so, the follow up with the surgeon was better than expected.
Actually, I’d expected the x-ray would show that the graft didn’t take and the screws and rods had all broken. Instead, despite my usual worst-luck-this-side-of-the-Mississippi, everything is good. The bone graft is grafting, the screws are screwed in and holding and I’m allowed out of the brace. I can walk as far as I want and I can do hills, so no more pacing the 200 feet of flat walk on our hilly street–it’s around the block from now on. I can even drive (only for short jaunts, but after 6 weeks of confinement, I’ll take it and be happy about it too).
Starting Monday, it’s off to physical therapy 3x a week for the next 7 weeks. I can’t wait to get my muscles back. It’s amazing what slashing the back muscles does to your hamstrings and abdominals. Don’t ask me how, but the hams are tight and the abs are, shall we say, not so tight.
anyway…
I don’t care. I’m fine. The bones and hardware are fine and the brace is off.
It’s good. It’s all good.
something to look forward to: I’ve ordered copies of the x-rays with the screws and rods…I will be scanning and posting them, and then making art out of them.
Croneswood Art 
8 responses to “my surgery — unbound”
It’s amazing to see the inside of your body with hardware, isn’t it?
The bone graft was harder for me to see. They kept pointing and saying “See? Here? Where it’s filling in between the vertebrae?”
Uh …. no. But I’ll take your word for it.
Congratulations on a great post-op visit!
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yeah…i kept looking and looking for bone between the vertabra but couldn’t see a thing. doctor showed me these little speckles on the sides of the bones. apparently, i was looking in all the wrong places.
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Woo hooooooooooo!!!!!!!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
What fabulous news!
*gentle but exuberant hugs*
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i haven’t been this happy in over a year!
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*grins* Yay!!!!!
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Wonderful news!
And, just fyi, your hamstrings may be tight from holding your torso up from the bottom, as it were. Just a thought . . .
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Laughed over making art out of them! Although you are probably serious! I had surgery (not back) but can still identify with the people and process. My surgery was performed robotically…pretty sure the doc was telling the robot what to do! Sometimes you don’t know whether to be scared or fascinated……well if both. Love your positive way of telling all about your experience. Oh loved where you said the doctor didn’t like to play in the your network ( insurance I mean). Geeze is that ever true do often.
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Forgot to say glad you are mending!
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