Greetings everyone. It's nice to still see people reading the blog. I've seen many comments pop up and they are all people in similar situations looking for a door to open.
First, i'll update you on my surgery: there are no updates. The disc is intact, same position, same height, same everything.
Second, i'll update you on my facets: plenty to talk about here. The disc has permitted motion beyond what the facets usually had, and these have had a level of inflammation that depend on my level of activity. Before surgery, I used to have leg pain. That is gone. Now I have lower back pain directly related to the facets. This inflammation causes my lower back muscles to contract and stay stiff, particularly in the mornings. Regular motion will loosen them up. Massages are a must. I've managed to control it with naproxen (aleve) and chamomile tea every day. Impact sports are a big NO NO. I've had terrible episodes where soccer led me to the hospital to get steroid injections on my facets. If you avoid this, you'll do just fine. I've stopped doing abs and this has definitely impacted my core's ability to hold up. I've started again this week as i've proven that his definitely helps. Alcohol is also a bid inflammatory agent. A night of drinking will lead to a day or two of pain.
As for my general lifestyle, the above paragraph isn't my daily life and thoughts. It doesn't consume me like it used to before surgery. I live a fairly normal life. I've just learned to avoid certain things and integrated certain remedies into my daily life. I'll be looking for surgical facet remedies to pop up in the next 10 years. Meanwhile, I can manage.
This should be a serious consideration for anyone considering artificial disc replacement.
