@coachdavid - First off, Jennifer is a veritable font of great advice backed-up by her amazing knowledge and personal experiences.

I had an ACDF at C4-7 in Feb 2023. I also had a four-level lumbar procedure in May of 2023 - so I can make some comparisons of recovery between those two surgeries, which may help you gain perspective as to what to expect in your case (though you know every recovery is different...).

My recovery from the lumbar work, rated 1-10 (10 is the toughest), was about 9.0 (9.999 at times). The ACDF recovery was much, much easier...maybe a 7.0? I had the ACDF on a Tuesday afternoon. I was released from the hospital late morning on Wed (less than 24 hours later). After one night in a nearby hotel, we drove 7+ hours home (I was snoozing most of the time). I did have some uncomfortable days at first but after a few weeks - I felt pretty darned good!

While my experience may not be yours...I would set my expectations as "better" in recovery than from your lumbar surgery.

My best!