Recovery Update....

[yourbasketbuddy]

Went for my first follow up on Tuesday. I didn't get to see the doc and won't see him til my next appt in 3-4 weeks ( I told the receptionist I would be out of town on the 25/26/27 since she said the office manager would have to work me in and mail me the appt). Dear Nurse Nancy removed the stitches from my 2 inch incision and said it was healing nicely. She told me that all of the inner disk material was gone but the casing remained as the cushion between the two vertebrae. I was worried that when Dr. I. told me the disk was gone upon discharge, that there was nothing in between the two vertebrae and what was that going to be like with possible bone colliding with bone sometime in the future. *sighs of relief* A physical therapy eval will be determined after I see the doctor. I can drive short distances...3-5 miles as tolerated. I can gradually increase bend/twist/lift as tolerated also. Increase walking a little at a time over the next several weeks. The Ashland Town Center Mall is 1/2 mile around the inside...that's my first walking goal...to make it all the way around once. Once I've got that down, I'll shoot for two. Tomorrow though, I just hope to make it from park bench to park bench inside the mall. I got a medrol dose pack due to continued inflammation of the nerves around the surgical site. I'll start those in the morning and will probably be wired for the next 7 days. Off work time: 4 weeks to 3 months max. Work's gonna crap...

Thanks to the locals: captain_phil, sharkbait and whiskeyjenny for taking me out/bringing stuff in during my unavoidable cabin fever. captain_phil has provided lots of entertainment and support. To everyone else, thanks for keeping lj interesting for the long days/nights while I was home bound.

Think I'll call it a night to get some good sleep before the steroid marathon begins....*yawns*