Life Right After Surgery

[jonlewis74]

Hi All,

First post as I just found this interesting site. I (36) got diagnosed with AN in early July (3.9cm). I had lost hearing months before and was having balance and dizziness issues, but it took quite a while to get the right tests and see the right people in the Canadian healthcare system.

With diagnosis, the process has greatly sped up. The ENT/Neurosurgeon I was referred to ultimately strongly recommend surgery given the size and my symptoms, and my surgery is scheduled for late September.

I have never really been in a hospital since a minor surgery as a young kid. What is recovery like in hospital right after surgery? Am I apt to be in a lot of pain/be on a lot of drugs. I've been told to expect to be in hospital 4-7 days after surgery assuming no major issues. What is recovery like at home after that?

I've had anxiety/stress issues in the past and my number 1 go to in order to reduce those feeling was walking. I would typically walk 15-25,000 steps per day. Now with this illness, I get tired out really easily and am only walking 3-5,000 steps per day which means my stress level is high as I wait for the surgery.

Has anyone golfed after surgery? I used to golf quite a bit, but have had to stop this summer due to pure exhaustion (even with a cart). I'm wondering if there are any recreational golfers out there that have had this surgery and how quickly they were able to golf again after surgery.

Sorry for so many questions; just not aware of anyone locally to talk about this diagnosis and am struggling mentally in terms of this waiting game for surgery and concerned about possible post surgery side effects.

Thanks,

Jon.

[Greece Lover]

Jon,
Sorry you had to join the club. I think the first thing to say is that everyone's recovery is different. I"ll offer my thoughts below.
I won't lie, the recovery is tough, but it is also totally doable.  I personally don't think pain is a huge issue. I didn't take any pain meds once home from the hospital.  The harder things are balance and fatigue. You have to listen to your body and don't overdo it. You will be encouraged to walk as much as you can, as it is important for the regaining of balance.  But again don't overdo this. If you can also make sure to have a support network to help with food and basic tasks.
the anxiety part is important of often overlooked. I also struggled with that.  I think it was a combo of coming off all the drugs, and not being able to do the things I normally did (walk, bike ride, etc.) that made me feel good. I saw a therapist a couple of times and found that super helpful. So, if it's something you know about going into the surgery, it might not be a bad idea to have some strategies or even therapy sessions set up for yourself ahead of time.
I'm a recreational golfer but I have no problems. It will take a while to get there. Mostly it's an issue with head turning. I had the most difficulty putting in terms of balance.
Feel free to DM me if you have other questions for follow ups.  Good luck!

[alschneid]

Hi there,

I agree with GreeceLover. Everyone’s recovery is different. I’m 30 and had surgery in July to remove a 1cm AN. I feel like I’m pretty much back to myself again. The first few weeks were challenging. Luckily I didn’t have too much pain either. I had some slight headaches and pain while in the hospital but once home I used prescription pain meds for the first few days then switched to Tylenol and was just fine. While it will be important to walk, listening to your body is key. I remember feeling great one morning and started cleaning the house and was exhausted after an hour. The fatigue really set in for me around 3-4 weeks post op. Just listen to your body and try not to push yourself. I’m not a golfer but I will say it took me about 8 weeks before I was comfortable driving. Turning my head quickly side to side made me dizzy and off balance for a while so I avoided driving until that subsided. I was in PT for vestibular rehab for about 8 weeks and the visual tracking exercises really helped. Since your AN is larger your brain is probably already compensating for loss of balance so hopefully your recovery won’t be too bad. Best of luck to you!