Going under the knife...

[Gman]

Finally back home from the hospital. It's amazing how much less pain I have since they removed the loose hardware. PT/OT folks were impressed by my ability to get around, but I had to keep reminding them that I was still going to work last week and I have less pain now than I did then.

IV antibiotics for at least the next 2 months. Cultures haven't showed any particular bugs yet, but it's also early. Thanks for the support, guys.

[Snowman78]

So happy for a good up-date!

[Fentonite]

That's about the best news you could hope for. Awesome!!!

[flogger]

That's great news. Don't forget, no handsprings for at least 2 weeks.

[Skip]

Great update, keep 'em coming!

It's a good time of year to take it easy and relax.

[Doc45]

Great news, best wishes everything continues on a great path.

[StagLefty]

Good news-hopefully speedy recovery !!

[Gman]

Big surgery in the morning. Should be about 5 hours long in total.

Met with the vascular surgeon this past week. He'll be making a vertical incision through my substantial belly to the left of my belly button about 6-8" long (my belly modeling days will be over ). He'll be moving my internal organs toward my right side and then be moving some major blood vessels along the spine over to my right side as well so that the orthopedic surgeon will have access. Ortho will be pulling out the old round cages from the disk spaces and inserting substantial new cages that will screw into the vertebrae above and below locking them together. They'll sew me back up in the front, flip me over like a pancake, and then open my back up again to put in fresh hardware that should lock me up pretty solid from L3 to S1 this time.

On the positive side, nothing came from the cultures from the hardware removal 3 weeks ago. They'll do cultures from the disk area in the front to make sure those are clean, but we should be able to stop the antibiotics in a couple of weeks if everything stays clean. The vascular surgeon also assured me that he leaves the peritoneal sac intact, which thrills me about the reduction of impact to the organs inside and protecting them from possible infection.

I do have to admit that the sound of snipping some blood vessels to move my abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava have me a little freaked out. I pray that God will guide the hands of the surgeons.

[TFOGGER]

Best of luck to you! May the doctor's hands and judgement be excellent!

[iego]

Good thoughts headed your way.

-John