Almost 5 months post-op. Finally getting to the point I am counting in months lol! I am only posting these pictures for people who are really considering surgery, know someone else who is/has, and my family and friends who genuinely want to know what it looks like. They said everyone loses 10-15 pounds after surgery. I had luckily managed to avoid weight loss up until the beginning of May and thought it wouldn't happen to me. I fell in our living room on our wood floors and it set me back a lot. It could have been worse. I am very lucky I didn't need another surgery or adjustment.
The pain is still pretty intense. It never stops. There is literally not a moment in the day that I am not in pain. I am SO uncomfortable regardless of how I sit, lay, recline, etc. I am feeling a significant improvement and I am getting stronger, it's just a slow process. I know that this was the right decision. Even though there are some moments when I wish I could just make it go away and go back to the way it was, I know that's unrealistic. I couldn't have continued to live in constant pain knowing it was only getting worse and that I was postponing the inevitable. I am approaching a half a year post operative and a lot has changed from the day I came home until now. Yes, I have torn many muscles. I have had three rounds of painful trigger point injections into my torn muscles. Physical therapy is exhausting and feels like something babies do in Gymboree, but I can almost brush my teeth without using my hand to hold myself up over the sink.
Being a couple inches taller makes me look even thinner. You can see the instrumentation when you look at my back, but that will go away as I gain more weight and my muscles grow back. The pictures below this are from week 15 after surgery.
All things considered, I am very lucky. Listen to your surgeon and physical therapists advice, don't over-do it and vacuum, clean your bathroom, drive your kids to and from school, etc and exhaust and strain yourself because it only slows your healing process. Ice packs are your best friend. My boyfriend has been the most amazing nurse and friend I could have ever dreamed of. Neither of us realized how much I would be reliant upon him, and he has been my saving grace. With a good surgeon, a positive attitude, and the support of family, friends, and preferably someone with fusion experience it will make the process much easier.
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| The scar looks very good. The bumps are the instrumentation and bone because I lost 10 pounds in the last four weeks. That is very normal after spinal surgery, especially since I was pretty thin before. |
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| The way I was standing makes my right shoulder blade and the side of my torso stick out a little but it is much straighter than this picture makes it look. |
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| I was compensating a little due to pain. My shoulders are very even now. |
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| Stego Spine |
