Sixteen Weeks After Back Surgery

This Wednesday will document 16 weeks since my lower back disk fusion surgery...  5 disks fused...  L2-L3-L4-L5-S1...

My first few weeks was not so much tough as there was minimal back pain, but it was depressing because my improvement was so slow...  Oftentimes, I felt like I was not making any progress at all.  I began walking and built myself up to 1.5 miles each day, only taking Sundays off to rest the body.

I also began therapy on my left hip because I was experience discomfort and the therapy helped but I also discovered that while there was no discomfort in my right hip, it was worst than my left hip but since it was not on the doctor's orders, it could not be treated.

When we went to Myrtle Beach, I walked along the hard sand for a mile each day until I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection.  When I returned home, my family doctor gave me another dosage of pills because I was not cured.

What I discovered at Myrtle Beach was that my back felt better after a night's sleep on the hard bed that was in our condo.  So, when we returned home, I increased my sleep number bed from 65 to 90 and each morning my back felt better.  I don't know if this hard bed concept will work for everyone but it worked for me.

This Thursday, I meet with my back surgeon and will probably be my last visit with him as I am sure he will release me totally...  I will also asked for therapy on both hips as well as my back as I am not walking with ease and I cannot use either legs without help to walk up stairs.  Other than that, my improvement while greadual is acceptable and I finally feel like I really getting closer to where I was.

Following instructions from the surgeon and walking were the keys to my improvement...  slow progress has got to be mentally acceptable and it was not for me which becomes a mental problem and forces you to make yourself walk...  it would be better if you did not have to force yourself like I did.

So, maybe you can learn from my experiences...