[Kathy]

Yeah, I am finally 4 weeks post op!

I am feeling really good overall. My muscles are still pretty stiff; but it is not the same pain as before. The pain now will be more in my butt, legs and one-sided and higher in my back (before it was more center back). I am stil taking percocet 10mg, 4 or 5 a day and the pain is well controlled. I could take muscle relaxers and control the pain; but then I would want to sleep all day and not move around or walk (which would just make it worse) Before surgery I was on Kadian (morphine) 20mg, 2 a day and Vicodin 10mg 5 or 6 a day and I was still in tons of pain.

My incision is healed except for a little scab on the top and one on the bottom. Everytime my 3 year old, Ava, sees it, she asks "mommy you hold me now? you back better?" It is so sweet and sad. She loves sitting on my lap in the rocker and loving on me. My 5 year old, Emma has been really good at understanding and helping me. She has helped clean the house and helping with her sister. I am super proud of how well the two of them are doing. They love it that I need to walk, been taking them to the duck pond in our neighborhood, feeding the duck and getting to see all the spring babies.

I still get tired very easy; but am not sleeping great either. I was taking Ambien, after surgery; but that has run out. I now take my muscle relaxers sleep. I slept good last night; but some nights I wake repeatedly (needing to pee, which is rare for me to wake up for that). My muscles will be very stiff and then I have a hard time getting back to sleep. Sometimes, I get up, take a percocet, sit on the heating pad watching tv and wait for the medication to kick in. I then go back to bed.

Well, I think that is all for now, I'll probably think of something else later....

Kathy