Considering 2020 is coming to an end and I am just over three months removed from my back surgery, I figured I better get to an update many have asked me about. (Warning: Long read.)

Due to the fact there is a lot to catch up on and I tend to be wordy, I decided to include this update in this blog. I have provided other updates shortly after my lower lumbar fusion surgery in late September. If you are a friend of mine on Facebook, you have read those updates already (October1, 5, and 6)

While my surgery was just over three months ago, in reality it equals 14 weeks to the day thanks to two longer months in there. While the first eight weeks were pretty damn rough, the last six have seen improvement – even significant – and that has made a big difference.

Couple of things since my last significant update (about a month after surgery):

Loss of Blood:
It turns out I lost a liter (litre for my Canadian and other international friends) of blood during surgery. This made me extremely anemic (bordering on needing a transfusion; never had one). I was only made aware by my primary care doc during a follow-up with her at five weeks post-op. My red blood numbers even six weeks later were still pretty low, though had come up since I was discharged.

My energy levels were in the basement. A walk around the house, let alone around the neighborhood, would cause me to want to lay down and sleep. It took nearly eight weeks post-op (about the right timing for my body to make up for most of the blood lost) for me to start to feel myself and I could feel my energy levels starting to return.

That said, I don’t think I’m quite out of it, yet. There are still times I feel absolutely wiped out of the blue. While some is stamina, I think my body is still recovering.

Iron Levels Took a Dive:
The blood loss also caused my iron numbers to plummet. This ended up firing up my RLS but that wasn’t noticed until around five weeks post-op (that visit with my primary doc was an eye opener). Further bloodwork indicated my ferritin serum was down from around 160+ to 32 (at five weeks post-op) and my saturation was from 25+% to just 9%!

My RLS had been breaking through my medication – something I hadn’t experienced in over five years! And it had suddenly made my nights hell. Upon seeing my blood work (cross-hospital programs like MyHealth are awesome), my RLS doc immediately ordered an iron infusion and slightly upped my night-time meds. He also had me start taking iron supplements (including going back to my childhood with Flintstone vitamins!) with a glass of orange juice each night.

He told me it could take six or eight weeks before my body would adjust to the added iron (very complicated explanation, but the reason it took 4-5 weeks before my RLS noticed the sudden drop in iron). It does seem my body reacted a bit faster than 6-8 weeks, but still not quite back to “normal” with my RLS. Unfortunately, this entire experience reveals my RLS is a bit more complicated than previously believed (very long story, if interested let me know and I can explain in another fashion).

I will get my blood checked again in less than two weeks to see how things are going and if additional steps need to me made. In total, it appears my body has needed three to four months to recover from losing a liter of blood during surgery.

My surgeon explained the blood loss is a question he doesn’t have an answer. It seems he and the surgical team were a bit perplexed. Yes, the surgery went longer than expected (8+ hours instead of the planned 5), but he didn’t think that had anything to do with it. He also doesn’t feel the spinal fluid loss I experienced played a roll, either. Something was just “off” with my body that day it would seem.

Now What – Moving Forward:
I have been going to physical therapy since about seven or eight weeks post-op. And because I had 18 visits to get in before the end of the year (to use all that were allotted), I have been seeing my guy 2-3 times a week.

It has been eye-opening.

Clearly my body has been dealing with a significant problem in my back for YEARS (I can date some symptoms back to my college soccer days). I have muscles that aren’t working properly, if at all. I have parts of my body working differently than they should after spending years in defense mode to protect my lower back. I also have muscles that have always been a struggle now are far worse because something as simple as walking is no longer a normal thing, or process, for my body. Even sitting is looked at in a whole new light.

We are working on a LOT! But I love my guy. He pushes me, gives me extra time, and knows that even if I complain, I’m going to do it because the long-term goal is too important. I think I also get to test him and he’s up for a challenge. LOL

(I have known my PT guy for a very long time. I first saw him after injuring my shoulder playing softball. He helped me through those 18-months and two surgeries. He also helped me with a torn hamstring and torn calf. I seriously didn’t think about going to see anyone else.)

My PT guy has also been realistic. I was hoping to make a quick recovery and be swinging a golf club by this summer plus other athletic endeavors. Due to what we now know (damn hindsight), it could take me a full 18-months to recover from this. There is a lot of things that need fixing and re-teaching. The sad part, insurance will only cover seeing him 20-times in all of 2021 and we certainly can’t afford to pay out of pocket for more visits.

That all said, there is a plan and I am ready to go. I will go to PT once a week starting next week and then likely transition to once every two weeks in the back end of the visits. I will also be getting in touch with a local gym where I did some working out prior to the surgery. There I will start a 60-day program/plan (thanks to their generosity) going as frequently as I want (and covid allows SMH) doing aqua-workouts and using other equipment to get my body moving better. My PT guy says he’s willing to communicate with my main contact at the gym (which happens to be across the street) to coordinate what I need to focus on so we are targeting things better. If I can, especially while I am still unemployed, I wouldn’t mind making it my job to recover.

Oh… and there is losing weight. It is a must. Anne already has plans. The only challenge for me is the diet part; It is an aspect I look forward to dealing with the least. I am not a fan of a lot of foods that I have tried in the past as part of diets. I know we can find work arounds and I’m willing. I also know that simply being more active will be a huge help. Just the fact I finally seem to have my back “solved” will be a significant help.

In a nutshell, 2020 has been a challenge – sucked – for sure (and I realize many have had it far worse, so I certainly am not trying to indicate I am somehow in some horrible place in comparison). From losing nearly all my work (unemployed for 7 1/2 months) to the insane challenge of having lower lumbar fusion, 2020 was NOT the year I was hoping for when 2019 was coming to an end. I got my first hint the last week of 2019 when my surgeon called while I was at a basketball event in Las Vegas to say the initial look at my latest MRI and x-rays showed more surgery was likely/needed. I just didn’t realize what it would become.

But … for the first time since at least March 2019, and really for a very, very long time (20+ years), I appear to be headed in a positive direction. I now know what the path ahead is and how to get to where I want to be – after years of being confused and lost.

Before the year ends, I have to thank so many – starting with my family and especially Anne. She has been incredible. Not only basically running the house, but picking up all the things I haven’t been able to do for a very long time. I know it isn’t easy – my physical challenges haven’t been easy (she’s been through four surgeries; two pairs where a second surgery was needed to fix what the first did not). She is basically running a clinic for work, from home, with two growing and demanding children, and having to run the house while her husband slowly recovers from a debilitating injury. She continues to be an amazing mother, wife, and woman. I cannot imagine getting through any of this without her.

The kids have also been awesome through it all. Can’t be easy to have a father who can’t do much or might be on edge because he’s hurting.

There are also numerous family, friends, and colleagues to thank. From those who helped with meals or things that needed to be dealt with on the fringes. Or those who simply called/messaged to make sure I was okay or needed anything … or if Anne and the kids were okay or needed anything. And of course those who stepped up in other important ways – I won’t be able to properly thank these people.

And I have to thank those at World TeamTennis and Major League Baseball and those who made sure I had work, even with limitations, because they wanted to work with me or that I get the opportunity. Both entities put me in bigger, more important roles that challenged me for which I loved. It kept me sane when I was starting to really struggle. I can’t thank those individuals enough.

Good riddance 2020 … 2021, let’s do this.