Hello to All-
Well, I'm just back from another all-day trip into the big city for a post-op appointment but no new information. Still no evidence of fusion going on at all. DISAPPOINTED! My sugeon still has high hopes and I am not giving up by any means but I sure would have liked some sign-some small indication from any of my 3 fusion sites. Now I have to wait it out till mid-Decemeber and my appt is for a Ct scan and an xray. If there isn't anything definitive there, he'll order a bone scan. UGH!

And do you know what is really terrible? I have been doing great for a week now - limp is gone, I can stand up tall, very little pain during the day - but I am afraid to trust that it will last!!! I am usually quite happy to enjoy life to its full and this amazes me - I'm suspicious and afraid to enjoy it for a moment telling myself that it won't last and I shouldn't get my hopes up.... I know good and dang well that I should, indeed, get my hopes up but I can't.

So, I have given myself a good talking to and I am out the door now to enjoy this day. I feel well and that is all I should be focused on - for today. I'll check in later tonight. Take good care - Suzy-Q

Dear SusieQ,
I'm so sorry you didn't get the good news you wanted so badly. But it's too early to consider it bad news yet! There's still hope! I hope your pep talk to yourself helped and that you had a wonderful afternoon. I hope your good week stretches into two good weeks, then three, and then a month. But even if it doesn't, you're right: you can enjoy this better day today!

You're amazing! Here you're having a hard day, and you come on here for some encouragement and end up writing a post that's sure to encourage everyone else who reads it! You're a blessing, and I hope you'll be blessed as well!

Take care,
Emily

Well, 4 months is still early and you could be a late bloomer is all! Give it more time, and the fact you feel good today.. that is a good sign! I too go with the moment and I try not to overstate just how good I may feel, cuz to seconds later it can start hurting just because it can it seems! hehehe.

At my 3month.. we barely saw anything (just some hazing beginning there), and I must say.. I am hoping for some serious fusion going on at my check up next month. It will be 7 months at that timeframe, so something good better be going on. If not, you will probably feel an earthquake up north on that day, for my yelling! hehehe.

Do what you do so well Suz.. stay cheery and positive and keep that light shining. Im sending good healing vibes your way gal! zzzzzz zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz. ;) Tammy

Hi Suzy (and Tammy too!)

I haven't been around here much lately, and I am so glad to hear that you are feeling on the mend. Like with Tammy, the doc couldn't really show me much evidence of fusion at 3 months. Come to think of it, he couldn't really show me much evidence at 5 months (I kept saying show me on the X-ray, but he couldn't really prove it on the X-ray). However, he tells me I am fused. I am taking this on faith and since I continue to improve, I believe it.

Of course, it's disappointing not to hear what you want to hear, but the proof is in the pudding and now you can walk without a limp and enjoy the life you so richly deserve. Keep your spirits up!

Schragie

Well Howdy Schragie! And many thanks to Tammy and Emily, too, for the replies. Yes, I did enjoy my afternoon yesterday. My talking to myself and your excellent feedback was all I needed to get the old head on straight. Goodness knows I am no lover of the waiting game but I am experienced enough to know that is the name of the game with back problems.

I am going to do my best to stay positve. I just keep reminding myself that I had good 'evidence' of fusion at 4 months at my first surgery and it didn't do me a fat lot of good since it adsorbed at about the 7 month mark. So, I have known I was going to have to wait out the entire year or more before I would be able to trust that I had a solid fusion anyway, right? Right. So, I'm waiting.

Today I had an echocardiogram and tomorrow is PT and the pool. All to the good but that means a long and tring day for me. I'm off to bed. Hope you are all well. Thanks again - Suzy-Q

As you know, the metal in your back skews your x-ray image, making it cloudy around the metal. So, you can't actually see bone fushion happing. All a suregeon can look for is evidence of slight movement in surrounding bone which would indicate that the vertabrae haven't fused. One can't actually see it has fused, only if it hasn't fused. If movement isn't indicated by repeated or shadow images of bone, then it should be fusing fine.

Do you know why your surgeon thinks your fushion isn't fusing? Please let me know what you know, I'm very interested!

(I'm 2 years post fushion and looking at another one because my vertabrae above the fushion has now slipped forward blaaa.)