How long after surgery? WWYD?

[Lilacs4Me]

I know, I know, I will ask the Dr., of course, and I know it varies by person.

But I am trying to plan, and wanted to see if other people have had experience with this.

My teenage son is having surgery this Thursday. His school is off for winter break Friday and Monday. I thought he could go back to school that Tuesday (basically, 5 days later). But now I think I might be crazy and it will be too soon. This procedure will be done under full anesthesia and will be about 2 hours long- on his shoulder to repair a SLAP tear. The recovery time for his shoulder is 6 weeks completely immobolized, then 4-6 months full recovery. People who have had this done are teling us there is a LOT of pain for the first two weeks. Obviously he won't be out of school for 6 weeks, but am I nuts for thinking he can go back 5 days later?

If you have ever had surgery, when did you go back to school/work? Would you try to resume normal activity (as much as possible with one arm) 5 days later?

 

[leebee]

When I had my gall bladder out (i.e., not a very strenuous or painful procedure), I was just plain exhausted for about 2 weeks. I wasn't experiencing pain, but doing almost anything wore me out. It sounds like your son is having something far more significant done. I would play it by ear, but don't push him to go back after 5 days. He may have a fair amount of pain, but also may be worn out from the stress and anesthesia.

 

[pocomom]

I know, I know, I will ask the Dr., of course, and I know it varies by person.

But I am trying to plan, and wanted to see if other people have had experience with this.

My teenage son is having surgery this Thursday. His school is off for winter break Friday and Monday. I thought he could go back to school that Tuesday (basically, 5 days later). But now I think I might be crazy and it will be too soon. This procedure will be done under full anesthesia and will be about 2 hours long- on his shoulder to repair a SLAP tear. The recovery time for his shoulder is 6 weeks completely immobolized, then 4-6 months full recovery. People who have had this done are teling us there is a LOT of pain for the first two weeks. Obviously he won't be out of school for 6 weeks, but am I nuts for thinking he can go back 5 days later?

If you have ever had surgery, when did you go back to school/work? Would you try to resume normal activity (as much as possible with one arm) 5 days later?

I've had 2 spinal surgeries. The first one I baked and ran a bake sale 3 days later. The 2nd surgery it took 4 weeks before I could handle basic tasks, and 6 before I could get through the day without a nap.

Think it is really going to depend on your son, the surgery and what doc says. I would not count on 5 days though. He may be able to do school work from home, but getting around the school and managing himself may be too much to expect so quickly.

 

[shelly3girls]

I had extensive shoulder surgery when I was 19 with a similar recovery as you described. I was in a lot of pain for the first two weeks. I could not have returned to school after 5 days. I do not remember exactly when I could have returned as I had the surgery in the summer but I am thinking that even a week would have been pushing it.

 

[cepmom]

I had SLAP repair surgery a few years ago. I found it extremely painful I was out of work for 10 weeks. I couldn't sleep in a bed for at least a month and had to sleep upright in a recliner.

I don't think he would be able to go back 5 days later but maybe he would handle it better than I did because he's a kid... maybe half days to start might be better for him.

 

[PlutoPony]

One big issue would be when is he off pain killers? Don't forget they can mess with your mind and memory, so i'd want him to be off them for a good day or so and feel completely clear headed before he went back. It's going to be annoying enough to deal with school and adjusting to only having the use of one arm, wouldn't want to make it more difficult for him to handle the academics.

Also, is he going to be able to handle a backpack after shoulder surgery? How will he get supplies and all that from class to class?

Best of luck to him!

 

[piglet too]

When my daughter had wrist surgery this past September, the surgeon had her out of school for two weeks. Not only does the body need to recover from the anesthesia, but the pain meds too. Add that to the jostling around at school, 5 days is way too soon.

 

[Mark P.]

Obviously, everyone's different, but that sure does sound a bit optimistic, if not unrealistic.
I had a pretty major back operation in 2009. I was able to go back to work in 6 weeks.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

One of my friends had that kind of surgery about a year ago and took two weeks off from her desk job. She was exhausted, in pain, and loopy from the meds for most of that time. She also had to sleep in a recliner because she couldn't sleep comfortably on her back or side, and she wasn't allowed to drive for quite a while.

Teenagers and kids do recover quicker from surgery than adults, and anesthesia and pain meds do affect everyone differently, but I think 5 days would be pushing it unless he happens to do extremely well.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yea, you are probably optimistic. Speak with the surgeon about it.

 

[bsblady01]

I would plan for him to be out of school for at least two weeks. I would also get him a note so he can leave class early so he does not get bumped into with lots of kids in the halls.

