Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

The majority of spine surgeries are elective, meaning that the patient and their support team have had weeks and months to prepare for the operation and the impending recovery. However, every day there are people who are involved in traumatic accidents that require emergency spine surgery. As you might imagine, these cases are a bit more hectic, and patients don’t have the luxury of preparing their life ahead of time.

If you receive a phone call that a friend, family member or coworker has been in an accident and is undergoing emergency spine surgery, your first instinct is probably in regards to how you can help. In today’s blog, we’re going to share some tips for helping someone who is recovering from emergency spine surgery.

Helping A Loved One After Emergency Spine Surgery

Some of these tips may be a little more appropriate than others given your relationship with the individual. Feel out the situation and see if any of these tips would be right for you and your injured friend or family member.

1. Offer Rides – There’s a good chance that they arrived by ambulance to the surgical center, so they’ll need a ride home. If they already have that lined up, let them know that you’re available if they ever need rides to and from appointments during their recovery. Travel can be very hard after a major surgery, so having reliable transportation from a friend is very helpful.
2. Meals – A meal is something simple that shows that you care, and it may be more helpful than you realize after emergency spine surgery. Getting around the house likely won’t be easy, and if your friend is relying on fast food or flash frozen options, odds are they aren’t going to be eating very healthily. This can lead to excess calorie intake at a time when they aren’t as active, which can lead to weight gain and other issues. Simply help take the burden of cooking off their plate by bringing over a meal for them. Bonus points if you eat with them and keep them company (if they are up for visitors).
3. Pet Care – If your friend has any pets at their house, see if you can take them in for a while or provide the right type of care for them. If your friend will be in the hospital for an extended period, you may want to ask to take their dog or cat to your home for a while so that they keep getting the care they need. If your friend is home but unable to exercise their dog or get their cat to the vet, make yourself available. Nobody wants to neglect their pet when they are under the weather, so see if you can take care of their best friend for a bit.
4. Converse – A major surgery can be isolating, especially if you’re not able to do all of the things you normally do because you are stuck at home recovering. Don’t let your friend feel isolated from the world. Reach out to them to connect and have a conversation. You can come over to their house at a time that works for them and just spend some time together, or you can call them on the phone and keep them up to date with whatever has been going on since their injury. Your friend’s mental health is just as important as their physical health as they recover, and talking with them can help them get in a healthy headspace.
5. Go Getter – You can also offer to be an errand boy for your friend. If they need a prescription picked up from the pharmacy, groceries from the grocery store or books returned to the library, offer to run some errands for them. They have enough on their plate with their recovery. Since they may not want to feel like they are burdening you, it may be helpful to let them know that you’re already headed in that direction. For example, you can say that you’re headed to the store or returning some books and were just checking to see if they needed anything while you’re there.
6. Care Package – Finally, it may be easiest to just bring them a little something to show them that you’re thinking of them during their recovery. Make a little care package and drop it off when convenient. Gift cards to restaurants or grocery stores in the area are a nice touch, or a gift card for a ride share service like Uber can help them get around while they are recovering. You can also put other items like snacks, crossword puzzles, books and other entertainment items in the basket to help keep them entertained while they recover. You know your friend best, so get them a couple little things that they’ll enjoy.

There’s no perfect path for helping someone after emergency surgery, but if you let them know that you’re available and you show that you care, we know they’ll appreciate it. For answers to any questions about this blog or other spine issues, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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