Thanks for all of the positive comments and well wishing, they have been helpful. I am already walking 18 blocks (1 week post op) albeit with some pain (no pain no gain). I try to walk 3x daily, but 2x sometimes has to suffice. I can only sit at the computer for a few minutes at a time because it puts a lot of stress on my spine and neck. I also have difficulty using my arms as they had to cut through a lot of muscle to get to the spine. I still am not sure if they did a 5 level fusion T7-T11 as they originally planned or if they did a 7 level fusion from T5-T11 as indicated in my chart. (Each time the doc came in I was in a morphine stupor and the number of fused discs was the last thing on my mind).
My second worst experience was needing a chest x-ray in the hospital. The day after the surgery, I was running a fever of 102 with an elevated pulse, so the internist ordered an X-Ray. At 0200 AM, the X-Ray tech shows up to take the X-ray. He forcibly lifts my torso and tries to wewdge the x-ray cartridge between my incision and the bed. After a few choice expletives, he decides to try something new. He contorts me into a pretzle with the mechanical bed and again tries to shove the cartridge into the non-existant recess between my incision and the bed. In shear agony I weaved a tapestry of expletives that will probably forever float in the hallways of that Catholic hospital. If I could have reached the tech, I would have strangled him. My pain which was worse that at any time after the surgery. Of course I ask the nurse for a pain pill and didnt get it until 0600.
My most disturbing ordeal had to do with when they wheeled me into the operating room. A nice gay man ( he was referring to his husband) identified himself as one of my OR nurses as did another attractive female Hispanice nurse. The male nurse said he would see to all of the pre-op needs. The Dr. Feelgood showed up and said it was time to go to sleep. He mixed a concoction, but was astounded at how much it took to knock me out. He was saying., "I have given him enough to knock out a bull.." when the lights and sounds drifted away.
I awoke 8 1/2 hours later. Thye wheeled me into my room at 10Pm where my wife was waiting for me. The next morning, I had my wife help me get out of bed to help me exerise and then she noticed that they had completely shaved my ass. I asked, why on earthly would they shave my ass for a back surgery... I did have a small incision at the base of my spine where they took donor bone, but why the whole ass. I asked my wife if she thought the male nurse had taken advantage..... she said impossible, with the number of people there. They probably just took compromising pics in the event Work Comp doesnt pay.
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It's pretty common for them to shave areas around where they are about to cut into. When my dad had a heart surgery, they shaved his arms, legs, chest, and other important area. All that was done by two nurses that were chatting with each other and not even paying attention to what they were doing. 
I look forward to meeting you face to face one day.
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