Since returning home to Florida from NC in August, my life hit the ground running. After building the patio, it took me about 7 days before I did anything. I unpacked my car and got groceries delivered and that was it. I was tired and sore from the summer activities. After I got rested up, then it was time to move back into my home and get it set up to live in for the next 9 months.

My home is 3 stories and I have alot of narrow stairs that go straight up. I basically took a few boxes upstairs each day. Tried not to do too much and leave time to rest. Some days I succeeded and other days I didn’t. I don’t know why it’s so hard to rest and not do anything. I feel better when I rest, but it’s just hard to sit still. It’s against my nature to sit still.

I’m still using pain management. Gabapentin (nerve pain) 800mg four times a day, tramadol (pain) 50mg 1-3 times a day, tizanidine (muscle spasms) 4-6mg three times a day. Also medical marijuana every evening. This regimen has been pretty good overall. The nerve pain in my left leg and foot is still there.

Still going to myofascial release massage for 2 hours every other week. I still have trigger points and sore muscles in my whole back. Before surgery, my right thoracic, right lumbar and left lumbar were all very painful with muscle knots. I think they are less tight now but still very tender and sore. Massage is still needed to keep me moving.

My mobility overall is really good considering my titanium spine. I continue to use my legs for everything. I had handicap bars installed in 2 bathrooms and my step in shower. Now that i have them, I wonder why I didn’t get them sooner. It’s so convenient to have a bar to help me on and off the toilet. And the shower! It’s great to hold onto the bar and be able to wash my feet and legs. Gives me stability that I can count on. I definitely suggest getting bars installed prior to surgery. It’s impossible to properly wash feet sitting on a shower chair and impossible to wash them without holding on to anything. Long handled bath sponges aren’t easy to use eitherr. With a long fusion, the upper back can’t ’round’ over to do these things.

Before Thanksgiving, my boyfriend and I went on an 8 day cruise. I had to do some planning to figure out how I could enjoy this vacation. I’ve been on over 30 cruises and I know how large the ships are. How far it is from a stateroom to dining room or pool. It’s really far. Lots of steps. I can walk without assistance but the nerve pain and fatigue hinders how far I walk. So I decided to get a small electric wheelchair. I researched wheelchairs and I found a chair with a very small turning radius. It folds up like a baby stroller. This wheelchair was amazing. I rode the chair onto the ship and to the room. Then I left it in the room the rest of the night. My steps for the day was 7400! That’s the furthest I’ve walked since surgery. But, I was in bed and in pain until the next day. After that, I used the chair to go to the buffet or the pool and would leave it parked at the table and then walk around. Then take the chair to the next place. It worked out well. I am so happy I had that chair. There is no way I would’ve been able to fully participate in the vacation without the chair. Another modification for my new life.

Five days after returning from the cruise, I had my right thumb reconstructed and carpal tunnel surgery. I have had thumb joint arthritis for several years and the heavy weight lifting I did in physical therapy before surgery just solidified that I needed to get thumb surgery. The surgeon took a tendon from my forearm and placed it into the thumb joint for cushion and he did the carpal tunnel release at the same time. I had a forearm cast that went from the middle of my fingers, all of my thumb and almost to my elbow. This cast stayed on for 12 days. I was then transitioned to a custom forearm splint and I started occupational therapy. The pain was pretty intense the first 5 days and then slowly it decreased. My hand and thumb was swollen and it needed to be elevated at all times. Prescription NSAID helped significantly with the swelling. At 7 weeks I transitioned out of the splint and no longer need any brace unless I’m doing heavy lifting or using my hand alot. I’m very pleased with the outcome. I am getting carpal tunnel release on my left hand in a couple weeks and I’ll have the joint reconstruction (same as right thumb) in the fall. This time I’ll schedule it for after Thanksgiving though. I was unable to do any cooking due to my hand being in a cast and being in pain and cooking is one of my hobbies.

My mother and daughter both reside in Nevada and I hadn’t seen them since I had surgery. Decided I wanted to have my little family with me for Christmas. They were both excited about coming to see me so I arranged their flights to arrive Dec 22. The reunion was a very happy one and my daughter’s new husband also came. Now my little family has one more member. We had a great Christmas and my mother decided to move to Florida where I live! She and I found the perfect retirement community for her. She’s on the waiting list and she’s selling her home in Nevada. I am looking forward to having my mother near me again.

I know this has been a more personal post, but it shows that there is a full and rich life after long fusion. This post isn’t about what I can’t do. It’s about what I can do and how I’ve made my life go on. I’m a different person and I’m trying to not compare myself now to how I was when I was healthy. My life is different in all aspects. It’s a decision to make my life how I want it to be. I still have no regrets for having surgery. Absolutely none. Life can only go up from here.