Progress report on recent fusion of L5-S1

[Jack]

Background:I am a 60+ year old male with progressive back pain for last 5 years. After trying practically every non-surgical remedy I chose one of the least invasive posterior fusions with titanium internal fixation.

I had surgery on 12-28-09. Hospital stay was three nights. Icouldn't get my meds squared away and was unable to sit the day of surgery. The next day, with the help of PT, I was able to sit, stand and wall about 200' in the hall (felt like a marathon)

The ride home was vicious as it see like we hit every pothole between the hospital and home. Five days post op I walked about 0.75 miles. Six days out went for the full mile. eight days was around 2.4 miles. So much of the walking around her is weather dependent this time of year.

I have a small airplane hanger beside my house that also functions as a workshop. I'm able at three weeks out to spend several hours of piddle work there. Do laundry, mop, and what little cooking back in the house I can do that everyone else can choke down. I don't cook much. Me wife is an excelent cook and she likes it. I really do hate to stand in the way of someone else's fun. This talent started out at number 5 on what I was looking for in a wife but seems the older I get the higher up the ranking it goes. It's still way behind #1 and thankfully that part didn't get messed up by the surgery either.

I''m still having quite a bit of pain, about like what it was just prior to surgery. I feel I'm a little ahead of where I thought I would be.

[Harrison]

Jack, sorry for not responding earlier. How are you doing?

Hopefully, you're taking it slow and not doing too much flying. Besides, don't your arms get tired?!

Just kidding. It sounds like you're not flying, but even "piddling" is a good -- you're on your feet and keeping vertical. Careful with the bending & twisting, that could be risky business while the fusion is setting.

[ans]

Best of luck to you Jack! Take it slow.

You mention future ADR. Is this b/c of DDD and you're kinda anticipating adjacent disc syndrome?

Ahh, forget it. Be optimistic, don't overdo it, be well.

"mom"

[scduggan]

Dear Jack,
Congratulations on your surgery. You sound like you are doing extremely well. It is good that you feel like you are a little ahead of the game. Keep us posted and hang in there!
CD

[Jack]

At 5 1/2 weeks post-op. Back pain was significantly less than pre-op and I was tapering off pain meds until yesterday. I was walking in our woods and slipped on a muddy stream bank. I caught most of my weight on my left arm but also my left butt cheek put a divot in the mud. Funny thing is I thought I had lucked out as it didn't really hurt my back post fall, lying in the mud. I did get lucky in one sense as the mechanism of injury was classic for a Collies fracture of the distal forearm. When I woke up this AM back pain was significantly worse. Hopefully, it is only temporary. This is the first time I have fallen in decades. It seems sometimes trying to be cautious is the worst thing to do.

As a side note I still have not gotten the bill for my part of the surgery. Maybe the hospital forgot.