Originally Posted by Spillary

Hi, I am a 24 year-old woman in Seattle who is 3 days shy of the 3-week mark of getting anterior/posterior lumbar fusion surgery. My story is that in June 2008, I began was experiencing excruciating and constant pain in my left hamstring. From June to July I tried yoga and stretching, at the end of July I began physical therapy. My physical therapist said my pain was probably due to a herniated disc so in August I got an x-ray and an MRI, which showed a disc herniation due to a lumbar spine condition called spondylolisthesis. ...

5) If you have any mental health concerns or issues, deal with them (or begin to deal with them) BEFORE your surgery. Make arrangements for a mental health professional to come see you in the hospital a few days after your surgery, and see someone on a weekly basis during the 4-6 weeks of recovery (and beyond, if needed). Recovery can be very depressing and isolating and I truly believe in the power of positive thinking. If you’re recovering and all you’re thinking is “I’m missing out on everything and I’m not being a productive human being and am just lying here and doing nothing and what if the pain comes back and….” You’re not going to recover and feel better as fast as if you’re thinking positively. If therapy or counseling will help you get to that point, make sure you make arrangements with someone.