Originally Posted by bellydanceheather

Wow Mark, you went through so much! I'm glad you came through so well, and are now inspiring the rest of us.
I'm now a little over 9 weeks post op and am feeling pretty darn good! I'm back at work full time, and back to my 4:30AM gym time as well. I can do weights for both upper and lower body, and moderately intense cardio for up to 45 minutes. I can even do hanging leg raises from my trusty ab-straps, just not as many as before, but I'm working on it! The hardest thing has been stretching, but I know it's important so I do it every day, especially for the lower back and hamstring area. Ugh. I know exactly what you mean about feeling like your back was being torn in two. It's not really what I would call pain, though. It's more like a weird, pulling, stretchy kind of "oogy" uncomfortable feeling. (You can thank my mom for that super-descriptive work. Personally, I think it's a perfectly accurate assessment.) I know that will resolve itself in time, just like my leg and foot numbness did. I only use my cane to get out of bed in the morning, but that's only because my bed is a little low. Once I'm standing I put it aside for the rest of the day.
I can definitely feel the hardware in my back when I touch the area. Again, this is strange feeling, but a small price to pay to have things be structurally sound.
To all of you contemplating the surgery, all I can say is that despite the pain, so far my experience has been positive. If you want a good result you have to work at your recovery. That means getting in the best possible shape beforehand, making sure your core is strong, and that you're eating the best possible nutrition for your body to replenish cells and heal. No junk food! I know my doctor could only do so much; the rest has been up to ME!
I wish you all well and will continue to update my progress!