People cope with stressful situations in different ways. What works for one person may not be helpful to another. We hope some of these suggestions will help you get through this difficult time.
- Express your feelings. Discuss your positive and negative feelings with family members, friends, clergy, and members of the healthcare team.
- Be kind to yourself. Take time for a walk or have a meal with a friend. Also, try to leave the hospital for a meal or a restful night's sleep. By taking care of your own needs, you will be more prepared to respond to the patient's needs.
- When someone offers to help, accept the offer. Try to be specific about how this person can help.
- Write important information down in a journal or notebook. Also try to keep records and information together in a file for easy reference.
- Rotate family visitation. If you need or want to leave the hospital, you may want to have someone stay with the patient so you can feel reassured the patient is not alone.
What is Inpatient Rehabilitation?
Your rehabilitation will be an on-going process. After your initial hospital treatment, you will need inpatient rehabilitation. You and your family will need to select a rehabilitation center (See Appendix III). The inpatient rehabilitation phase may last from a few weeks to several months. In this phase, you will learn how to care for yourself or direct others to provide your care. After completing inpatient rehabilitation, you may be discharged to home with family support and return for outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy. The rehabilitation process continues until you are taught what to do for yourself, how to do it, and are confident enough to manage your care now and in the future.
May I Return to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) after Inpatient Rehabilitation?
Absolutely, you may return to UIHC. More than likely, our surgeons will want to see you several weeks after discharge to make sure your spine is healing. Our nurses and doctors will make sure that those appointments have been scheduled well in advance. After you complete inpatient rehabilitation, we also have rehabilitation physicians who are specially trained in spinal cord injury medicine to help provide ongoing care. We have several specially trained physical therapists and occupational therapists who may be able to help you with developing an outpatient rehabilitation program. Several faculty at UIHC also have ongoing research studies on spinal cord injury rehabilitation and recovery.
Conclusion
We hope you find this booklet helpful in your care and recovery. Knowledge is power. The more information you learn about spinal cord injury, care, and complications, the more self-confident and successful you will be in managing your own care.
Please feel free to discuss any questions you may have with our staff. |
