7 months post op – 7 months, 7 months, gosh, is it really??!!

There are days when I wake up and think that it seems like years since I had the operation and then other times when it seems like yesterday. Of course, that’s not really true ‘cos when it really was yesterday, I was all wired up to stuff that went bleep and had tubes and wires in (almost) every orifice plus a few more that they had created especially for the purpose! Anyway, all I really mean is that there are days when I feel great and other days when I realise that I have actually had major spinal surgery. Originally I was told to expect recovery in 6-12 months and now I see what they mean – not that you don’t feel pretty good pretty early on (especially given what you’ve been though), but I know that I am still very aware of my scar and my body is still reminding me that it’s been sliced open and stitched up^*1.

Anyway, I’m going for the truthful update today and will tell the bad stuff first (not that anything is that bad but I want Ly to know what’s coming!). Here we go: My phantom ribs still get sore from time to time and often feel tight but they are definitely better than they were. At the moment they are an inconvenience, and if I didn’t do so much I’m sure they would be fine. I admit it, I am a bad girl, but hey, life is for living right? What else? Umm, well, when I get tired then my numb leg doesn’t want to work too well but then I always used to get days when my legs didn’t want to go out and play so I think I’m still just adjusting to the new feel of it. Oh, did I say feel? I meant lack of feel of course! Speaking of lack of feel, the area around my scar is still numb but does it matter? Nah! Not really!

The only other weird thing is that I often wake up^*2 and one of my arms has gone to sleep. Now I know that you’re all going to tell me that I shouldn’t lie on it, but it’s the one on top that does it. I often sleep on my right side (can’t sleep on my left, ribs complain) and my left hand goes to sleep. Go figure! I have no idea what causes it but it is only since the op. When I wake I just have to flex my hand a bit and it all comes back to life. So, strange but true…

Apart from that, it’s all great. I am doing everything I should do and lots of stuff I shouldn’t. My back still hurts, (although most of my scoliosis related pain has gone) but it probably wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t for me doing the stuff I shouldn’t! I mean, who on earth would travel to the Czech Republic and after less than a week at home head off for China – only a mad woman right? ^*3

Other things to update on are the nerve pain and the stomach reflux. Well Ly, my stomach problems have all but gone – yippee! At present I have mild and occasional attacks getting less and less frequent with time. (Just hang in there girl!). The nerve pain has improved enough to try me on a reduced dose – so that’s still a case of watch this space.

Anyway, to finish off with the update, I have to say that I feel fit. I mean really fit, you know, like well, a fit person. I feel healthy and well. I put much of this down to my breathing which has improved vastly since the op. Funnily enough, it went downhill so gradually that I hadn’t realised how much of an impact having one of my lungs all squashed had on me. But now I do….Anyway (I do like that word), next back update will be early October. Eight months, oh my ears and whiskers….

^*1 I am very glad to report this second fact as otherwise life could have got very messy.
^*2 I am glad of this too.
^*2 Er, um, that would be me then?.