Hi there- I’m scheduled for surgery of my left jugular vein decompression mid October with Dr Hepworth.
I live alone (with my dog) and am trying to line up support. Since the “preop appt” isn’t until a week before I want to be as prepared as possible.
Will I be able to feed myself/cook/prep smoothies? Walk my dog?
at first they told me- people go back to work in a week. Can care for themselves with personal bathroom needs etc. then they told me two weeks of recovery. Now I’m reading the forum having longer timelines.
How much “immediate care” did you need? Unfortunately I don’t have a primary person so am asking a friend to stay with me the first 48 hours just for safety. And then have someone who can help walk the dog for the next few days but am concerned I’m not going to have enough care.
What’s the bare minimum of having someone available around the clock would you say from your experience?
(Obviously if there are issues/complications that’s different but in an ideal world). Also how do solo people do this?! Nervous and doing my best to prep. Thank you!
Hi, Exciting your surgery is around the corner and wishing you the best! I am also a solo person, and I have had bilat ijv decompression. I stayed out of state, with a two night stay in the hospital, one in hotel. Last time I drove home from the airport 2 hr drive to home, I will not do that again! I might be the example of what not to do, because I do not have help so I push myself and do it alone. I have horses and I completely cared for them post op. I can say both times i was off of work 8 weeks, and I needed that much time. Now maybe if i could have relaxed a little more it could’ve been a sooner return. I now need a revision and he mentioned he may keep me in the hospital an additional day. Im sure you may have read, initially you might feel good. Then that inflammation kicks in and increases symptoms and pain. I had to do steroids to get me thru that time.
Im glad you have someone to stay with you initially. and you have your dog which is awesome, animals are such comfort. I think you will do great! Good luck to you.
@Mgi - As @Birdie mentioned - “where there’s a will there’s a way” i.e. you can do your own self & dog care soon after you get home from surgery, however, if you take the prescribed pain meds, they may make you feel dopey/light headed/unstable on your feet, so dog walking, at least w/o a friend w/ you, will be off the table for a week or more. If you have a dog that pulls on the leash when you walk, you might want to consider having help w/ dog walking for closer to a month as any yanking on your arms can affect your neck & create further inflammation & slower recovery.
A number of our members have done food prep prior to surgery. We recommend planning for a soft diet for the first week or two post op as a sore throat (from the breathing tube used during surgery) & a sore jaw are very common post op. Smoothies w/ fruit, veggies & protein powder, soups, soft pasta dishes, fruit sauces, etc., are good to have on hand. I/my husband used our blender to blend whatever meal was cooked i.e. meat, veggies, etc. w/ broth or water for blending. The stuff looked awful but tasted great!
It is good that you’ll have someone with you for the first 48 hours post op. I’d say 2-3 days to have someone around to help you. Days 3-5 are when post op swelling peaks & pain can be the worst so during that period it’s critical to take pain meds on schedule, ice your neck for 15 min every couple of hours w/ a thin cloth between skin & ice pack to protect from ice burns (gel packs work great especially those that can be frozen or heated so you can use them for heat later in healing), sleeping w/ head elevated to ~30º to reduce throat & neck swelling (a wedge pillow is helpful for this), & a laxative & stool softener to take daily to prevent constipation from the Rx pain med if you take it.
As with all surgeries, some people bounce back faster than others. I don’t know how severe your IJV compression symptoms are, but with severe compression symptoms can take 3+ months to begin realizing benefit from the surgery. That said, some people have begun feeling better w/in the first month post op. However, symptoms can flare in the 1-2 month time frame as nerves begin to heal & blood flow in/out of the brain begins to normalize. ES surgery recovery is non-linear which can be disconcerting, but it’s part of the healing process & given more time, those symptoms’ flares will settle again & further recovery will occur.
Here’s a link to a discussion about surgery & what to expect:
It’s hard to say as it does vary so much with people! I was quite woozy the first couple of days & light headed, so having someone with you the first 48 hours as you’ve planned is a good idea. I was certainly fine to look after myself , cook for the family etc after that. (One thing which I couldn’t do for the first week was wash my hair, as the incision needed to be kept dry, so some of that dry shampoo might be an idea). I couldn’t drive for a few weeks with the first surgery as I couldn’t turn my head well, so that’s something to consider, but second surgery it was fine!
@Isaiah_40_31 made a good point about whether your dog pulls on a lead- the walking bit wasn’t an issue but my lab did pull so that was definitely not a good idea, I was excused dog walking for a bit…
Hi. I had mine done in May 2026. The only support I needed was the day, maybe the day after the surgery. Otherwise, although I was sore and swollen, I was able to get myself food, take my dog out (maybe not long walks, but enough to potty), and do anything else. I didn’t drive until about 10 days after mostly because I was cautious about turning my head and it was sore. Good luck.
