2 Weeks Later and My Transformation into Mr. Electric

It has been just over 2 weeks since my surgery and while I still have a long way to go I am feeling positive about my recovery process so far. After my post last week things got rough for a couple days when I started experiencing some major swelling around my spine, swelling which is totally normal and expected unfortunately nobody ever mentioned it to me or Rebecca. Friday morning I started worrying about the intensity of the pain so without any prodding I called the Surgeons office and they asked me to immediately come in so they could make sure nothing serious was wrong. The Dr. was happy with my mobility and as soon as he lifted my shirt  he could see the swelling and recommended strapping an ice pack on while taking a cocktail of anti-inflammatory medications.

Saturday afternoon came around and I was feeling better after 24 hours of icing my back and taking the medication he recommended but started to worry when I realized I wasn't going to make it through the weekend with the pain management medication he had me taking. Rebecca called in and spoke with the on call nurse who informed us we were out of luck until Monday but confirmed I could take the pain medication I was using prior to my surgery without any ill effects.

With my pain and swelling under control my outlook on life improved as well and after a great Sunday morning and afternoon spent with Rebecca's parents I finally was able to let Alex shoot his pumpkin that he carved last month. It has become a tradition to shred our carvings once they start to break down and it breaks them up nicely for the chickens to pick at when we are done! This year with me in the hospital the pumpkins had passed their prime but Alex stashed his on the deck hoping he would get a chance once I was home and mobile. I decided it was time to upgrade him from a .410 to a 12 gauge and he handled it like a champ. After everyone left I decided I wanted to venture out into the world of retail for a little while Sunday evening.It was nice to get out of the house for a little while although I will admit I am still not use to sitting in the passenger seat and miss driving.

Monday was spent recovering from all the walking around I did the night before. The morning was spent hanging out on the couch with Seth who came over to visit despite the fact he should be resting as well. Monday afternoon I went for a stroll into the lower part of the property and picked out a nice rock maple that I could use for crafts to keep me busy in the upcoming week.

Tuesday I ended up staying in bed all morning because I had moved more the past two days then I had since the surgery. I slept great Monday night which normally is considered a good thing but not waking up for pain medications made the morning a rough one when I did finally wake up. I lounged all day and once again had a visitor which helped break up the monotony of the day. Tony hung out for a couple hours which was really nice because the last time I saw him was the day after my surgery and I was still out of it and I'm sure it wasn't very enjoyable to be around me!

Today is Wednesday and once again I lounged around in bed all morning until I had to get ready for my doctors appointment. I wasn't really sure what to expect because when they called Monday afternoon I figured I had to go so there was no reason to ask questions, I would know what they wanted to do to me when I got there which would be soon enough. All I was able to tell Rebecca after hanging up was that they wanted to to something with me that would encourage bone growth. She just smiled and shook her head, I guess she doesn't appreciate surprises as much as I do!

When I arrived at the Dr's office today we were greeted by a very nice young woman who informed me that I was there to be fitted with a "Biomet Spinalpak" which is a non-invasive spine fusion stimulation system. Once again I was being fitted with a machine that would apply an electrical current to my body, something which in my line of work is avoided at all times - seriously who willingly gets electrocuted?  I realize that I am over reacting and the current applied is very low and not even strong enough to be felt and hey, if it helps me heal, I'm all for it.

After a full explanation of the equipment it was time to apply it to my back. Thankfully Rebecca was there to pay attention and she will be a huge asset when it comes time to replace the electrodes on my back! I am sure I will become accustomed to this little machine attached to my body 24 hours a day but right now I find myself focusing on what a pain in the butt it is going to be sleeping with wires attached to my body and leads going from my back to the control pack, I just pray I don't strangle myself by accident after all we have gone through to get me better! I know I will figure it out and by this time next week I won't even realize I'm wearing it but till then I will feel like an experiment to turn me into some sort of super hero or even worse like a villain. Come to think of it I could be the cool version of Mr. Electric not like the weenie that kids who watched Shark Boy and Lava Girl are thinking of!

My next planned appointment is just before Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for and look forward to the appointment after that when I will get x-rays and finally see what my spine looks like now. Until then I may not be able to see it but I know my spine feels better than it did November 3rd!