@denman55 - Good morning and I hope you're beginning to see some recovery progress. You had a major surgery and you should set recovery expectations accordingly. It can be frustrating - but the doctors generally do a below-average job in preparing their spine surgery patients as to what to expect post-surgery. I had a four-level surgery like yours one year ago and I'm still in recovery mode...a longer period than I expected for sure.

As you appreciate, recovery is hard to predict. Every surgery is different. Every patient is different (age, weight, pre-surgical physical condition, etc), and every surgeon is different. I love that your surgeon is taking your discomfort seriously and is forging ahead to develop a new plan of action.

Be patient (easy to say and hard to do), stay optimistic (a positive attitude is an important part of your recovery), and know you have lots of support on Mayo Connect!