Hey All...sorry i haven't been on here for a while, but when your back is all good ,you tend to be out there doing things and less time infront of a pc! ...i see there has been quite a few new posts and i am glad to see that people are helping others with this, really cool! , so i thought i would give a general update on how i am now and hope to cover some of those questions asked. It will be 2 years next month since i have had the fusion done and i can say that i am soooo glad i had it, long term effects did worry me when i was pre-op but so far so good and i see no reason for things to change now, my fusion has taken well and my back is really strong and solid...i am still pain free and enjoying everything life has to offer, i am back playing football again, i run freely and feel at total ease about taking on most things as before i was always thinking "how can i do that with my back the way it is" and while i always know the rods are in there and can feel them 24/7, they never hurt, the only thing that still seems to exist is a tender spot under the flesh where the hip bone was scrapped and use to complete the fusion around the rods, its fine most of the time, but if i get hit there or bang it, it can be quite sore briefly,kind of like getting kicked in the shin, very tender but fades quite quickly and i know this as i have been kicked on the otherside of my hip and it didn't hurt half as much, i plan on asking my surgeon about that at my next 6 month checkup, hopefully that will fade in time. Otherwise i can't recommend this enough to someone considering it , it has totally changed my life, i have suffered no loss at all of flexibility at all, if anything i am more flexible because it doesn't hurt to stretch out more, i am fitter now than i ever was and have lost all the "back pain weight" that i had put on over the years while suffering, i am 33 now and was 31 when i had the op, ...it feels so good to be free of it all and the difference in mindset towards things is incredible!. All i can say is do the research on the things that i spoke about in earlier posts, STICK TO THE REHAB PLAN ,don't over do it and be to keen to try things out to earlier ,that's a big no no! , i can't stress that enough as you all know if you have read my posts...lol..the more time to can give it the better, slow and steady! , i am living proof of this, when i was in the hospital there was a guy in the bed next to me having the same op again as he tried to go back to work after only 2 weeks and because of that his fusion didn't take and he cracked a rod!, had to have it all pulled out and re-done...i was determined that wasn't going to be me... i am sure you will have the same result as me if you stick to my advice...like i say it does feel very different when the rods go in , having these things bolted inside you and you always know they are there, but i think that is a good thing as it reminds me of my second chance at a pain free back and it keeps me in check and not take it for granted so i don't go and do something to stupid, i don't want to go back to how i was , well thats all i can think of for now, please ask me if you have any questions and i will help if i can!

take care everyone and all the best!

Michael