how long before return to work after surgery?

[janetm2]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for having a place to learn and be with others that understand PN/PNE. My story is that some 5 or 7 years ago I started having pain sitting. Not sure exactly when but I was in a meeting and had to stand up. This is rare and was called to my attention by a co-worker because I have 20+ years of chronic foot pain (teenage early onset bunions, surgery age 21 worked 5 years no pain then next surgery failed). Sitting got worse (I sit predominantly due to foot pain, work home and in wheelchair for mall shopping and vacations) then pelvic muscle spasms summers 2007, 2008, & 2010. ElectroGalvanic Stimulation (EGS) treatments worked first 2 times but last year needed botox, however there was still pain. It was suggested to see what my foot pain specialist mighy think. He works with spine and sports medicine and found coccyx pain so two rounds of cortisone cleared that but stlll painful sitting. He sent me to Her Health Physical Therapy and they felt strongly I had PN/PNE 2 ligaments were tightly squashing the infamous pudendal nerve. They said I needed real doctor diagnosis from Dr. Marvel. He did some nerve blocks at his office and some relief, then CT-guided nerve blocks by Dr. Richards was full relief. Also had MRN at John's Hopkins and TG left side decompressipn nerve surgery on May 9. I am asking about returning to work since it seems to be folks are basing it on tike for incision to heal and sure that is enough time to actually be able to work. With 5 out of the 6 weeks gone by sitting is 5 to 10 min with pain and of course for me standing isn't an alternative. I am just wondering if and when people may have returned to work? I start PT tomorrow but not sure they can perform miracles this week. I haven't had luck with cushion options but work is going to provide a recliner but even they suggested staying out until I'm a little better (I will bring this to the dr. this week if I am not better). Thanks for listening.
Janet

[Violet M]

Hi Janet,

PN surgery isn't quite like most surgeries because it takes nerves longer than most other tissues to heal. When you return to work really depends on how you feel. Some people go back in 6 weeks but many wait for at least 3 months and some even longer.

The only cushion that has allowed me to sit for long hours is the roho cushion which was covered by my insurance. I like the contour select because it has a coccyx area that is lower than the rest of the cushion. The first cushion I got was a 16" x 16" but it was too deep from front to back so I got a second one that is 16" wide by 14" front to back and it fits much better in chairs.

Be careful with PT and don't let them talk you into doing anything that causes increased pain. I was not able to tolerate PT until almost a year after surgery and from my experience rest and allowing time for the nerve to heal was very important post-op.

Please take it easy and allow yourself time. Wishing you the best in your recovery,

Violet

[janetm2]

Violet,
Thank you for confirming my concerns of returning to work. Since I used all my vacation and sick time I am at the position of fighting to get time off via paperwork stating why the recovery time is needed. They have a leave sharing program but the manager won't provide more than 35 days without exact complications ( not being able to sit without pain wasn't a complication). I think those invovled in the condition know it can take more time than other ailments but others do not. Since it is such a long time and if I am not in enough pain then the push seems to be to just send me to work. I am going to try for family leave act leave without pay to see if I can get up to sitting some reasonable time and look into the cushion you suggest. I think PT will be a plus but I will still be careful.
Thanks again and take care
Janet

[Karyn]

Good question, Janet! I'm 11 weeks out from bilateral TG surgery and was hoping to return to work next week, but I don't think that's going to happen. I still can't sit for more than a few minutes on an IC cushion. Not nearly long enough to be able to drive myself to work (or anywhere else for that matter). I just spent over $100 on all kinds of cushions, hoping something would help. However, it wasn't until I completed my order that I realized that none of these cushions is going to be very helpful for the time being. I don't have the same nerve pain while sitting that I had before surgery. The pain I experience now is more of a stretching/ripping/tearing sensation in the bottom of my butt. The reason why I don't think the cushions will help is because I get that same sensation when I bend. I have an appointment with Dr. Conway this coming Thursday and will ask about having someone come to my home for PT.

