Well, it's been 13 days since surgery. I would say that this fusion surgery didn't hit me nearly as bad as the first fusion did. I prepared for the worst, again, and this isn't it. That being said, I'm still in quite a lot of pain. The new rods feel terrible, but that's normal. It's quite a weird feeling, having my old rods gone.
There's still a fair amount of swelling. I actually have what feels like pockets of fluid on either side of the back of my head. It's very strange to touch. So, I'm still icing that area a few times a day to try to reduce the swelling.
Also, my muscles are in extreme spasm. The muscle relaxants are helpful, but some intensive massage therapy will be necessary for these muscles to really let go. I use a heating pad on my neck and shoulders to help relax the muscles. Massage therapy and physical therapy will start next week.
Tomorrow, I get my stitches removed. Yay! On Saturday, I'm allowed to wash my hair! That's 16 days after surgery that I will finally be allowed to wash what's left of my hair. Luckily, my incision is closing up really well.
While on my current pain regimen, my base level of pain is about a 6. It's tolerable. Nothing like I expected based on my first fusion.
The improvements I've seen so far:
*Swallowing
*Pupil constriction
*I can now stand with my eyes closed without falling over!
The single most important factor that has gotten me this far in my recovery is the amount of support from family and friends during this challenging time. I have never felt alone. I know how lucky I am to have so many supporters to help me through.
