One Week and Counting

     It has been just over a week since my surgery was performed and I am surprised at how well I am felling. I have started to wean myself off of the pain medicine because I don't need the constant high doses like I did a week ago. The most important medicine I am taking right now is to prevent muscle spasm's and I have especially learned to appreciate the anti-inflammatory benefits of Tylenol.

     My incisions are healing well and I am able to go without dressings on them now. Thankfully I am able to sit upright much easier and my mobility has increased greatly since I arrived home last Thursday. I am still under the "BLT" restrictions which are NO Bending, Lifting or Twisting. Due to this restriction I am basically stuck to sitting in my recliner or laying in bed. Once an hour I get up and walk around the house to prevent blood clots and to continue building up the muscles in my legs and healing the ones in my lower back that were cut through during the procedure.

     To be honest I didn't think I would be up and walking around a week after my surgery. I knew they would have me up and moving the day after the surgery but I am feeling like I could spend a day walking around the mall window shopping  not just laps around the house. The pain I have is more of a bruised bone feeling which I guess is to be expected due to the trauma my spine endured having the disks removed, spacers inserted and vertebrata fused. The swelling around my spine causes some sciatica down my left leg which tends to feel like a constant leg cramp down the back of my thigh and calf. I hope that this will eventually go away but even if it doesn't I am grateful that all the other pain I had been experiencing since my accident seems to be gone. I no longer have the constant numbness or pins and needle feeling in my legs and my feet feel normal.

     I am still required to wear an elastic girdle for a couple more weeks but even when I am taking a breather from it I can still stand tall and upright. My follow up appointment with the surgeon isn't until 11/26/13 and until then I am home bound as they don't want me traveling in a vehicle until my appointment.

     The next 13 days are going to be tough as I am not the kind of person who likes to sit around doing nothing but I'm sure I will keep myself busy with driving Rebecca and the kids crazy and before we all know it I will be getting Thanksgiving Lunch ready and welcoming our closest family into the house for a celebration that there will be plenty to be Thankful for.

Ready to fly the coop!