I had an appointment with my surgeon during Week Two and to the left is my X-ray. He was very pleased with the placement of the hardware and how the rest of my vertebrae looked. I was still using my walker and easily fatigued, and sitting in a car was very uncomfortable. But by this time, the severe pain the accompanied that first week after surgery had subsided significantly. What was left was much more bearable and was minimized with pain medication.
I was already off the Percoset and the antibiotics and taking Tramadol and Soma as needed. I was finally able to sleep through the night with the aid of a sleeping pill. I was really hopeful and was able to stay awake a little longer throughout the day. And my incisions were healing perfectly - my home health nurse made a funny comment that they were the cleanest sutures she'd ever seen!
I have to give all the credit to Nurse Mom, a real Registered Nurse, who observed and monitored my incisions like a hawk. Trust me folks: you do not want infection to further complicate the pain stemming from holes in your vertebrae accommodating screws and bolts (giving the phrase Drill Baby Drill a whole new meaning) and the perpetual sting from the incisions you already have. Take care of them like you would a newborn baby or cashmere sweater and do EXACTLY what your surgeon and your home health nurse tell you to do. Don't make an already sucky situation suckier by allowing infection.
Things continued to improve through these first four weeks. I put on a little more weight but not so much where my brace was uncomfortable. I would wear a tank top underneath the brace and a shirt or sweater over it. (I actually bought a few maternity tops and sweaters from Target that fit over the brace perfectly!) The average observer could still tell there was something going on under there but at least it was totally obvious in public. During week two I was visited by a physical therapist at home who taught me three basic exercises to do everyday to keep strong until I could go to outpatient physical therapy sometime around week six.
By week three I was moving around without the walker and showering without supervision (I still used the shower chair though). I even took my first non-medical-related trip out of the house - Bolted Bionic Husband took me to see Twilight on opening day, and I was able to sit through the two hour movie fairly comfortably. I remember being so excited to get out of the house that day (as well as shocked that Bolted Bionic Husband would even set foot in a crowded theater to watch a just-released movie about teen vampire lust). The only drawback is that I had lost quite about of strength in the first few weeks and had lost alot of stamina. By the time we got home from the movie I was exhausted, but I was out! In public! Walking without assistance!
By week four, per my surgeon's instructions, I started exercising on the elliptical machine 20 minutes a session three or four times a week. For those of you unaware of this exercise machine, it simulates the action of running without the impact. It is very easy on the joints and with a spinal fusion, impact is your worst enemy. The benefits of starting exercise were clearly gaining stamina and strength and keeping weight down, but the best benefits for me included keeping the depression at bay that had been hovering over me for years.
Things were getting better every week and I had more hope than I had had in years that things were going to be OK.
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