[ian]

SADR, I'm sorry you're having so many problems post op. But it can take a while before you can really determine if it was a success or not. I can only speak for me, but my pain was titanically worse post op. It took months before I started feeling like I was headed in the right direction and over 2 years later I'm still improving.

And allow me to say something that might be hard to hear, for anyone who has gone overseas for surgery. Despite how nice and supportive any doctor in Europe might be, once you return home, you are on your own. There's nothing any doctor 7,000 miles away can do other than recommend you see a doctor stateside. All they can do is answer questions, that's it.

It's extremely important to have your support network in place when you return. In my case that meant a spine specialist, chiropractor, massage therapist and physio therapist.

I'm guessing you aren't that far along in your recovery. But please rest assured that you're not alone in thinking the surgery was a failure. I had countless scares my first 18 months and thought for sure something was wrong. You gotta hold onto hope. It's all you got. And bust your *** every single day to keep moving forward.

Not a day goes by that I don't do something to continue getting stronger and more pain free. The recovery isn't 6 months, 12 months, or every 24 months. It's a lifetime of recovery.

I sincerely hope you get better soon as I know first hand how life altering it can be when you're in constant pain. My thoughts are with you.

- Ian