This past week was rough. My back pain was excruciating and there wasn’t a position I could find to get comfort. For four nights in a row, I used a sleeping pill to sleep successfully. One of those nights I was up until at least 1am and then again at 6am. Let me tell you! That was not enough sleep to not feel drugged in the morning. I was so thankful to not have a doctor’s appointment early that day.

I received a second cortisone shot in my right shoulder because Lord knows I haven’t been poked and prodded enough yet! My shoulder pain started coming back, but I waited until about five days after my first water therapy appointment to call the doc to make sure it was pain and not any of the soreness from the small upper body exercises we did in the pool. I saw my neck surgeon and he was happy with the x-rays. I am now five months post op from my fusion and finally received authorization to start PT for my neck! My upper back and neck muscles have been really bugging me. I try to limit my crutch use as much as possible to not exacerbate my upper body. I really want to loosen the muscles with massage in hopes to then successfully gain all my range of motion back and to strengthen everything that hasn’t been in use for so long.

I realized I haven’t done the recovery check ins for a couple weeks, so am going to recap the details I can remember. Full disclosure (and I am NOT pregnant) I have a terrible memory currently. Words escape me constantly, I lose my train of thought in the middle of a sentence, or I’ll respond and if the person asks to repeat, I don’t even remember what I said two seconds earlier. It’s no fun!

5 weeks post op:

• I have replaced all the steri strips for the second round of them and I look like I have a child’s train track on my hip
• the swelling in my hip is going down and I can now feel a screw head (yuck!)
• my entire leg and foot looks like it’s attached to a corpse (so gruesome I know, but it’s true so I can’t apologize lol) It turns white to purple to reddish/pink and even sometimes it is a bit normal. I like when it’s normal because then it matches my other leg. I am living in joggers now and am the proud owner of my fourth pair of the same pant in a new color! They’re from Vuori and are just perfect for recovery and for PT appointments etc. But because they tighten a bit above my ankle, there’s enough flesh exposed to show the awful discoloration on my op leg.
• my groin pain was really acting up and it worried me that it was similar to pre op pain with the labral tear. I don’t think it’s that, but will ask the doctor at my next appt.
• the good news is I haven’t had my butt pain for a few days
• my PT doesn’t want me weight bearing because of the pains I’ve been feeling and at our appts he does some soft tissue massage and passive ROM. I did use the stationary bike for 5 min for the first time. Baby steps! I made the entire 5 min, but started hurting at 4:20min. Not too shabby. I’ll take it.
• I was able to wear my running shorts with the attached liner to water therapy this week. Yay to no men’s oversized board shorts that could fall off at any point!
• I have been incredibly bored, my mood has been quite low and the weather outside has been mostly overcast that some days is nice because it matches my mood and other days it just doesn’t help me at all.
• I have been able to last sitting in my recliner for a bit longer, but still need help getting in and out of it due to its swivel.
• I’m still napping, but not necessarily everyday.
• right around the beginning of my 5th week post op, I started waking up and waiting until I felt pain or before leaving the house to take an oxy. Then after about 4-5 days of doing well on that, I stopped taking the first oxy of the day altogether and only took it before going to bed.
• other meds: aspirin, lyrica, vitamins, flexeril only before bed, oxycodone
• I still can’t reach my lower leg to be able to shave, dry the leg or put on a sock
• still using my raised toilet seat that doubles as a shower chair and still loving my grip ‘n grab to pick up things off the floor
• still mostly using the wheelchair when I go out
• moving better and quicker on two crutches