Here it is, six weeks following surgery, and it's just one week to go before Kat's Last Chance is released. I'm down to the wire and still doing my best not to overdo things at home. I had my X-rays completed and saw my wonderful surgeon yesterday, so let's start there with a quick health update.

So, six weeks later and I'm still using the walker on occasion. I've had two more spills since my last entry, both times coming out of bed. The sciatica that started the Friday (day 9 post-surgery) behind my knees is still present, and I was concerned about that. At times I feel as though my ankle is twisted, and if I crouch, I can't get back up because the pain is so intense. I discussed this with my surgeon yesterday, and he made a lot of sense. After all, for a year-and-a-half, I worked primarily from my bed, with pillows beneath my knees bending my legs. It was impossible to straighten them without pain. He so wisely informed me that those nerves are now being stretched, pulled on and realigned. It will take time for them to heal, especially since they were inflamed for so long. That gave me hope. He also mentioned that physical therapy will probably help that heal up, so I'm now screaming, "Get me in PT!" ☺

With that being said, I should be receiving a phone call next week to start, yippee! I'm eager to get going, for I still feel weak and tired at times. I know a lot of that is the busy-ness of life and having a family to take care of, but I also feel as though much of that is because I have lost a lot of my muscle tone over this period.

Pain-wise, I feel a lot better and am weaning off my medication. I still get twinges in my back complete with muscle spasms, especially in the morning, but overall I'm already feeling so much better than prior to surgery (THANK YOU, DOC!) If it was not for the sciatica behind my knees going down to my toes, I think I'd be so much more active (energy depending). I am walking every day, and plan to keep extending the distance as much as I can.

I've been given the approval to start driving up to half-hour increments. I must start off slowly and work my way up. From my residential location, that's a huge help. Everything seems to be so far away. I have been driving now for over a week, and at first it was very painful. I never realized just how much you use your abdominal muscles until I first got behind the wheel that day. Also, twisting is a bit difficult, and I'm not all that comfortable relying solely on mirrors, so I have my daughter keep an eye out for me as well. Once again, my surgeon was so wise when he told me to heed the signals of my body. I'm taking it slow to be safe. I carry precious cargo!

Both incisions have closed completely, and I'm using a cream called Revitol to see if that helps fade it a little. I found that online through a Google search of the best scar removal creams. It came in second before Mederma, so I hopped on Amazon and bought a jar. I've been using it twice a day, so we'll see how that goes. After everything I've been through, I don't even mind if the scars stay - they're BATTLE SCARS, baby!

The muscles around my abdomen are still very tender, and they are hard along the incision line. I've heard from others who have had c-sections that it's normal and will eventually go away. That was a relief, for Oscar hit me square on in the stomach with his popped basketball (crazy dog), and I buckled in two. Ouch!

Before I move on to Kat's book, I just want to shout again to my friends and family for helping me out so much. Kathy has been a godsend to me, driving from a half-hour away to take me into Phoenix for my appointments, and I can't thank her enough (even though this book is hers, coincidentally, LOL). Also to Shannon for being my rock these days. My two girls are working so hard to help me that it brings tears to my eyes. With my oldest in college now, I call us the Terrific Trio. And to all my online friends, thank you for the emotional support. You have been there through the tough times, and I will NEVER forget that.

Now on to Kat! Seven days left. I'm cleaning up the final draft and using the physical proof to do so. It will be released on time, I promise. It's been very busy, but I'm determined to put in whatever hours it takes to finish up. I will have it available right on October 25th via Amazon and Smashwords. Barnes and Noble may take up to a week or so after, but iTunes and Sony I believe are almost instantaneous these days. I'll add the links to my site as they appear and announce on my Facebook page when it's present at the various sites. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement. I still recommend the surgery for those in my position, even though the recovery time is so long. It is worth a few months of weakness to live a pain-free and relatively normal lifestyle. Just make sure you don't do too much or your body will let you know.

Until next time! Hugs, everyone!!

September 5, 2012, I went in for an ALIF and TLIF surgical procedure on my back. You can review the entire story in the posts below, but this is to be my one month update.  As you can see from the photo, I am still using the walker, but I am up and moving around - yay!

I mentioned before that on my first weekend home I developed sciatica in my calves and behind my knees. Yes, I know, that's a very strange spot to have it, especially since I have very little pain in my buttocks and thighs. I hardly notice it there. But that has continued now two weeks later. (I'm sincerely wishing it would heal up, but I'll continue to keep you posted on that.) 

