A Long Break ...but not in my Back!

I REALLY wanted to make this blog for the person out there searching for a recovery story from spinal fusion.  I apologize that I let such a big gap go between updates, to you, out there in the Internet land looking as I was night after night for someones record of their journey after their spine had been fused.
All is not lost because this is A LONG recovery.  So I am still in the midst of it and have much to tell you.  I had my 8 week post op appointment last week.  I am FUSING,  I AM GROWING NEW BONE!  This is excellent news the best I have heard since the surgery.  It means that much of what I feared is not happening.  I was so afraid to have the surgery and not have a good outcome.  I was given an 85% or more chance of feeling much better after the surgery.  That is a 15% chance of not feeling better or feeling worse.  That is a big chance to take but I did.   Don't get me wrong I still am in pain.  A lot of pain and I am on a lot of medications for the pain.  But my bone is fusing which means I may be out of this pain and off of the meds in the near future.
My doctor said the first two months are hell, the second 2 months are working your way out of hell and the last 2 months are getting back to where I was prior to surgery and much better.  It is a long process a process that is hard both physically and emotionally. Total recovery is up to a year and a half at which point you should be feeling much better than you did prior the surgery.  It is a long journey but not as long as a life time of living in debilitating pain. It is a journey that you need lots of help with.  I have been lucky enough to have my wonderful family rally together and help me but more importantly help my children.
Before I sign off for the night.  I want to let you know how VERY hard this is mentally.  You will not be able to do much.  You must depend on others for the simplest of things and the hardest and all that lies in between.  It is not only hard on you but the loved ones around you.  They take on so much for you physically and mentally.  Giving up their own lives to help you with yours.  I will write more next time about this subject because I cannot stress enough that you need to prepare yourself prior to the surgery for the mental strength you will need afterwards.

Good Night,
Reba

Back to Better: Slow Go, But it is Going!

Healing from back surgery is a very long and tiring process.  And I am only 3 weeks into it.  It is also almost (I say almost because my house is always jumping with something!) boring.  I get a lot (a lot by my standards) of “just me“ time laying in bed, reading and day dreaming or actually dreaming when I doze off.  Since my children were born “just me” time had seized to exist.  Even now as I am healing my children spend quite a bit of time in bed with me...in and out in and out...and I spend quite a bit of time going in and out of rooms checking in on them and who ever is here helping.  So even though my “me time” is really just an hour here or there, if all goes well it is more than I have had in quite sometime!  Point is I can’t do much of anything but read, daydream, think, play on the internet, watch movies or TV.  I like to do these things but get bored of them quickly.  There is so much I would rather be doing but am not able to do at this time because of the surgery and all the strict rules that come with the healing process.  The healing process that I am just now getting the hang of...I really hope it is not too late that I am just now getting the right amounts of rest, less stress, less trying to do things i shouldn’t, less breaking the rules “just this once”......  I wanted to follow the doctors orders to a T but even more listen to my own body.  I was determined to do everything just perfect and be perfect in the end for doing so.  Better late than never.  The last few days I have been bored in just the right amounts so I am back on track.  I forgot to take one of my many pain pills one day this week and the pain was horrendous!!!  It scared me right into my new way of boredom! There was also a scare this week that I was going to have to make it through a night without my pain meds because I forgot to call in on time to get my refill -thank my lucky stars I didn’t have to...I was near tears just thinking of the pain I would be in.  So heres to healing, cheers!

Slow Go, But it is Going!

Healing from back surgery is a very long and tiring process.  And I am only 3 weeks into it.  It is also almost (I say almost because my house is always jumping with something!) boring.  I get a lot (a lot by my standards) of “just me“ time laying in bed, reading and day dreaming or actually dreaming when I doze off.  Since my children were born “just me” time had seized to exist.  Even now as I am healing my children spend quite a bit of time in bed with me...in and out in and out...and I spend quite a bit of time going in and out of rooms checking in on them and who ever is here helping.  So even though my “me time” is really just an hour here or there, if all goes well it is more than I have had in quite sometime!  Point is I can’t do much of anything but read, daydream, think, play on the internet, watch movies or TV.  I like to do these things but get bored of them quickly.  There is so much I would rather be doing but am not able to do at this time because of the surgery and all the strict rules that come with the healing process.  The healing process that I am just now getting the hang of...I really hope it is not too late that I am just now getting the right amounts of rest, less stress, less trying to do things i shouldn’t, less breaking the rules “just this once”......  I wanted to follow the doctors orders to a T but even more listen to my own body.  I was determined to do everything just perfect and be perfect in the end for doing so.  Better late than never.  The last few days I have been bored in just the right amounts so I am back on track.  I forgot to take one of my many pain pills one day this week and the pain was horrendous!!!  It scared me right into my new way of boredom! There was also a scare this week that I was going to have to make it through a night without my pain meds because I forgot to call in on time to get my refill -thank my lucky stars I didn’t have to...I was near tears just thinking of the pain I would be in.  So heres to healing, cheers!