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.
These are the rods and pins that I can now feel in my back. The swelling has gone down, so there is a slight bulge, but I have to say, it is slight.
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A straight on view where you can clearly see the brace they inserted once they removed the collapsed disc. Eventually that will be covered in bone once the bone graft is fully grown in.
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My range of motion was slightly altered when they took this image, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm very happy my surgery was in the L5/S1 area. The fusion will hardly be noticeable.
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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!!
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!!
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