one week...

So its been one week of my Titanium Spine, so I wanted to put down a few things to reflect back on in a few months, when I forget what this week is like. Indulge me please.


1) movement is still limited. I can get around, but getting up and down on couches, chairs and beds takes a few minutes of planning and execution. I am sure as days go by, I will be able to move around a little easier. With 5 weeks to go before I even get close to Physical Therapy, I am going to be atrophy ridden.

2) The pain is still really high. I am taking the strongest Vicodin made, usually every 2 hours. It only slightly makes a dent in the discomfort. Hopefully I can start to ween from the meds, but if I go longer than a few hours now, it feels like someone planted a knife in my back.

3) Simple things are really tough. Yesterday, I tried to get myself another glass of ice water, and managed to spill it when setting it down. So I then went about trying to clean it up, but not being able to bend over, I had to rely on using my feet to clean it up. Of course I am using a cane for stability, and it slipped on the wet, making me feel like a towel twisted. I cannot reach over to raise the toilet seat, so my cane is doing double duty, lifting, raising, or picking up things I cannot reach.

4) I am quite proud of the fact that today I managed to put 2 items in the dishwasher, close it with soap in there, and get it started. Of course, I had to take a break in the middle of doing everything, as I got really tired, but I did it.

5) We have been walking every evening this week. The first night, we made it a good 100 yards from the house, and came back. The next day we added another 25 yards or so before turning around. My doctor wants me to have a few miles a day under my belt by the time I start PT in 5 weeks. My personal goal is to be walking 10-12 miles a day by October. I would say running or jogging, but I am being realistic.

6) Smoking. Something I had gotten very comfortable with doing the past few years. It was a stress reliever. It was a way to chill out. But it also made my hands and clothes stink. My teeth a constant yellow. My son started pantomiming the action of smoking with anything he could, French fries, crayons, whatever. Wanna feel like a heel? Have your pride and joy mimick smoking around you. I smoked my last one on Sunday, July 22nd, around 2am. I sort of miss them, in that way you miss a headache, a toothache, or a rattle in your car that finally gets fixed.

7) That being said, I don’t want to start replacing smokes with food. Its very easy to do. You’re a smoker and you smoke when you get a lull in activity. Downtime at work, you smoke. Day off and your watching tv doing nothing, smoke. Now that I am a non smoker, it would be really easy to munch on something when down time happens. I should have mentioned earlier, but another goal with my recovery is to loose 50 pounds. Im sitting on 247 now. 253 prior to surgery. So 5 pounds is mainly because I am not very hungry. I think the pain pills have a large hand in that. So encouragement is welcome, and if someone wants a walking partner, a diet buddy or a quitting smoking friend, I am here.

That is enough for now. I will keep you posted.