13 Weeks Post-Op

I saw my doctor yesterday and the good news is that everything looks good. I'm healing well and all of my hardware is still in place. Believe it or not, the rods, hooks, and screws can actually be dislodged or even broken. My doctor explained that the small hooks attached to the top portion of my fusion sometimes loosen with too much activity in the early post-op period. At this point in my recovery, that would be very detrimental since my spine hasn't yet fused. No hula-hooping or slip-n-sliding this summer... The nerve damage in my right thigh has also improved, but I still require medication to control the shooting pains and tingling.

The bad news is that none of my restrictions have been lifted. I've been sentenced to another 2 months of lifting no more than 5 lbs., no bending, no twisting, and no squatting. This also means that my mom has been sentenced to 2 more months of maid duty. I am allowed to lunge and kneel, but that's inconvenient and very uncomfortable. Basically anything lower than 3 feet means I have to get down on my knees. And if I'm hungry and want to check out what's in the refrigerator I can only see what is on the lower shelves, but I can't reach any of it. Maybe I should get myself a periscope... Another difficult task is grocery shopping. Since I can't lift more than 5 lbs., I can't load or unload groceries that weigh more than 5 lbs. I was thinking that I could get my Labrador a backpack so that she could go grocery shopping with me and do the heavy lifting for me! My limitations are annoying, but a small price to pay for feeling so much better. I'll follow doctor's orders for as long as necessary because I'm not going to screw this up! In November I get to start physical therapy and I'm really looking forward to it.

In other news, I head back to work next week. I've become restless and am eager to return, but I'm not sure I'll have the stamina to remain upright for ~10 hours a day for 5 days in a row. After about an hour of being upright, my shoulder and back muscles begin to burn and I need to lie down to let my muscles rest. It's probably going to be difficult, but I'm confident I'll figure out a way to manage. I'm lucky I have supportive friends, family, and co-workers!