How To Help Someone Who Has Undergone Spine Surgery
Category: Spine Surgery | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
If a friend or family member is set to have spine surgery, you’re probably wondering what you can do to help the situation or make it easier on the patient. There are plenty of things you can do to help someone who is undergoing back surgery that won’t make them feel like they are putting a burden on you. Below, we explain a number of ways you can help a friend or family member who is undergoing a spinal operation.
Helping Before Surgery
You don’t have to wait for surgery to be completed before you can start helping out. Here are some things you can do before the operation to make life easier for the person who has an upcoming surgery.
- See if they need a ride to the surgery center or a ride home after the operation.
- Help them clean their house so there aren’t any tripping hazards when they return home.
- If they are open to talking about their operation, talk about the surgery. This can help to relieve pre-surgical stress. Try to focus on the positives instead of the “what could go wrongs” of the upcoming operation.
- Ask if their kids need rides to school or home from practice on the day of the surgery.
- Help prepare some healthy, easy-to-reheat meals.
- Ask if there’s anything else you can do to help, like laundry, walking the dog, entertaining the kids while your friend or family member is at pre-op appointments or unable to perform some of these tasks ahead of surgery.
Helping After Spine Surgery
You can also lend a hand after spine surgery. Here’s how:
- Help provide rides for the patient or their kids after surgery.
- See if they need help with errands, like grocery shopping or other tasks that require driving.
- See if they need any help changing surgical dressings or monitoring the surgical site for infection.
- Encourage the person to stick to their physical therapy and medication guidelines.
- Be there for a conversation, whether it revolves around the operation or any other subject if they want to take their mind off their recovery.
- If you see improvements in their recovery, let them know that you notice this progress. It will help put them in a good mindset.
- Offer to pick them up and take them out for coffee or a movie. If they are confined to their home while they recover, even just an hour or two out of the house can go a long way in helping improve their attitude about recovery.
These aren’t the only ways you can help someone before or after spine surgery, but these are good starting points. You can also ask the person how you can best help or if they could use a hand with anything. Think about what you would need if you were in their situation, and find ways to be helpful. It can go a long way in helping ensure they have a great recovery.
For more tips, or to talk to a back specialist about your pain, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.
