I am 53 and I had a bilateral done on 11/08/07. I was in the hospital/therapy ward until 11/17...then I went home. No TENS machines, just Oxycontin and ice packs purchased through the PT dept. at the hospital. I came home on a walker, graduated to crutches, then used the cane. I went back to school to teach on 1/03/08. I reffed college basketball, baseball, and football, and I cycled and worked part-time at a produce farm, so yea, I was in pretty darn good shape. Since your legs lose strength exponentially, you will need to focus on upper body strength to get you out of chairs, the bed, etc...your legs will weaken considerably---you will be surprised to see how quickly they atrophy.
I slept(if you could call it that) in a recliner for a while, then I became tired of being an invalid and tried to migrate to the bed. Almost all of us here have had sleep problems after surgery. I didn't believe my friends who had it done---but they were correct---sleep is like looking for the Holy Grail.
I tried the sofa, the futon, the futon mattress on the floor--I finally game up and crashed after my wife got up and went to work. I finally resorted to Ambien for ten days, and that worked quite well.
I had my last PT session on March 27th of '08---and I was umpiring baseball games the next week. I try to cycle 100 miles per week now, so my life is pretty much near normal as it can be.
We also heat our home with a wood burning stove, and I am out cutting down trees and splitting the logs (with a machine, of course) but I have had no problems---other than the roller-coaster ride of therapy and healing. Do not become frustrated at your progress---it will be much slower than you will like it to be---but that is just the way it is.
Remember, healing and therapy---your body did not become this way over night---suddenly, somebody cuts, saws, drills, glues, and sews---and then the fun really begins with PT I am glad that I had both done when I had the opportunity...no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Tim C.
United States
