Hello all!

First off, thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement and wonderful meals sent to nourish the patient and more importantly, my incredible caretaker! Truly thankful for our dear friends and family! With that said, thought I'd update where I am on the road to recovery. I have to admit, in the beginning of this process, I think I was a bit misinformed.  They made it sound so simple. Once I set the date, literature starting coming in and I happened to notice my particular procedure was both anterior and posterior to get into the spine and fuse my L5S1.  I put it off as a little laproscopic maneuvering and finished wrapping presents and drinking my eggnog. Once January 7 hit, we headed to Mayo for my presurgical tests and a final meeting with the surgeon.  That is when I am informed that it will be a 5 hour surgery, partly because the vascular surgeon will be going into my belly. (PEOPLE! Know your metrics! 15 centemeters is longer than it sounds!) Well, now I'm just pissed!  I know I will never do anymore bikini modeling again! The reason for the rather large opening is the need to move my innards aside to make way for the spinal surgeon to put in spacers. Then they flip me over like a Johnson Braut on the 4th of July and put the screws to my backside.  Now, on the positive side, I've lost 5 lbs. so I'm not near as angry as I was the night of surgery!

I am currently off the opiods, taking only Tylenol.  I am not using my walker as of three days ago.  I do wear a very attractive back brace for walking and standing. Its really quite slimming on me I must say. The main goal for the next 6 weeks is to walk, walk, and walk.  Love the house, but the view is already getting a bit old.  I will eventually work up enough strength to do some mall walking, however, there is that Covid thing out there.  I am praying this procedure actually works and Craig and I can enjoy his retirement and our beautiful grandkids, wonderful family and our fabulous friends for years to come!

Love you all!

Julie