No one tells you what to expect day by day as you heal and recover from a spinal fusion. Trust me, I've Googled it many times and all I can find are what medical clinics are sharing on the professional websites about what you can do (broadly) and what you can't do. Today, I will do my best to clearly and articulately share my experience as a first time fusion patient in recovery.
Up until now, it's all been a learning curve. One that I never thought about until I was living it. Everything from putting on socks, to brushing my teeth and everything else in between. One of my most thought about tricks I've learned is to "log roll" in and out of bed. This may also be one of the most important ones too since I can't twist or bend my lower spine area. If I do twist or bend, it is either very uncomfortable, or downright painful! I learned that the hard way. Talk about new fears unlocked here. Especially when you sneeze for the first time. My first sneeze when I closed my eyes I literally saw all my rods and screws in my back light up and felt the most intense pain ever. Thank goodness every sneeze after that has been more mild and not as painful, but to sneeze for the first time was a real eye opener. Forget about putting your own socks on, you can't bend down, or lift your feet high enough to reach the toes. Standing to shower at first feels like you are going to fall right over. Washing your hair just seems like a daunting task as you can feel all the water on your incision when you are in the shower. Sitting up and eating, that is another task I had to re-learn as I had constantly eaten my meals comfortably on the ground laying on my stomach. I am a stomach sleeper and once you have the surgery you are not able to sleep on your stomach (at least not for the first year) is what I am guessing. Maybe longer. I do not like sleeping or laying on my back. Pillows, at least for me, forget about them. They are useless and make me very uncomfortable. There are many tasks that I am relearning how to maneuver through and for the most part I am making due. There is no reason to look back because I am not going back to the old person I was before. The one in constant fear and pain that left me bed ridden for 70% of my days for the past three years. I will gladly relearn how to eat, walk and clothe myself with the new hope that I will live a better healthier life with my new bionic back!
Bottom line, there are pros and cons to everything and I did a lot of research before my surgery about spinal fusion and no matter how much research you do, there are always things you are going to miss until after you actually have the surgery. Just know that whatever you choose you are right with it and that you brought it to God for help and guidance beforehand.
God has surely has had His hand in all my choices and I've deliberately asked Him for help and called upon many angels and saints in the many choices and decisions I've made along the way. I made sure that He was always put first in my life that is not my own anymore. No matter how easy or difficult it was for me at the time. I trusted in Him and still do to this day as I would like to ask that you too put your trust in Him and to not worry. Worry robs you of the ability to trust and trust me, that will hinder a lot of what He wants from you in your life.
Today, as you make decisions and go about your tasks, put your trust in God, and when you are feeling uncertain to remind yourself that He's got your back and wants only the best for you.