Hi JDot, and welcome to the board!
You're still very early on in your recovery. Don't expect too much from yourself too quickly. Yes, you need to walk, walk, walk, but you also need to rest. Like the others have said, everyone's different, so listen to your body. I walked as much as I could tolerate several times a day, and I measured more by time than distance, as I was walking in figure 8's in my bedroom with a walker most of the time up until 6 weeks, when I was finally allowed to get rid of the walker. It was a pain in the neck! I agree with NLena's doctor: better to underdo than overdo. But the best is to do as much as you can tolerate. Forget about housework. Forget about anything that isn't urgent. Your job right now is recovery! Rest and walk, rest and walk, rest and walk.
I still felt pretty lousy at 4 weeks. I hope you'll understand that I say that to encourage you, not discourage you. If you have a lousy day, it's okay. That's really quite normal. You can expect ups and downs, often for no apparent reason. Many of us had an increase in pain somewhere between 3 and 6 weeks post op, which can be attributed to the numbing agents they pack inside during surgery finally wearing off. That will pass quickly.
I found the 3 month mark to be my first big turning point. I started to feel like a person again, started being able to get around more and out sometimes. Driving got easier. I felt like I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still had to be very careful, as I wasn't fused yet, but I felt so much better! 6 months was another big turning point. Even at 11 months, I was still seeing improvement.
I took Colace (or rather, the much cheaper generic equivalent) every time I took my pain meds. I also ate a few prunes once or twice a day. They have cherry and orange essence prunes now that really aren't bad. They're nothing like those nasty dried up things with pits we had when I was a kid. Yuck! Experiment and you'll find what works best for you. We've all dealt with the constipation. That's the most notorious side effect of pain meds!
Hang in there. It will get better! We're all proof of that!
Been there, done that,
Emily
