Wednesday marks seven weeks since my bilateral decompression, spinal fusion and bone graphing surgery. I feel in some ways it has been much longer, but there times it feels like yesterday. My original post surgery visit with the neurosurgeon was set for July 14th, which is this Tuesday and incidentally my Mom's 88th birthday. We asked to have it extended to the following week because the four hour drive was so difficult on our way home. We thought another week of healing may help. Once again we will make things work for us. We have dear friends in Barrie and will stop along the way for a visit or for the night. It will help break up the drive, and they are family to us.
I'm looking back on how I felt before the surgery; how I felt the day afterward, when I entered Bridgepoint a week later, how I am now. Life is different in many ways. Pre-surgery, I was very stationary, I couldn't walk anywhere without severe pain in my legs and my back. Immediately following the surgery, the leg pain was gone. I did however have to deal with some pretty severe deficiencies in my right leg and foot. Although I didn't have pain in my legs they were too weak to hold me up, and I didn't have feeling in parts of them. Surprisingly to all involved I did walk two days post surgery. It was tentative and with a lot of help but I did it. A week later, having been moved to rehab, I could walk on my own with a "granny" walker, the kind with only two wheels on the front. The pain from surgery had kicked in by then, so there was some restriction to how far I could go without pain and weakness. A week or so later I graduated to a four wheel walker and given Physio to do daily. Today, I can walk almost a mile with my four wheeled walker. I have little confidence with a cane. What I am doing is called furniture walking. I didn't know there was a name for it but there is. I walk short distances within the kitchen touching the fridge, counter and island. I like the independence it provides. The one restriction that constantly gets in my way is no bending, no stretching, no reaching. I drop a lot of things so it is a long process to accomplish anything. I have a reacher but inevitably it is in the other room when I need it so I have to stop what I'm doing get the walker, get the reacher, etc etc. the alternative is to leave what I have dropped and move on and that happens a lot too.
Aqua therapy has been something almost everyone has talked to me about. It is not new to me and I can tell you the benefits it had for me in the past. Barry is a big proponent of it. We decided what we are doing in the lake is exactly that. He holds me I move around safely. After a while I get comfortable with my footing and I can walk on my own. Water does that. No weight makes it easier to move. There is a complete sense of independence that comes from walking in the water, because it is just so much easier.
I have just over a week to improve before I see Dr. Fehlings. I want to be the best I can be within that time without hurting myself. He has once again done his best for me so I want to do my best for him and his team. So come on cheer leaders, I need you now. All prayers, good wishes and positive thoughts accepted.
I'm looking back on how I felt before the surgery; how I felt the day afterward, when I entered Bridgepoint a week later, how I am now. Life is different in many ways. Pre-surgery, I was very stationary, I couldn't walk anywhere without severe pain in my legs and my back. Immediately following the surgery, the leg pain was gone. I did however have to deal with some pretty severe deficiencies in my right leg and foot. Although I didn't have pain in my legs they were too weak to hold me up, and I didn't have feeling in parts of them. Surprisingly to all involved I did walk two days post surgery. It was tentative and with a lot of help but I did it. A week later, having been moved to rehab, I could walk on my own with a "granny" walker, the kind with only two wheels on the front. The pain from surgery had kicked in by then, so there was some restriction to how far I could go without pain and weakness. A week or so later I graduated to a four wheel walker and given Physio to do daily. Today, I can walk almost a mile with my four wheeled walker. I have little confidence with a cane. What I am doing is called furniture walking. I didn't know there was a name for it but there is. I walk short distances within the kitchen touching the fridge, counter and island. I like the independence it provides. The one restriction that constantly gets in my way is no bending, no stretching, no reaching. I drop a lot of things so it is a long process to accomplish anything. I have a reacher but inevitably it is in the other room when I need it so I have to stop what I'm doing get the walker, get the reacher, etc etc. the alternative is to leave what I have dropped and move on and that happens a lot too.
Aqua therapy has been something almost everyone has talked to me about. It is not new to me and I can tell you the benefits it had for me in the past. Barry is a big proponent of it. We decided what we are doing in the lake is exactly that. He holds me I move around safely. After a while I get comfortable with my footing and I can walk on my own. Water does that. No weight makes it easier to move. There is a complete sense of independence that comes from walking in the water, because it is just so much easier.
I have just over a week to improve before I see Dr. Fehlings. I want to be the best I can be within that time without hurting myself. He has once again done his best for me so I want to do my best for him and his team. So come on cheer leaders, I need you now. All prayers, good wishes and positive thoughts accepted.
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