You are very near you implant date, and I well and truly hope and pray all goes well! Your questions related to what kind of restrictions you might expect in the first few weeks after receiving the implant. For me a couple of weeks was what it took to truly discern between the surgical pain [which was not totally overwhelming] and the nerve pain I experience. So, we did not schedule a programming session for my implant until a couple weeks after surgery. THEN I received the programs [which with the rep looking over my shoulder I did myself on his computer] and it was like throwing on the switch to the whole works for immediate pain management via electric stim rather than those awful mind numbing meds.

Limitations during the post surgical healing/scarring in period will be asserted to you by your surgical team as to length of time and such. One way I remembered it was the word BLAST- no bending, lifting, stretching, or twisting for the recommended period of time. Walking was encouraged after my procedure. Pain meds were prescribed regarding the surgical pain, and I used those in addition to my nerve pain management meds as instructed by the docs since my stim would not go live until a couple of weeks following surgery.

I had the help of my wife and children to receive needs like FOOD, and DRIVING me to follow on appointments. Other than that, I tend to be an independent sort, and took care of other needs slowly as I could. I avoided showering the first few days as was instructed [so I became pretty grungey]. Some ladies on here have spoken of having help washing their hair over a kitchen sink, especially if they had one of those spray attachments so they did not have to bend down to do the works or lift their arms above the head to attend to the whole affair of washing, rinsing and drying hair that could be fairly long. Things are a bit different for a guy, who can adopt a "who cares" attitude about the messiness of the hair until we can shower post surgery.

So, one last thing to think of if your surgical staff does not think of it as you are discharged is to implement a log roll method of arising from your bed after sleeping on your side [the better to avoid the incisions]. To log roll, roll to your side facing the edge of the bed, draw up your knees to a sort of sitting position, then use your arms to lever yourself up into the position of sitting on the edge of your bed. Then stand slowly to make sure you are stable. Take baby steps at first. There will be surgical pain, but tolerable. This especially helps for getting to the restroom. Returning to bed, reverse the log roll by sitting upright on the edge, lever yourself back down while raising your legs to the side of the mattress, then extend your legs so you are firmly on the bed. A bit of pain from this, but it protects your leads, wires, and such from needless movements, while also managing to arise with minimal pain. You will want to make such movements yourself if you can, avoiding your husband trying to gently tug on your arm, because of two reasons- the more you can do for yourself easily the quicker your healing, and the ability to be protective of yourself.

Above all remember BLAST, it is so easy to bend over or reach high for something you are accustomed to retrieving, all the while potentially messing up the works of your very recent surgery. Just be CAREFUL, use BLAST, be sensitive to your need to take it easy as your body scars the works into place. Follow your doc's instructions.

Prayin all goes well for you,
Mark56 zzzzzzz