Today is two weeks post surgery and my first post-op appointment was this morning.
The good news:
- I'm on the mend. I need to start to walking more - up to 30 min twice a day. This could also help those nerves that were compressed to heal.
- Hopefully, in another 4 weeks I will have clearance to get back into the pool.
- I will be referred to a urologist to ascertain that all of my internal plumbing is working optimally. If my bladder isn't fully emptying when I use the restroom - that's information we need to know.
- I'm not in major pain - if anything my back feels super stiff, like I need to stretch things out but that's not what is really needed. Stiffness and tightness is part of normal healing of the incision.
- I have been cleared to drive and I can bend to pick things up but no lifting anything more than 20 pounds.
The remaining challenges:
- I still experience numbness - although the prognosis is good for this to diminish; it will take time and there is no guarantee that it will go completely away nerves, if they are going heal, will take time.
- My incision still has some drainage coming out of it so I now have a special pump to collect the drainage and I will be taking an antibiotic to knock out any sort of infection that might be trying to develop. Yes, I can still shower with the pump. I have another follow-up to evaluate the incision next Monday afternoon.