Wow, cooking in the kitchen for an hour--it sounds like you are doing incredibly well!
About the pain in the back, this sounds normal to me and should pass with time. Concerning the "burning" sensation this is also a frequent complaint of patients post-op that does take time to move past. Actually when I had my surgery in Austria, there was a patient that had a 3-level with Dr. B and she had a burning sensation in both her feet for quite awhile (we talked frequently post-op and still do to this day). About the spontaneous stretching of your legs--I wouldn't worry about it...it sounds very benign and it's a way for your body to "deal" with what just happened to your spine.
Funny you mention the sock issue. I remember those days clearly--it was like I was a kid all over again.
Well, keep us posted and keep an eye on your pain levels. I wish you the very best.
