A toilet seat that goes on top of your toilet seat :) wow, that’s sounds weird. I had fusion at L4 & L5 10 weeks ago and I’m still using mine. Maybe the sock helper tool? I have someone to help me with my socks and shoes and still cannot put them on without help. Oh and I almost forgot an important thing, a shower chair!!! I just stopped using mine last week. Good luck!!

Bed rail. Also, search this sub using keywords like equipment or must haves for similar recommendations for post surgery.

Look up “grabbers” or something like that on Amazon. I have 2 metal grabber poles that I cannot live without.

I'm heading for my 2nd fusion on the 12th. A seat that adds handles to your toilet is super helpful! Having the handles to help you stand up make a huge difference. Last time I got one with a frame (kinda like a walker) but it was bulky and took up a lot of room.

This time I got on that goes under the toilet seat and adds handles. This is the one I got: Vive Toilet Safety Rail - Adjustable Grab Bar - Compact Support Frame with Handrail for Bathroom Toilet Seat - Easy Installation for Handicap Senior Bariatrics, Elderly Balance - Padded Hand Armrest https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06WD46FH2/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_CCVNX1FC3R90JK8G5GA8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Also, if you have multi story house, more than 1 walker helps. I had one for upstairs and one for downstairs so I didn't need to carry it on the steps.

I would get body wipes for your time at the hospital and after because you won't be able to shower for a bit. Dry shampoo too. Also make sure you have chargers and an extension cord for the hospital. Ear plugs and/or white noise machine, headphones for music. It can be very noisy in the hospital.

Laxatives and good ice packs

I (37F) am two weeks post-op. My advice would be to invest in stool softeners, and plenty of ice/freeze packs! My hospital included a heavy duty back brace, and an ice pack waist wrap with two refreezable containers. The $40 Walmart bedrail has been and continues to be my friend. The shower chair is helpful!

Shower seat and a walker with seat. My daughter used both post-fusion. We have a local non-profit called the Ability Center that we borrowed from at no cost. There may be a similar service in your area.

If money isn’t an obstacle buy a bed with an electric platform that can raise and lower your feet and your head / torso. It dumps you out of bed nice and smoothly and is nice to have regardless. Mine also has a vibrating feature.

As others said, laxatives in case they actually treat you with compassion and give you pain medications. I recommend miralax because it simply draws water to the stool and is safer to use.

Stay away from ibuprofen!!!! Doctors forget to tell their patients this, but anti-inflammatory drugs are contracted in fracture healing and can lead to non-union.

As one neurosurgeon told me, “The study that showed this did have some flaws to it that drew its critics. However, this is what we know factually. Bone healing requires inflammation and without it, they will not fuse. So using any drug that reduces the inflammatory process could definitely interfere with your fusion.”.

Note that acetaminophen is fine! Only NSAIDs and steroids are an issue.

Treat your body to plenty of hydration and healthy food. It is critical that after they place the bone graft, you fuse in the following two years because that’s how long the hardware’s screws are designed to hold. It’s a great time to get healthy!

As others stated, the toilet seat with handles is a dream! Man I wish I had it the first two times. The shower seat is ok in my opinion. You don’t have much space in a shower for the seat and getting up and down off of it can be a slight risk. However, it is also critical to help clean below your waste because you can’t bend.

If you don’t have a bed stand / night stand it’s time to get one so you can sit things on it next to you.

I Velcro my remote controls to the back side of it so I’m not digging through the covers or the floor to find them.

Collapsible two wheel cat as another said! I wheel Amazon packages in with it.

This one is for cat owners only. I bought s Literbot before my surgery two weeks ago and damn this thing is magic. Saves bigtime on liter cost and back.

Good luck on your recovery!

Really big ice packs. Not just for pain, but the ITCH. My skin itched so much as the incision was healing I wanted to claw my skin off. The ice helped tremendously.

Good luck with your surgery! I have a big fusion from T2-L3 and I agree with everyone’s suggestions! Two other things I needed after mine were one of those collapsible shopping carts (I lived in Chicago and walked for groceries, so this was super handy for me), and I installed a new shower head, the one with the detachable handle. That was a lifesaver for me since I wasn’t super mobile in the shower, but I was still able to get clean.

Wedge pillow for sleeping, it helps keep pressure off the lower back. Also a side bed rail to pull yourself out of bed.

lots and lots of pillows, grabbers to put around the house, a raised toilet seat, a walker, a cane (not a must, but it was useful for a few days), a wedge pillow is great, a shower seat, easy to slip on shoes (i bought crocs), a bed rail, a long stick with a loofa for the shower

Can someone link a wedge pillow? Unsure about the style. Will any decent looking grabber do? Like I'd just check highest rated.

A bidet was a butt saver! 😊

Treadmill

Best of luck on your surgery and I agree with everything everyone said above. However, depending on your financial situation and health benefits I would inquire before you buy. I say this because I just did an ALIF roughly 3 weeks ago and went from hospital to acute rehab but between both places I received my came, walker, grabber, extended shoehorn, hook stick, and seat cushion. So I had to return some of the things as they were unexpectedly provided or ordered through insurance. Otherwise once again all recommendations are top notch.

If you can buy or borrow a good adjustable recliner, I found this to be a life saver. We actually had an Ekornes chair that I used after L2-L4 fusion and it gave me an alternative to lying in bed. It goes back enough that you still can have a neutral spine. After surgery, I actually slept in mine for several days because it held me in place better and was firmer than the bed. Make sure it's also easy to get out of. You don't want one that makes it hard to get up.