Recovery

It's now been a little over six weeks since I had spinal fusion surgery, and my recovery is proceeding normally.  "Normally", however, is entirely too slow for me, and I am heartily sick of my physical limitations and the restrictions on my activities.

My six-week follow-up visit was last week.  The x-rays showed that everything is in place as it should be, and nothing has shifted or worked itself loose.  I was disappointed to learn that there is no way to tell if my bones are fusing normally.  The absence of shifting/loosening is taken as a positive sign, but it will be a long time before there is any evidence of new bone growth.  So I continue to wear the bone growth stimulator every day, and to observe the restrictions on my movement that are intended to prevent damage: no bending, twisting, pushing, pulling, or lifting more than 15 lb.

I got myself off of the narcotic pain meds (oxycodone) last week, and as of yesterday I stopped taking acetaminophen as well.  I don't think it really helped the muscle/bone pain much anyway, and it has very negative interactions with alcohol.  I would rather administer my customary evening anesthetic (Jack Daniels) without fear of damage to my liver.  :)  I am still taking the methocarbamol for muscle spasms and pain, and will take that as long as the doctor advises.

I am beginning to have a bit more stamina, but it's really astonishing just how little energy I have had, and how exhausting it is just to heal.  My daily routine is to wake up sometime between 0530 and 0600, get up and let the dog out, then cook breakfast and feed her.  After that I read or play a computer game for awhile, then go for a walk.  Usually this is my standard daily walk down the back (and as-yet undeveloped) street in our neighborhood:

Morning Walk

After the walk I shower and change into fresh clothing, and then usually take a nap for an hour or two (whether I think I'm tired or not, I usually just conk out and wake up around lunchtime).   In the afternoon I try to tackle some aspect of normal activities (e.g. reading emails, household finances, light maintenance, reading or something like that).  I have had a very limited tolerance for sitting or standing, as well as a limited ability to concentrate (despite having stopped the pain meds). Everybody says that healing takes a lot of energy, but I hadn't really experienced it until now, even with my hip replacement last fall.  I am just tired and listless, nearly all the time.  I suspect that this is at least in part due to inactivity, but also because my body's resources are being directed toward bone growth and muscle/tissue adjustment.

The muscle/connective tissue aspect of this recovery is interesting in itself.  I have a constantly-shifting constellation of aches and pains, presumably because my muscles and connective tissues are adjusting themselves to my new spinal geometry.  Some are too long, others have been stretched, and they all have to readjust.  And of course the nerves emanating from that region of my spinal column have been profoundly affected.  As the doctor put it, the nerves on the right side are happy and those on left not so much, and they all have to adapt to the new orientation of the vertebrae.

In short, he really wasn't kidding when he said that every muscle in my back would hurt for weeks.

That said, I have been feeling better lately, and am working hard to get back up and into more of a normal routine.  I've been sleeping a little less, and over the last two days I extended my daily walk significantly.

I had already started going along with Teresa for an afternoon walk with the dog occasionally, and now I am trying to do it daily if I can:

Afternoon walk with the dog.

This walk goes through the developed part of our neighborhood, and since I am with Teresa it nearly always involves stopping and talking with some of our neighbors for an extended period. Tillie often grabs her leash in her mouth during these conversations, and tugs on it while doing backflips and pirouettes trying to get us back in motion.  I stand and watch her with a smile, while mentally doing exactly the same thing, lol.

Yesterday morning when I got to the bottom of the hill on my morning walk, I just decided to keep going rather than turning around, and got a little longer walk with a change of scenery.  It was kind of fun, as it took me around a different part of our area, through our neighbor's tree farm (where we have permission to walk), and into our property from the back:

A different morning walk.

This was a little harder, but I felt good enough afterwards that today I got ambitious (and impatient), and indulged myself in an actual hike in the woods.  I had asked the doctor at my six-week visit if this would be OK, and he said yes.  When I asked if I could carry a 15-20 lb. day pack, he said "absolutely not".  He did say I could carry a hydration bladder, through.  So I dug into the field gear that I "forgot" to turn in when I retired from the Army and set up the MOLLE 2 hydration bladder as well as the waist pack with the basic essentials for a day hike (poncho, first aid kit, foot care supplies, extra socks, matches, survival kit, GPS, and pistol), packed a small lunch, and set out for a local trail.

My "recovery period" hiking gear.  From left to right: MOLLE 2 hydration pack with canteen cover to hold my lunch,  MOLLE 2 waist pack, Wilderness Safepacker holster with Kimber Camp Guard pistol.

I chose the Blue Creek Trail because it is very close to home (only about 3 or 4 miles away), and is a moderately easy trail and pleasant walk through the woods.  Of course, this is the hottest week of the year, and was supposed to get up to 95 degrees.  I don't know if it did, but it sure felt like it.  I parked at the trailhead and set out at 1120.

At the Blue Creek Trailhead, ready to start.

This is a so-called "lollipop" trail, having an out-and-back section at the beginning with a loop at the far end.  The initial section is a fairly steep climb, but is relatively short.  I took it very slow and easy, at about the same pace I walk when traveling with a heavy load (about 2 mph).  This is a pace I can normally keep up all day long with a full backpack.  Today, however, it felt like just about all I could handle even with a very light load.  Of course I had on my very restrictive back brace, which prevents me from bending and makes it awkward to sit (getting my hiking boots on and the laces tied was an accomplishment all in itself!).

Blue Creek Trail

By the time I was finished an hour and a half later, I was ready to be done.  Even though the trail is only 3 miles long, I felt my lack of conditioning acutely, especially on the downhill return to the trailhead.  My legs were stiff and sore (especially my quads), and my feet were talking to me as well.  I clearly have a lot of work to do to get back in shape for backpacking.  But despite all that, it was a rewarding and invigorating outing, and was exactly what I needed to give me a small taste of what I'm working towards - extended backcountry wilderness expeditions, starting next year!

Mood:  Happy
Music:  Bach, Concertos for One and Two Harpsichords