So I had lumbar fusion surgery on March 1, 2024. The surgery apparently went well. Had general anesthetic for the second time and this was an issue for me. With the first surgery, the laminectomy in August of 2023, I was extremely dizzy and vomiting afterwards. This time, and with I assume a different anesthetic, I was not dizzy but had breathing problems after I was out of recovery. Clearly, I have problems with pain medication. Again, I was in hospital overnight with both oxygen and carbon dioxide monitors. Got home by noon the next day where I could handle my own pain meds. So no Percocet or Oxycodone, but I could manage half a Hydrocodone at bedtime. Took that for three weeks and was done.

Anyway, the surgery was a minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) to deal with spondylolisthesis and resulted in a fusion of the L4 and L5 vertebrae. So it was not extensive for which I was grateful and the doctor throught it was likely caused by my backwards fall off the Bosu ball in December, 2022. Just great. My husband was most impressed by the fact that I had four screws in my back which cost $7,000 each.

The first two weeks after surgery were not good. I never felt like myself, had no interest in anything including food, and maybe this was a result of anesthetic needing to wear off or trauma from the surgery. I remember reading a blog and the author, who also had back fusion surgery, said she spent the first month basically in her bedroom. I think that was probably a great idea. Keep the world small and focused. One thing that helped me was reading the book Lessons in Chemistry which was a Book Club assignment. I could lie on my side and read and that held my interest for awhile. But for that two weeks, I just didn’t care about anything. Sort of surreal. I did some short walks outside the house, just a block or so, several times a day, and always checking just to be sure the sciatic nerve pain was really gone.

Had a follow-up with the surgeon after two weeks and that was my first time back riding in a car. He had previously told me two months to “recover” and two years to “heal.” So after other follow-up visits, he had me start physical therapy at two months post-surgery. I still do some of those same exercises a year later. They mostly included bridges off a mat and off a stability ball, lateral leg lifts, clamshells, open book stretches, and several upper body exercises to strengthen the obliques. I was also doing a 10-pound farmer’s carry. At six months, my surgeon said my x-rays showed signs of bone grafting and I was free to ride a bicycle again. I was also done with follow-up visits unless I wanted to come back after a year.

So a year later, I can walk several miles with no nerve pain in my back and leg and I can ride my bike 20 to 30 miles with no pain. My only problem is stiffness in the lower back when I first get up from bed in the morning. Can’t bend over for awhile. Takes about 15 minutes to wear off and I consider this an acceptable trade off.

I found the image attached to this post on Facebook and it reflects my feelings after recovering from surgery.