And the Season Ends in a Blaze of Glory!

Executive version: Feeling great, on with my life!

I just got home from my first post-op exam by the PA of the surgeon who did the back surgery on me 3 weeks ago. I've been feeling really good about things since I came out of the anesthesia after the surgery, despite being told then, "Oh, yes, we worked for 6 1/2 hours, why did you think we expected 3?" Turns out they really expected a fair amount of work, but a good outcome, and I was away for those hours and didn't notice, so we'll let that one pass.

Post-op support was terrific; the nursing staff was professional and friendly (and very careful about the tordol injections they used for pain relief; if you don't push those with extreme care they burn like a mo-fo, and I barely felt even the ones given by the student nurse). Both rehab therapy and occupational therapy were immensely helpful in showing me how to use the brace and the walker, and going through the way our house is set up (I brought photos) to talk about how to deal with obstructions and such.

Progress has been ahead of schedule since then; I only spent 3 days post-op in the hospital instead of the expected 4, and I've been getting around with a walker and a back brace since then. The walker is getting less necessary, though I'll need the back brace for the next six months or so as the spine fuses into its final shape. Comparison x-rays show the spine is properly aligned; the incision wound is healed (and the rash that I had on it was a fairly common side-effect of the surgical adhesive they used to close the wound; the rash is gone now).

So I'm declaring victory and holding a parade. I can drive as long as I don't need to use the pain pills (and I haven't for almost a week), I can make a cup of tea and carry it into the living room or out on the deck to sit and read or watch the trees and the birds, and my mobility is improving on a daily basis.