the healing process
[ ] How bad will the scar be
[ ] What symptoms can I expect to resolve quickly and which will take longer
I can’t say about Dr Hepworth, he sounds brilliant, but many doctors do underestimate healing times, so be prepared for that! It does seem to vary alot from person to person too, for example I couldn’t drive safely for about 3 weeks after my first surgery as my neck was stiff to turn, but this was much easier after my second, so you may still have to wait and see regardless of what he says…Same with going back to work, it does seem to vary alot!
Some of our members who’ve had surgery with Dr Hepworth may chip in with answers anyway, I’d ask about pain relief and meds to help with swelling post-op if you haven’t already.
Hope that your appt goes well!
Re: incisions - most doctors make them in a neck crease or behind the ear where the hair covers them. They do try to make them so they heal as invisibly as possible.
I agree w/ Jules answers to your other questions. How quick a person recovers is very individual. We had a member who went back to work the day after his surgery (he was self-employed) & others have taken 4-6 weeks off to give themselves time to recover more completely. Most people seem to go back after 2 weeks of recover & those who start back sooner have found starting part-time & easing into full-time was helpful.
Speaking from experience, I started working out at the end of my second week post op. It was too soon, & I think my persistence, in spite of elevated pain, slowed my recovery. The key is to listen to your body. If you do something that stirs up pain or other symptoms, STOP! That’s your body’s signal that it’s not ready for that activity yet. Resuming all activity slowly, & not jumping back in full throttle, makes a huge difference. Baby steps. When you’re an active person this can be frustrating, but it will make a difference in how soon you’re able to be back doing what you love at the level you prefer. This especially applies on post op days when you’re feeling good. It’s really easy to overdo. You’ll figure it out as you go.