Back to normal will require change and adaptability. Maybe back to normal isn't the right term, perhaps think of it as "fully healed" After age 50, its 2 years or more.
All sorts of things can and will change with a full T2-Pelvis fusion.
Dealing with my feet has been my latest challenge. I have cracked heels and this requires accessing your heels which can be tricky. I also have trouble seeing down at certain angles so there is a lot of feel in sanding my heels. I use a pumice stone. This is where you notice the lack of flexibility in the thoracic spine. I guess we take this for granted.....
I always have multiple pens in the car because your going to drop them and not be able to bend forward to pick them off the floor. You have to stop the car, get out, and get down to retrieve them.
I have already done 3 pedicures down here. This is heaven and its really cheap....(I had to rub this in) I have learned to love pedicures which is something I never did when younger.
Dressing changes. I always feed the belt through my pants "before" I put them on. You will see why after you are done. Its hard to get your arms around the back sometimes.
Socks and shoe installation becomes a perfected science. There are positions that are quite exacting to accomplish this. The reach is a full reach, and it has to happen quickly since we pull down slightly. Add the lack of vision problems and all of this eventually gets perfected. Putting on ski boots is the ultimate challenge with full fusion. It took me a long time to figure all of that out. I started hanging my arms down using a stool at 8 months post. Its a really slow stretching technique.
For the car, I hit my head getting in 1000 times. The movements and positions also get perfected in time. Get someone to lower your seat if necessary. For recovery, I had around 3 soft pillows in my car for a year. After a year, I didn't need them anymore.
I am sleeping on a crappy bed down here. After a few days, I had to find a piece of foam for a topper. Funny how the bed guy was telling me about doctors wanting firm beds. Sigh. And in Spanish. OMG.
Anyway, they don't sell latex toppers down here.???? I had to go to a bed manufacturing company.
There is no way surgeons can know about all these quirks we have to deal with. Between the many complications that can happen and just living life in general, its impossible to cover all of this.
I don't think its bad at all. If I didn't have arms and needed to pump some gas, I might watch this video....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1_dgZ4-Ldw
Happy Thanksgiving!
Ed