Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Hope everyone was able to enjoy time with family. Thought I would share this photo of me and my sister. I would guess I am 9-10 months old in this photo. 

I had my six-week follow-up with the surgeon on Friday. He said my x-rays look good. The bone spur I had is not showing signs of growing back. He said in 6-12 months, the scar where my incision is will be gone. He confirmed what the physical therapist said about nerves rejuvenating. He said they rejuvenate 1mm per day. He held up his index finger as an example and said to go from one said of his finger to the other would take roughly a week. He said the nerves will rejuvenate from my neck down. I asked if I would have had surgery two years ago, would I have had a better chance of immediate relief. He said there are no studies or literature that would answer that question. He suggested some medication to help with my pain. However, the two medications he suggested are terrible for your stomach (amongst other organs). I was taking one of the medications in the winter of 2020. While it did help my pain, it was affecting my stomach so I stopped taking it. The surgeon has referred me to pain management to see what other options I can explore. 

I have no restrictions now in what I can do and am able to return to work full-time. He said, I just have to listen to my body and know my own limits. While I have been working since surgery, I worked from home for the first few weeks. A couple of weeks, I went in a few days here and there. These last few weeks I have been working half days in the office and half days at home. 

Yesterday, I cleaned up some of the leaves outside my front door and vacuumed out my car. I did an order pickup at Target. I came home and made nachos for dinner. I cleaned up the kitchen and by then I was exhausted. I ended up falling asleep on the couch. Today, I cleaned my shower which I knew wasn't a great idea. But, it needed done. After showering, I ended up taking some of my nerve medication because my arms were hurting. I was fighting not to fall asleep on the couch by 5:00. The exhaustion is not getting any better. I may reach out to my family doctor this week. 

I had my last physical therapy appointment on Thursday. Since it was not improving my pain at all, the surgeon said to continue my exercises at home. 

We will see how work goes this week. I just know that being in the office half days has been a lot for me. I am going to take some pillows with me tomorrow and see if I can set up a better support system for myself at my desk. 

I am really trying to hang in there. I simply am mentally and physical exhausted. I am frustrated with my pain. I am frustrated with my lack of strength and endurance. 

Hope everyone has a great week!