Had my one yr checkup with Dr Lenke this week. Xrays were taken again and showed no change, i.e. everything still looking great and completely straight. Just wants to see me in another year.
I have continued to slowly improve since last posting 6 mos ago. I basically have no real pain, just sometimes some mild general back muscle soreness if i try to work more than 4 -5 hrs of physical work, even if it's very light work. Being fused to the sacrum, i have had to learn to get used to the loss of balance that occurs when you lean too far one way and can't compensate by bending the opposite. At first i had a couple falls, hitting the ground and wondering what the hell had just happened. Dr Lenke said this was normal and something i just had to learn to be careful about. I also have yet to regain my pre-back problem stamina. I work out with a personal trainer twice and week and just try to keep doing as much as i am able. All the weakness i had in my left quad muscles slowly returned.
So, basically i got an excellent result and should be thrilled but i have to remind myself how much better i am than before surgery. Day to day, however, i have to deal with the balance issue, reduced energy and the extra difficulty whenever trying to bend over (like putting on socks in the morning) and have to sadly accept my "new normal."
But it IS a great improvement and i'm very grateful to Dr Lenke whose expertise has gotten me as far as the current state of the art (which he has done much to develop) can at this point in time.
I have continued to slowly improve since last posting 6 mos ago. I basically have no real pain, just sometimes some mild general back muscle soreness if i try to work more than 4 -5 hrs of physical work, even if it's very light work. Being fused to the sacrum, i have had to learn to get used to the loss of balance that occurs when you lean too far one way and can't compensate by bending the opposite. At first i had a couple falls, hitting the ground and wondering what the hell had just happened. Dr Lenke said this was normal and something i just had to learn to be careful about. I also have yet to regain my pre-back problem stamina. I work out with a personal trainer twice and week and just try to keep doing as much as i am able. All the weakness i had in my left quad muscles slowly returned.
So, basically i got an excellent result and should be thrilled but i have to remind myself how much better i am than before surgery. Day to day, however, i have to deal with the balance issue, reduced energy and the extra difficulty whenever trying to bend over (like putting on socks in the morning) and have to sadly accept my "new normal."
But it IS a great improvement and i'm very grateful to Dr Lenke whose expertise has gotten me as far as the current state of the art (which he has done much to develop) can at this point in time.
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