I have Degenerative Disc Disease throughout my whole spine. I have had 3 spinal surgeries, and one of them was S1-L3 Lumbar Fusion. This was about 7 years ago and I have had very little issues in my Lumbar Spine since then. My surgeon is a Neurosurgeon - not an Orthapedic.

Recovery was tough, but so worth it. You will need help for the first couple of weeks at home - you should not be home alone. Getting out of bed, out of a chair and any steps will be a challenge, but you should be able to do it before you leave the hospital. The most Pain I had was from the incisions and muscles, not the procedure itself.

Try to slowly cut back on your pain meds soon after surgery so you don't go through withdrawls if you have been on them a long time. (I was on Percocet and Morphine for 2 years before my first surgery, and for about 6 months before my other two surgeries) Right now, I am just taking advil or Tylenol to help with some of the aches I have.

Don't over due anything - you may feel like you can pick something heavy up or go for a long walk or something, but you will get tired and winded quick, and then you will be twice as sore later on. Sleep when you can because it won't be for long periods of time because of pain and soreness, but eventually that will get better. I was out of work for over 3 months on each of my surgeries.

My last surgery was in 2010 on Thoracic and Cervical spine. I know I will have more surgeries down the line because of the disease. With that said, I don't take any chances and try to prolong the inevidible as much as possible!

Good Luck with everything!