3.5 months out

Wow its been a long time.  February 6 will mark 4 months since surgery.  I can't believe its been so long already.  There were moments when time seemed to hold still, and most others that have just flashed by.  I have come so so so far in this short time that I spend less time thinking about my scoliosis now than I ever did before surgery.  It used to be an all consuming thing.   Constant correction of my uneven shoulders and making sure that my clothes didn't reveal too much of my "secret."  I've all but forgotten what that feels like and enjoy wearing clothes that hug me now.

The incision is getting less noticeable as expected, but the numbness is still very much there and I'm thinking may never go away.  It is a very strange sensation to touch my back or have someone else touch my back.  Feels like rubber, gross.  When I unclasp my bra I squeeze my shoulder blades together so that the bra strap moves away from my body before I unclasp it because I just cannot tolerate that numb sensation.  I have also been having a lot of itching on my back which I assume is due to the nerves still waking up.  There are two spots on my back that itch on a daily basis, I've kind of just learned to ignore it.  I haven't gotten brave enough to really feel around on my back to see what it feels like.  There is one spot up by my neck where the rod starts that I feel around on, this is also the spot that is most itchy, and it does feel a little bit different.  Not like a regular vertebrae would.  Needless to say, in these aspects, I am still getting used to my new back and all of the new bling I carry around.  Even though a vast majority of my back is numb to the touch, the inside is hyper-sensitive.  I can't handle any poking or patting on my back yet.  Sitting on hard backed chairs feels a little bit strange, not painful, just foreign.  Like I'm leaning against a bumpy piece of wood or something.  I went to a restaurant with Tim not long ago, and we sat in bar stools that had low backs to them.  If I leaned back in these chairs it caught right at the bottom of where the rod starts.. ouch!!  So uncomfortable.  I remained perfectly straight and at the edge of my seat the whole time.  Its still amazing to me how the human body can heal and adjust to new things.

I joined the gym again at 12 weeks post-op with a little bit of hesitation, but a lot of exitement and determination.  I had been working out just about everyday at home on the elliptical and with light weights, and I felt ready to tackle my group exercise classes I so enjoy.  I now do zumba and spin on an almost daily basis and continue to do weights.  It makes me so happy to be able to be a part of this again because it is such an important part of my life and I wasn't ready to give it up.  I got really big into exercising a couple of years ago.  It is something that you build an addiction to, and something I was so afraid would come to a screeching halt after surgery.  I think the fact that I enjoy being active so much and was not ready to give it up really helped me push through.

My kids have just about forgotten that I've had surgery and every now and then I still have to remind them to be careful with my back as they run at me at 100 mph.

Our time in Houston is coming to a close in 5 weeks.  I will have one more appointment with my surgeon before I leave and then I imagine I won't need another check up until my one year appointment. The kids and I are so excited to get back to our house and their toys and most importantly their Daddy.  We have really missed being our little family of four.  I will be eternally grateful to my parents for making this journey possible for me and for making my recovery as easy and comfortable as possible.  Love you guys.

I'll probably be posting when I get back home to Wyoming and settled, and then again at 6 months.  Thanks again for reading!