I can say that the sciatica has eased. It's not quite as intense as it was at first unless I stand for too long or sit for too long. You can see in the photo attached that I am standing with my left leg bent. That is the most painful leg, and the pain can escalate quickly. When standing, I must continue to move from side to side or the pain becomes so incredible that I am forced to my knees. At one point, I had to crawl out of my closet until my daughter, Shannon, could help me climb back into bed. The same thing has happened from sitting too long. One time following a trip to the restroom, I almost 'lunged' (would have if physically strong enough, haha) back to my bed. I immediately lie flat when this happens and wait for the pain to lighten up. That is the worst problem that I'm facing at this point in time, and I plan to speak with my surgeon and pain management doctor in the next couple of weeks when I go in for my follow ups.

Drivers beware! I am back on the road! 

No need to run for the hills; I am just teasing. I'm not dangerous, I promise. 

I drove for the first time following surgery on Wednesday of this week, just a quick half-mile journey to a doctor's office down the street from us. The appointment was for my daughter, and I made her stop texting and put down her phone and help me with an extra pair of eyes and ears because of my limited motion. I never truly realized how much you use your abdominal muscles when you drive. Perhaps it was because I was nervous or perhaps because I drive a BMW ("the man and car are one" is right ,sheesh!), but I found it to be a bit more difficult than I thought. My surgeon had told me to heed my instincts on driving, so for now I will only drive when necessary and follow his instructions to keep my journeys to 10-15 minute trips on local streets only. This is not one thing I will be daring about.

Following the doctor's appointment, we had to make a quick stop to drop off her prescription, and by the time I was done I had to take a pain pill and lie down. It was exhausting, which is such a strange feeling because I'm so used to being active and busy. You can really tell that your body is not quite ready to go full-steam ahead, and I am constantly reminded when I do "too much". 

When you come out of surgery, the hospital staff is very insistent that you monitor your 'movements'. Since my appetite still has not returned completely, I had been resorting to drinking shakes, eating fruits and having a light dinner. I ended up having a blockage that almost sent me to the ER. That was a miserable time, and probably the worst part of my recovery so far. So for those who find themselves not following orders to a "T" and slacking off a bit, please make sure you're taking care of business! It took me a couple of days afterwards to feel better, and I'm still feeling nauseous at times.

After all my frightening news, I do have some icing to go on the cake! The good news is that both incisions are healing up very well. The back incision is completely closed and now a long, pink scar. I still have two steri-strips left on my abdomen out of six, and one spot where one had fallen off is still slightly open, but they are not giving me any trouble at all. If it wasn't for the sciatica in my calves right now, I don't think I would need any pain pills at all. Every now and then, it seems as though I can "feel" the rods in my back. They ache a bit. I also have a tender spot in my stomach, but I believe it's just muscle pain where they're coming back together.

I am very excited to get to the point where I no longer need medications at all. Going back to just a multivitamin is my goal, and I'm determined to get there sooner or later. I would be a lot more active with my walking if not for the sciatica, but again I believe part of that is my body telling me not to do too much. I run an active household with children and pets, so the bending, twisting, lifting and household chores that I'm not supposed to be doing sometimes have me doing more than I should. I know, I know, I must take it easy. It's just easier said than done when there's no one else around at the time to help. 

Of course I must get back to work! I have been online a little bit here and there, but I am mostly keeping my hours limited. I still have some sleepless, uncomfortable nights, so I try to rest during the day. However, I have finalized the cover for Kat's Last Chance, The Evans Family, Book Four and still plan to release it this month. My official date for release will be October 25th, barring any further complications. 

I hope this pleases everyone! I know a lot of you have been waiting for the arrival, and I promise you that even though I've been out of the loop for some time I am still preparing to have an on-time release.

This is my first reveal of the new cover. I hope you love it as much as I do. A special thanks goes out to An Author's Art once again for taking my words and turning them into magic for me. Thank you Laura!

Physically, I will continue to focus on recovery. I will see my surgeon again on the 16th, and we will then determine when I can start physical therapy. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to get moving again. It's been a long road, and it feels as though the end is in sight.

Lastly, I really must put out a giant thank you for all the cards, flowers, well wishes and best hopes that I've received from you all. I plan to frame all the get well cards and mount them on the wall in my office. Every time I open the PO Box, I have been brought to tears by the kindness you all have shown me. (Ask Shannon on our blog if you don't believe me, haha). You are the best readers out there, and I can't say thank you enough! It has helped me remain optimistic in times of pain, and it has warmed my heart to know that so many people care. Thank you all so much!

Some of you know that I’ve been laid up for over a year now with back problems. Go figure, my active lifestyle apparently was the cause of it. Who would have thought that when you remain active and healthy you end up
blowing out your back? Well, that’s what happened to me in July 2011. I went to bed one night and woke up the next morning to fall on my face when my leg gave out on me. Anyone who’s limped down this road will understand when I say that you can’t stand for more than a few minutes without your muscles clamping down and spasming, and you can’t sit for more than a couple of minutes because it’s so painful. It’s a good thing I work from home, because the only somewhat comfortable position is to lie flat with my legs bent (try straightening them and you’ll hear me screaming all the way to Alaska!). That’s the life you live when you have a back injury, and I would never wish this on anyone, honestly. It's a difficult and disabling injury that is incredibly difficult to manage.

