I've become an old lady. . .

[mgs]

Since my fusion, almost six months ago. . .coupled with my nightly wee-hours waking up to feed my sick dog. . .I have managed, at the age of (almost) 49 to become great-grandma, or a farmer's wife (up with the sun, down with the sunset). . .

I used to be up till 2am, and be up at 6am . . .and live a high-energy life on few hours of sleep.

I am supposed to go to a photog class in the next hour - it lasts till 9pm. I am too wiped out to last till 9. Twenty years ago. . .I wasn't going out until 9pm!!!!

Has anyone else, who's had this surgery, noticed such an alteration in lifestyle?

[Vali]

Mgs, i went through something similar at about the same time frame. A blood test showed i was low in Magnesium. I was given a Magnesium supplement to take twice daily (caramel - ugh!) called Energy-X. Things are better now. I also noticed though that about this time i started doing a lot more, so that could have been it as well! Do you take a Multi-Vitamin? This could be of help.
Best wishes.

[debbei]

Since my fusion, almost six months ago. . .coupled with my nightly wee-hours waking up to feed my sick dog. . .I have managed, at the age of (almost) 49 to become great-grandma, or a farmer's wife (up with the sun, down with the sunset). . .

I used to be up till 2am, and be up at 6am . . .and live a high-energy life on few hours of sleep.

I am supposed to go to a photog class in the next hour - it lasts till 9pm. I am too wiped out to last till 9. Twenty years ago. . .I wasn't going out until 9pm!!!!

Has anyone else, who's had this surgery, noticed such an alteration in lifestyle?

are you still on any pain meds at all? When I was on them, even just a few a day, I slept minimum 12 hrs per day. What about muscle relaxants? They make me very tired too. Even now, when I need the occasional muscle relaxant, I'll only take it at bedtime and it definitely lets me sleep through a night of my husband's loud snores.

If it's that bad, I'd mention to your doctor.

[Susie*Bee]

I know it's hard to be that patient, but it will continue to get better as more time goes by. Six months already sounds like forever when that's where you are, but to some of us that still sounds like barely out of surgery.

I am constantly amazed at how quickly some of the folks on the forum recover from their surgeries. That's why it's not good for us to compare too much. One can't help but think "what's wrong with me"-- when there's nothing at all wrong except that your body is taking longer to build back up from that Mack truck that hit you. (Surgery). Hopefully you'll be feeling stronger and more able for extras like your class-- and staying up later, before too long.

You'll get there-- just take it one day at a time, then every once in awhile look back and take note of how far you've come. That's where you'll find some encouragement.

[theizzard]

To me what you're describing is normal and something I hope will change. I am a year out from surgery and always feel tired. I am 59 years old and in August when I was 6 months from my surgery I started a practicum and returned to the psyd program after missing 2 semesters for my fusion surgery and the year before I missed a semester for hip replacement surgery. I am in school 3 days a week and I am at my practicum site 3 days a week. I spend an hour each way to get to school and an hour each way to get to my site. When I went back in August I only had 2 classes and 2 days at the site. Increasing to 3 classes and 3 days at the site is knocking me out like I would never have believed. I am always dragging and look like something one of the cat's dragged in but i am usually too beat to care. The driving and sitting is awful but what's making me even more dragged out is trying to get my boots on. Bending to dress or put shoes on is doing me in. It's not only my fusion that is problematic but I really hope and pray that this eases up. I have a sock puller upper but all this extra bending and doing just gets to me. I am going to assume that it will get better because it is better than it was but man-oh-man-oy-chevitz this is exhausting and brutal. I just wanted mgs to know she isn't alone and at 49 you are still a spring chicken in my book.
Avis

[loves to skate]

It took me two years to get my stamina back for the most part. There are still days that I tire more easily than I did pre-op. Of course, I am two years older. Hey, I'm really the old lady here. Six months really isn't a long time to recover unless you are a teenager. You really need more rest for awhile and getting up in the middle of the night to feed your dog isn't helping you to get the continuous sleep that you need right now.
Take care, Sally

[Doodles]

Suzy Bee, Avis, & Sally--You guys make me feel a lot better! I know the young ones bounce back so fast but I was starting to think everyone was bouncing way better than I some days. I think the cold of winter has an affect on us too & messing with those stupid boots--I agree! I'm more than 10 months and thought I'd be farther--I know I had less soreness a few months back. I think the research that was discussed here a while back about it taking 18 months to 2 years to recover if you're over 50 is correct. I guess it's good to know I can continue to feel better. Sometimes I feel like a real sluggard! Janet

[Singer]

Yes, don't compare yourself to the alarmingly-fast healers in the under-40 crowd! I think it's much too soon to worry about lack of stamina; it comes back gradually. I found that once I really started feeling better (after a year), the more reasonably active I was, the better I felt.

That being said however, I have definitely transformed from a "night out" kind of girl to one who prefers to stay in with hubby and a movie or a book instead. I don't attribute this change to aging (mid-50s is young in my book) but to the surgery....by the time evening rolls around, I'm ready to SIT.

[titaniumed]

mgs

Yes, my lifestyle has changed. This will give you an idea. lol

Just get another steering wheel, have some fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y1e0skfJts

Ed