A Typical Day in Recovery

Thought you might be curious about what a day is like in recovery. They are beginning a sort of pattern. You won't find them all that exciting :) but they are good in that I know each day puts me closer to doing more and feeling better.

I turn in about 7ish. The pain in my lower left back is pretty crummy by this time of day. This is the location of where there was a severe curve. The curve was so sharp that the vertebrae had fused in a curve of their own accord. The surgeon used a tiny saw to disconnect this fusion so that he could straighten out the curve. It helps me to visualize the site to know why it hurts. Anyway, I turn in about 7 and sleep comes quickly thanks to pain meds. I'm getting up 1-2x on my own now in the middle of the night and take another pain med about midnight.

I awaken anywhere from 7-8 AM. I know that once I get up the routine will need to start and I'll need to be engaged movement. Most of that involves 6 times a day to walk the hall upstairs. I am quite weary after that. I also know I'm weary because I break out in a sweat! Doug makes me a protein rich breakfast. I am told that my recovery requires the protein that a cross country skiier uses. I eat an egg, lots of citrus fruits and other fruits, cottage cheese, sliced deli turkey/chicken, sliced deli cheese, milk,peanut butter, whole grain bread, etc. I'm avoiding empty calories as they fill me up but do nothing for me. I'm not consuming large quantities -- mainly several small mini meals.

A hightlight of the day is the shower Doug gives me. That wonderful warm water falling upon me is a little bit of heaven. Washing my hair is so great. Grooming is nonexistent. Amazing how much time one can save if all you have to do is get your skin and hair clean.

The rest of the day is more walking, doing a little on the computer, reading a page or two, more walking, sitting, more walking, taking a break and lying down and over and over. I think this is much of what the weeks ahead will look like. Not real exciting but honestly they wear me out and I don't have much energy left to do anything that I'd consider fun or productive. I can only reach things at waist level - nothing under a sink, nothing on a shelf -- just waist high.

I greatly appreciate the emails and blog comments. I read all of them but hope you understand why many are not responded to -- just too much umph required.

One day in the future I'm going to post what my spine looked like the night before surgery. It is not an xray - just my skin, It's pretty wild. I'll also take a pix of the new spine with incision. It is hard to grasp how this was done. I'd love to see a movie of the operation -- just not a movie of MY surgery.

I cannot thank you enough for praying so faithfully -- even when you don't hear from me personally. These are such encouragements to me and keep me pushing. I wouldn't have to "report" to blogland that I'd been a slackard :)