Hello everyone! It is Ben again. Jesse has been quite busy with work and traveling the past week or so. I have not been particularly busy, but I just did not get around to blogging over the past week. The title of this blog alludes to the fact that I will be returning to work on Wednesday, May 15th. At my May 1st appointment, after speaking with Dr. Asher and one of his nurses, we decided on a tentative return to work date of May 15th. If I continued to improve, especially with neck stamina and flexibility, I would call their office to get my return to work note. I called last Wednesday and got my return to work note as my neck had substantially improved (although it still has a ways to go in the muscles on the left side of my neck and upper shoulder). I am excited to get back to work, as it is a place I enjoy working. It feels like I have been gone much longer than five and a half weeks, but I am sure I will get back into the swing of things before long.
I am continuing with my rehab in occupational and physical therapy. I continue to work on my balance, coordination, leg strength, and neck flexibility/strength at physical therapy. I have my next PT appointment Wednesday morning, at which time we will evaluate and update my PT plan. In exciting OT news, I have one appointment scheduled for next Wednesday (they had to cancel my OT appointment from this morning), which should be my final OT appointment. They will discharge me to a home therapy plan where I continue to work on exercises they give me from home.
Also, in my conversation with Dr. Asher's nurse last Wednesday, she also answered a few questions I had. They are actually reducing some of my restrictions. I can now bend, twist, stoop, etc., as long as it is nothing strenuous and I do not overdo it (I know Jesse is happy I can help more around the house with some of the chores now, although the ones she hates of carrying trash and heavy litter I still cannot do). They also increased the amount of weight I am allowed to lift from 5 to 10 pounds. I am also allowed to jog slowly as I am able! I am not allowed to run at this point. However, I tried a couple minutes of jogging this weekend. I most .likely looked like the 80 year old man you see out shuffling along in a jog on the street, but it was progress none the less. I look forward to incorporating a little more of it into my walking regimen as I go forward. These restrictions will be in place until my next office visit towards the end of June.
I hope to continue my recovery once I return to work. I think working will speed up my recovery in some ways, as I will get used to the motor skills required to do my job that I may not be able to practice as much at home. Although, my typing is pretty good now (not including my pinkie on my right hand which still is not cooperative). I think my writing is close to as good as it was before. After all the balance exercises I do at PT, I think that may end up being better than it was before the surgery. My physical therapist was commenting that the goal will be for me to be like the Six Million Dollar Man ("We can rebuild him, we have the technology...better than he was before..."). The lower body numbness still moves around and can be quite annoying and uncomfortable, but that will hopefully resolve over the coming months and year.
Thanks again to everyone who reads for all of your support, thoughts, and prayers.
-Ben
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