Oh, we tried everything, flipping the mattress, sleeping in another room, putting a board under the mattress, and building “The Great Wall of China” in my bed with pillows. Guess what? None of that worked. By November, I could barely stand and the discomfort was so great there were times that I would just cry. I spent hours pacing the house like a caged animal trying to escape from the pain, and it was months that I had not felt my baby toe because of the sciatica that raged down both legs. I finally broke down and visited my primary care physician, who promptly sent me for an MRI, and lo and behold, we found out I had problems with two of my discs. L4/L5 bulges, not too bad but enough to need surgery, and L5/S1 had collapsed (see photo on left below). They told me what I already knew: your disc is pinching your spinal cord, ouch! Yeah, so fix me, please! 
 
Two rounds of steroids, a nerve blocker called Gabapentin, muscle relaxants, and physical therapy were prescribed. That’s the standard operating procedure for most back problems I suppose. I was definitely a trooper, braving the intense pain in my back while driving to go to my physical therapy appointments religiously, hoping with all my heart that I could fix it without surgery. I’ve been making it through my day with a strong painkiller that made me so loopy in the beginning that I thought I would lose my mind. Guess what? It didn’t work. And my goodness, if you’ve ever had back problems, you know what I mean when I say it’s so unbelievably discouraging. I mean, my house looks like a torture chamber now: bottles of mind-altering substances, a rack, and a bed of
nails. OK, honestly, it’s actually my medications, an acupressure mat and of course my trusty but huge inversion table. None of those have worked so far, which make you wonder if you’re going to be confined to the house for the rest of your life. 

In late-February I tried injections. I must admit that I love my pain management doctor. He’s amusing, optimistic, and entertaining. But it’s frightening to lie in a sterile room with your butt aiming to the sky and an x-ray machine focused on your spine while needles are injected into that narrow, sensitive area that holds the key to independent movement. We tried four injections to no avail. The second one did wonders for loosening up the muscles that were clamped down because of my ‘guarding’, but still the pain didn’t go away (how could it, when I have so much material pressing on the spinal cord?). The best part of the injections was the numbing agent that they used that would make my back pain go down to a four long enough for me to return home. 
 
In June I finally contacted a surgeon. I broke down and realized that I couldn’t go on like this because I was hurting too much, hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a year and nothing else was working. Oh yeah, I called, and then the waiting began. Guess what? You need a new MRI, the other one is now eight months old. Great. So I did go in and get a new one, along with x-rays of my back to see why my range of motion was so horrible. I contacted two surgeons, and finally got in to see one with my new films. Imagine my surprise when I found out how intricate the surgery was going to be? I mean, I’ve spoken to a lot of people over the months who have told me to get the surgery because they’re up and walking in two days. I knew I was a fairly tough person, but boy
did this prove that all my whining was well worth it! Take that! 

I’m a lucky person in that my injury is in a common area, and the surgeries I’ll be undergoing are routine for my situation. That’s a relief. However, I was nearly bowled over when my surgeon told me I would be out of touch for 3-4 weeks, couldn’t start physical therapy for two months and wouldn’t be back to normal for 6-8 months. Even scarier is that I might not be driving for over a month! Whatever happened to two days up and walking around?

I guess I have to have two procedures done, that’s why. There are actually multiple issues to address, so there will be two surgeries completed. I’ll have an anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) using a plastic brace to fuse the two discs together and raise the collapsed disc (I hope I get my half inch back, everyone!). That procedure will be done by going in at my bikini line, pushing aside my intestinal sac and then inserting the brace into my spinal column once the collapsed material is removed. Then, I’ll be flipped over somehow (I really don’t want to know how, honestly) for a posterior fusion with bilateral foraminal decompression (PLIF) which will scrape away the bone spurs that are compressing my spinal cord and clean up the herniated material (see photo on right). In truth, I’m not sure which side comes first, but the plan is to complete both procedures at once. Oh, I hope so too. I just want it all done so I can start the road to healing. A sixty percent reduction in pain will at least let me get back on my feet, perhaps hike again, and my surgeon said that I might even be able to resume horseback riding in a year. Unfortunately it’s too late for my last horse, who’s moved on to a new home, but someday I may get back in the saddle. Now I wait.

So I’ll be offline for a time. I’m still planning on releasing Kat’s Last Chance in October as planned, but I probably will be catching up on tons of lost sleep for the first few weeks following surgery. Because these surgeries are so intimidating for us back sufferers, I will try to keep my readers informed and hopefully educate others about my personal experience during recovery, so I’ll try to keep the blog updated regularly. For now all I can say is the end of the road is in sight, and I for one am looking forward to getting my life back!

Please keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned!