As the days pass, the pain gets better. I don't seem to take my Percocet as much as I previously did. I am allowed to downgrade to Vicodin as soon as this last bottle is finished. I also am not taking naps as much. I am able to walk a mile too. Every night I now have to wear a belt that is electromagnetic. It's supposed to help the bone graft solidify faster. It's uncomfortable to sit in for 2 hours a day, but whatever works.

I am also going into town more often with my mom. Of course, I do not do much. Mainly I walk around the stores. People do stare. Be prepared for that by the way. Humans are a curious bunch you know. Some just stare, others whisper as the walk past you asking what do you think happened to her, then occasionally a few will have the guts to ask you. I was asked if I was in a car accident, if I broke my back, and one lady even asked if I was in the CIA because of the brace. 

I had my IVC filter removed on 11/18/13. (Remember this portion of the blog is behind due to the condition I was in at the time.) It was a piece of cake since I knew what to expect. Just like when they placed it, I was awake the entire time. I wasn't nervous at all, but I can tell you one thing- I NEVER want to go through all this again! The removal of the filter was the last big hurdle. I am now hospital free!! Yay!

As of 12/3/13 my brace will be gone! That's 2 months since my surgery! I am ready to live normally again!

I went to my 1 month post op appointment with my surgeon on 11/6/13. It was nice to get out of the house. When we arrived at the doctor's office, they took a new x-ray to check the rods and to make sure everything is stabilized. My wonderful surgeon then came in to check my reflexes and checked the incision. He said everything was healing beautifully.

My surgeon gave me a card that I will have to carry with me at all times due to the titanium that now rests inside me. Metal detectors, more so airport metal detectors, have a tendency to pick it up. 
So, today was a great day with great news. Oh, I can also stop wearing my brace in 1 more month! Yay! He says I am strong enough!

Below are my x-rays. I went from 62 degrees to 15 degrees! Bless my surgeon and the astonishing world of science.

I would never wish this pain on anyone. Now granted, it's not constant due to the drugs I'm taking, but when it wears off......ugh. Even though I am posting these blogs a couple weeks later than what they happened, the pain I endured is imprinted in my mind. (Between the medicine and pain blogging came last at that time)

I slept very little. I woke up every 2 hours for weeks. My poor mother was right there with me the whole time too. I took a 2 hour nap during the day because my hip pain would get so bad, I didn't know what else to do. 

At night when I did sleep, it was fabulous. When I awoke however, it was agonizing. My ribs hurt so bad that I wanted to cry. It hurt to stand or even breathe. It's a pain that you can not fully explain to anyone. At times, it felt like being stabbed with a dagger that was heated by fire. Other times it felt like ants crawling all over you (nerves reconnecting). I cried only once though. I knew that eventually it would pass. 

Today was the same as Day 4 except for one thing...they told me I can go home today! I am walking well, eating pretty good, and my incision looks great too! The hospital is giving me a walker and a raised toilet seat to take home. 

After lunch, 2 of my coworkers stopped by to check on me. They gave me some beautiful flowers. While they were there, nurses came by to prepare me to be discharged. The girls left and next thing I knew I was being seated in a wheelchair and being took down to my mom's car. I was so excited! 

The drive to my mom's house was long, but I was happy. By the time we got there, I was so tired that I feel asleep and slept for a few hours. It felt glorious to lay in a comfortable familiar place again. Unfortunately, the pain was hard to forget. During the night I woke every 2 hours. My pain in my rib cage and hips was unbearable. The Percocet helped but not totally. It was just enough to lull my back to sle

On day 4, in the wee hours of the morning, my surgeon came by to check on me. He looked at my incision and the bandages and said everything looked great! I am so blessed to have a surgeon as good as him. If I wasn't so tired when he came, I would of kissed his hands!

I was able to walk all the way around the unit I was staying in twice with my brace and walker! It was an awesome achievement for me! I can also sit pretty comfortably in a chair for an hour. No fidgeting! I can eat a little more too.

It was a good day if I have to say so myself.

I was moved to a regular room on day 3. I had a roomate, but I can not remember her name. The nurse I had was wonderful and took great care of me. I also was able to eat a little more. Things like eggs and salad. The best was the milkshakes.

They took me off the morphine today. Now I'm taking pain medicine orally every 4 hours. The physical therapist also came again and I was able to walk 400ft! He said I was doing wonderful. Sleeping is still a problem, but I assume it will be for a while.

The second day in ICU was more of a blur. What I do remember is that I did not approve of the night shift nurse. She never came to check on me nor made sure my morphine pump didn't run out. She acted like it was a problem that I was in pain. The only perk was that my Mom was there during the day. If she was there for the night shift and saw how that nurse was treating me, all hell would of broke loose.

The daytime nurse was presistent and great. She made me eat a little and took my catheter out to make me use the toliet. When she helped me up to sit on it, it was horribly painful. Of course, I could not go. She said that it was normal and that it can take a few days for my body to wake up from all the anesthesia. A physical therapist came by as well. He had me put on my brace for the first time. So uncomfortable! He had me get up and walk with a walker. If the look I gave him could kill......poor guy probably gets it a lot. But, I walked down the hall and back.