Drew,
As you well know, there will be great days, good days and some bad days, the latter will hopefully be fewer for you. I think you'll find new areas of the body that feel different to you - potential new nerve pathways being discovered, maybe these firings enlivening some muscles. I know this has been my experience.
While the recovery may not be 100% smooth, the important thing is that you will recover and be in better shape than you have been in a long time. Anyone who undergoes back surgery will remember what brought them there in the first place. The reduction or elimination of back pain and other symptoms is nothing short of miraculous.
It's slow & steady. As so many have commented before, you will start using different metrics to measure improvement. Rather than evaluating one day compared to another, you may start using weeks and even potentially months. But it is too early for that now. I wish you happy days and continued progress.
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1989 – herniated disc at L5-S1
1992 – L5-S1 broad bulging; right L5 nerve root compression; impingement on S1 root within spinal canal;
2006 – DDD L3-S1; disk bulge at L3-L4 and mild facet/ligmentous hypertrophy; L4-L5 large herniated disc; facet/ligmentous hypertrophy with stenosis; disc herniation & dessication at L5-S1;
2013/2014 – Dessication and significant disc height loss at L4-L5 & L5-S1; L3-L4 disc bulge with hypertrophy; mild spinal stenosis; Grade 1 anterolisthesis (3mm); L4-L5 - marginal spurring and moderate hypertrophy causing neuroforaminal narrowing; L5-S1 - moderate-severe neuroforaminal narrowing; lumbar lordosis is straightening.
New pains & functional limitations in late 2013 led to exploring ADR procedures. Consulted with 8 surgeons domestically and 9 in Europe.
May 2014 – Anterior and posterior incisions in a 5-hour surgery resulted in 2 M-6s and one facet joint prosthesis (dynamic stabilization system). On the road to full recovery.
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