 

[low-key]

just rub some dirt on it and go back to school

 

[Psychodisney]

I'm an orthopedic PT and my DS22 had a SLAP, Bankhart and reverse bankhart 5 weeks ago. Please don't worry. Most high school/college aged kids are back on their feet within a couple of days. My DS used pain meds for 2 days. Most of my young patients are the same. Back to school in a few days. Sleeping can be uncomfortable as others have said. I recommend a recliner for the first few days and then lots of pillows in bed for support. If they offer an ice machine to use at home I'd recommend that. The surgeon I work with uses the Game Ready machine for the first week.
My son gets out of his sling next week. He is a college SR and has been walking around a large college campus in wintery weather. It can be challenging but not impossible. He already feels better than befor surgery...his shoulder was very unstable.

 

[Lynne M]

I don't know how you could plan something like that in advance. He'll be ready to go back when he's able to get through a school-length day without resting, when he's no longer needing narcotic pain meds, and when walking/sitting/bumping into people doesn't cause too much pain. And all of that kind of happens when it happens. With any surgery.

If you absolutely have to plan, plan on 2 weeks. If he's miraculously improved by the end of the first week, then he can go back.

 

[DebbieB]

I had my gallbladder out laparoscopic and was out of work 5 days. I had the surgery on Wednesday and returned to work the following Wednesday. I have a desk job so that made it easier. I had something I had to do that Wednesday & Thursday (conducting online training sessions), then took Friday off. I really didn't think I was going to be able to return that quick the weekend after the surgery, I wasn't allowed to drive until Monday. But that Monday and Tuesday I got out and felt better. The doctor said a week but he would give approval for more if I needed it.

 

[monsterkitty]

I'm a teacher and had foot and ankle surgery a few years ago. One thing that my surgeon warned me about when I returned to school was that my immune system may be a bit compromised. Boy she wasn't kidding! I'm usually very healthy but I caught everything and I couldn't shake it. My body was working so hard at healing from surgery that it shot my immune system. So, please be prepared for your DS to catch a few bugs that he may not have caught otherwise.

 

[hereyago]

Does the school system have a program for homebound students and have a teacher come out to the house?

 

[dashofsunshine]

My step dad just had shoulder repair surgery, and it was nuts. He is 65, so obviously your son will recover somewhat quicker, but my dad is VERY resilient, doesn't like anyone to do anything for him, doesn't even take Tylenol without putting up a fight, etc. And he reaaaaaaally struggled with this surgery. It took him two weeks before he really could do anything besides light walking around the house, sleeping upright in a chair, taking pain meds, and eating.

I had laparoscopic gastric sleeve surgery in November 2014 and I was out of work for two weeks...tried to go back, after one day I felt like death...took one more week, and that seemed to be the ticket but I'd never had any previous surgeries, no children, no broken bones...so my experience with pain was pretty minimal up until surgery, lol.

I would say 5 days, even for a teenager, would be way pushing it. Full anesthesia alone makes you feel like garbage for a day or two, and that shoulder surgery is a bit major.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Thank you all so much. DS had his tonsils out when he was 10 and was a hot mess for a good two weeks. I don't know what I was thinking....it just seemed so perfect - do the surgery right before a school vacation and go back when school resumed. Then I started thinking about the tonsils surgery and how long that took to recover from, and DD's 4th grade teacher who had neck surgery and was out for 4 weeks and thought I was crazy to think he could go back so soon. Of course we will play it by ear and if he is feeling good, he can go back. The good thing is, both my and DH's schedules are fairly flexible so half-days might not be a bad idea. He could do one day in the AM, then the next in the PM, etc, so he can at least get to each class a few times a week.

He has been dealing with this injury since last August, so he hasn't been able to carry a backpack except on his left shoulder anyway, so I didn't even think about him carrying his books/supplies, but it will surely be different have limited use with pain vs much pain and absolutely NO use in the other arm.

As far as planning, it's not so much that I need to plan for him going back, it's that I need to plan for him NOT going back so I have him (and me, if needed) work with his teachers and school if he will be out for an extended period of time. Looks like we need to get cracking on that. They mostly all already know about this, but I think we need to prepare for what might be a longer recovery. The other problem is going to be that he will basically only be able to move his fingers and wrist slightly, so writing is going to be a nightmare, but we are anticipating that already. Yuck.

Thank you everyone!

 

[Lilacs4Me]

I had SLAP repair surgery a few years ago. I found it extremely painful I was out of work for 10 weeks. I couldn't sleep in a bed for at least a month and had to sleep upright in a recliner.

I don't think he would be able to go back 5 days later but maybe he would handle it better than I did because he's a kid... maybe half days to start might be better for him.

Thanks!

Were you out for 10 weeks because of the nature of the job (having to use the arm, etc) or because of the surgery itself?