Interstim Recovery time

[alianne]

I had an interstim implant in teh fall but it openned up 4 days after they put it in and then I spent about a month trying to get it to heal until finally they had to remove it as it would not stay shut (the insision) and looked infected. I am having another one put in starting with stage 1 next week and stage 2 the week after. It helped my frequency a LOT. My question is: how should recovery look? They told me that I could be working again soon and so i did, but I am a farmer and I think that my view of recovery is warped because I am in so much pain all the time that I don't know how to take it easy when I need to - and surgery pain is not so bad compaired to bladder spasms etc. Any imput about how "easy" to take it would be great. I don't want to go through what I went though last time!

ali

[work it]

I was told that for it to fully heal and actually attach to the skin and what not it can take 8 weeks. I would say for sure take the 1st week off and and if you can take the 2nd one off too that would be better. I had mine done 6 days ago and I am still real sore and tender in the bum area. Yesterday was the 1st day that I could sit without it really hurting me and today was the 1st day I could get into a normal outfit and not baggy sweat pants lol.

The more time you take off the better chance you have for it to heal

[patricia1]

Recovery times can vary depending on how fast you heal. Doing the work you describe you do I would at least take a couple weeks off. Then start back with light work after that and work your way up. It can take several weeks for the implant to settle down into the site and feel comfortable again.

[DebbieB]

I know I had lot of problems with my incision and it took me a good month or more for it to heal..
I also would say it would take a good two weeks and be very careful the third week just doing light stuff ..

All the best !!

[humpieumpumkin]

Thanks for this post! I was curious about this as well!

Erika

[Sarojini]

For the first week after my permanent implant, I didn't do much. Watched movies, hung out in bed, read books, etc. Absolutely NO stretching, bending, or twisting at the waist, and NO lifting anything heavier than say 10 pounds. My doctor took my stitches out at the end of that week, and the incision was as clean and tight as could be. Still, I took another three days off from work and did only light housework and other easy tasks.

When I went back to work, I made sure to do no heavy lifting, and avoided bending and twisting as much as possible. I did that for about another week.

At the three week mark, things had settled down and I began to get right back into my old activities.



I would recommend giving your body time to heal -- at least two weeks, perhaps three. This is not a minor surgery.

[alianne]

Thanks everyone - I needed this as I am sooo bad at knowing my limits (think I am wonderwoman sometimes I guess) I'll do my best to take it really easy and not get back to real work for about 3 weeks. Hard for me since we are getting all our fun crops planted right now and I don't like missing that part! Oh well, there will be other years I guess.

[Lisp714]

I just got my phone call for my Interstim surgery for May 10, 2013. I'm so nervous listening to all of these stories. I know now not to do any heavy lifting, but I do have an almost two year old child. So that part will be hard. I'm hoping I'll do well with my surgery. I don't want to have to go through all of the problems I've just read about. My Doctor made it sound like its not a huge surgery. But if all of the things I've just read can happen, then I think it's a little more serious than I'm being told. I hope everyone is healthy now!! Thanks for the heads up!

[Jonsey5715]

@Lisp714.
I am also having my interstim placed on May 10,2013. I also have a good friend in Colorado who is having it on the same day. I am in NC , not sure where you are. I have had a 2 week trial and it has helped. My Dr also acted as if it wasn't such a major surgery. I read and talked to others that had it and found out that it was more serious than I thought. The trial has helped but I did have a lot of pain and discomfort for the 1st few days. The main thing is to rest! And its hard for me to do, I see so much around me that I want to do... but I have been resting. Best of luck to you!!