I guess I have a different point of view than others that say to lay around. My brother had the surgery and laid around in a lounger chair for 12 weeks. I really think his pain lasted so long because he chose to lay around putting pressure on the hip bone shaving site.

In contrast, I had the same surgery you are talking about. The only work I missed was the two days I was in the hospital. Ten days later I was scuba diving in the Bahama, jumping from a large boat.

Now I did not have the hip shaving for that surgery. Instead, I insisted on a donor bone. I figured that my hip was fine so why mess with it. It was a great decision for me.

A few years later I had to have another fusion much lower in my back. There they did the hip shaving and that was the worst recovery part. Even now, five years later, I get discomfort from where they saved my hip. Avoid that part if you can. However, even after the hip shaving, rods and screws, I again only spent two days away from work after getting out of the hospital.

Stay active, refuse to give in to the pain where you possibly can.