Be careful with PT and don't let them talk you into doing anything that causes increased pain. I was not able to tolerate PT until almost a year after surgery and from my experience rest and allowing time for the nerve to heal was very important post-op

Excellent advice and I agree! Most people start PT after 8 weeks but aside from not being able to drive myself there, I knew I wasn't ready anyhow. Not sure how ready I am now, either, but would like to at least give it a chance.
Best wishes with your recovery, Janet. Please keep us updated as to what's going on with you and how you're doing!
Warm regards,
Karyn

[Lernica]

Janet and Karyn,

I'm back at work now and it really is a struggle so please do not push yourselves. I am lucky in that my employer is allowing me to work only up to my pain threshold which is about 2 - 3 hours daily. If I didn't have such flexibility I wouldn't be able to do it.

Good luck to both of you; I'm thinking about you and I'm sending you warm hugs and wishes for a full recovery.

[janetm2]

Karyn and Lernica,
Thanks for the support and I wish you both the best. I am trying to take more time and work supports me but the doctor is pushing but maybe after I tell him disability affairs wants me to take time I will get it. Need to get my plan together and I suspected the return to work might be limited as Lernica said to just a few hours.
Take Care
Janet

[Karyn]

I am trying to take more time and work supports me but the doctor is pushing but maybe after I tell him disability affairs wants me to take time I will get it.

What do you mean the Dr. is pushing? Dr. Marvel? Pushing you to go back to work????

I'm back at work now and it really is a struggle so please do not push yourselves.

Thank you for your kind words and support, Lernica. You're absolutely right: It's not a good idea to push yourself. I did it every day before surgery and it was a huge struggle. I can so relate to this. I don't want to struggle and push myself through recovery. I don't even think that's possible. I want the best chance at recovery I can get.

[janetm2]

Karyn,
yes from where I am Dr. Marvel seems to be pushing the work but I really do not want to say this is a fact because I do not want to say anything bad about him. I think the surgery will help me and I just have to get past this bump in the road. There must be something I am missing in our communications. I think he may be feeling getting off the sofa and moving on to work will help me. As everyone knows it is so hard to concentrate , understand and work through this medical condition. So I am not always getting things right. My husband said he will help me prepare for the meeting.
I have heard people say it sometimes does not look like we are in pain and my foot pain is similar, the more you do the more it hurts and then it becomes clear to others. Before surgery I over did things and went back and forth between the two pains to stretch my leave time to make it to the surgery date. So I was in pain almost constantly and just moved it. I am trying not to do that because it appears my arthritis is getting worse and is agitated by the triple H (Hazy,Hot&Humid) weather we just had. I want to take it slow but I don't have the control (leave) to do that as before surgery. Things may turnaround tomorrow and I will let you know. Earlier on my husband said that maybe the bright side is that it may turn out that my last work day is behind me?
I have had all the challenging projects at work but the clearly tops them, hopefully I will succeed but I did think trying for disability would be the challenge not getting paperwork to support time to recover. I know there are many on the forum that have had harder times than me and everyone says it will work out.
Janet

[janetm2]

All,
This is the retraction on Dr. Marvel pushing work, just like I said communication was confusing. I thinkk this is because what I hear are two opposites and I work on the first then the second comes around and reverses it. He did say I should be able to return to work and if not then disability should be pursued. So that is where I am however I just found out from work it needs to be permanent (at least until I turn 55 when I would have been able to just retire regularly). He told me to go to a pain management physical medicine rehab person to do the disability eval.

Not sure what to hope for since I don't want to be permanently disabled but also don't want to have to wait and then find out I am and extend the chaos any longer nor take the chance of losing everything because someone is wrong. Also need to keep my job extended until something is sorted out and as the Government and my agency tends to be the rules change and can be overcomplcated making harder on everyone. I think I need a secretary to type this up and keep it straight. Of course eventually something happen and my hubby said somehow we will get by, so it is not truly drastic financially and hey think of the money we are saving by not going out to eat.
FYI my PT session was mostly just an eval and a bit of leg stretching she said we should take it ssslllooowww! No internal eval or nerve glides but the dr. said both were okay now. We will see how tomorrow goes. I still ended up needing pain med after thePT that night because my left butt cheek and leg hurt.
Sorry for the long info but had to get some of this out and you've been so good at support and listening. Gott run(?) my hubby just got home. Thanks,
Janet

[Violet M]

Janet, I highly recommend for your disability eval meeting that you lie down. This will give credibility to the fact the you cannot sit for very long. I could not sit very long for at least 18 months after surgery and I had to lie down most places I went.

Good luck,

Violet