Hi folks, it's time for the 100 day after surgery report after my spinal fusion. Pete, I wish I could live up to your expectations, just all the uplifting support and some occasional slaps in the face (thanks Tom), have helped get me through this horrific battle for recovery. I am thinking about having a telethon, and raising money to pay for the research so this spinal fusion technology would move along a little faster, and not be so primitive. Who wants to volunteer to sing and dance? LOL. You have to have a good attitude to get thru this h**l, which seems to be lasting forever. The biggest bummer was I had to cancel being the Wagon Master at the So Cal Rally in Buellton, CA last week, because the surgeon and physical therapist told me I cannot handle the 4 hour drive, nor the activity of the rally. Thank God Bob and Patty, and John and Lori took over and I was told it was a great rally.
Well, here is the latest:
I just had the 3 month spinal fusion xray to see if the fusion worked, and yes, according to the tests the fusion is taking hold, now somehow relate that info to my back, as it doesn't feel like its improving quite as fast as the surgeon said it should. The good news is that the shooting pains down my legs are completely gone, history, syonora, bye bye. The leg pain before surgery was so bad that I didn't realize how much my lumbar sacrum area hurt. That said, I am now on the last days of the dreaded corset, that I have become so dependent on for support. It used to be white, now it is quite tan, and dirty to say the least, but well used. They have also said the bone growth stimulator is on its last days as well. Now, if the pain would just hit the road, I would be a happy camper. Physical Therapy has become both the saving grace, and the biggest pain. While they are stretching my back out, and using stims and ice and heat and massage, I am in seventh heaven, until that night when the pain is soooo bad I can barely stand it.
The truth is, my HL friends, without all your support I would be in the obits by now. I thank each and every one of you for all of your uplifting words, prayers, emails, telephone calls, PM's and posts, even the tough love ones. It's a lonely time as many of you know trying to recover from getting cut in half. I know that if the Lord allows me to return to RV'ing I have friends all over North America, to go camping with and share my thanks. As you all know, before the surgery, the pain docs put me on high doses of morphine, and I am happy to report, that I have reduced the methadone from 120mg a day to 20 mg a day, and in 4 weeks more I will be off it completely. The oxycodone usage is tough to cut down, but I am down to half doses every 4 hours, and in 4 more weeks, will begin the scary road to being drug free. The plan will be to lessen the dose, and complement it with some low doses of Vicodin, until I am off all pain meds.
It is clear this recovery is not going as smooth as I wanted it to be, and I cannot even think about getting a new Landmark until early next year if I am lucky. The longest I can sit in a car is an hour a day right now, so we are trying to go to the Pomona RV show this week and see Jim B and analyze the new Landmark San Antonio. If we do, I will post as many pics as I can take, as the buyer has returned it to the show after backing out of the deal. The hard part will be leaving without a new rig, and then driving that second hour to get back home. Debbi does the driving, as I haven't been able to drive for almost a year now. She is a saint, I am so lucky to have such a wonderful wife of 31 years, its amazing she still puts up with me.
Well that's the latest my friends, some good, some not so good, but I still have the FAITH! Please keep me and all others with painful problems in your prayers, especially Debbie of Duane and Debbie, (porthole), as she is going through with having a stimulator placed in her back this week to hopefully avoid surgery.
Till my next report (sigh), everyone enjoy their end of the year trips, and drive safely!