re lifting/shifts
After my initial back injury in '82 I went from working in Neurosurgery to Preemie Nursery because it was all I could tolerate in terms of lifting. I couldn't even handle the NICU shifts so stayed in Level II nursery as they were 8 hours but couldn't work in well nursery since that was normal weight infants which at 8 lbs plus were too heavy for me on a consistant basis!
I was in a MSN program (Family Practice NP) at the same time because I knew I had to get out of staff nursing/hospitals into ambulatory care in which I lasted another 10 plus years and two spine surgeries....
I don't know if you'll get released entirely off your lifting restrictions but for myself, after my first discectomy when I felt good to go and able bodied, that didn't last long in terms of what I thought I could lift in comparison to what I could safely lift w/o consequences.. and I think I was predisposed to this additional weakness because of the L5S1 discectomy. L4 went nearly 2 years later. L3 has been disrupted for many years/annular tear and troublesome supposedly tho not concordant for pain on discograms.
I never made it back to 12 hour shifts after my original injury. Can't stand long enough in one place, be on my feet that long, walk that long, sit that long or even combine all 3 to be able to hang with that many hours.
Seems like from many of the spinal success stories post op though I may be rare dinosaur~ maybe my next spine surgery (#3) will be the charm!!!
You will start with a part time re entry won't you? That is how I returned to work after each of my surgeries and the first time it was part time for 3 months and WC paid the remainder of my hours, then the 2nd surgery it was part time for several months as well but that surgery failed so I never returned to full time after that~
As I recall, after the first surgery I was eventually released with no restrictions. The second surgery not turning out so well, I had continuing restrictions but eventually had to beg the doctor to take off all restrictions so I could even keep my part time hours~
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