I’m 64, had L5 S1 fusion at about 52. Surfed pretty regularly before surgery. Doctor said I should be able to surf again in about 9 months. The back pain was much worse after surgery and never got better. I’ve inquired about hardware removal from multiple surgeons and they all said they don’t do it unless they can prove hardware is causing issues, then rarely. It’s a struggle, I wish I had advice but I’ve been trying to find solutions for over 10 years. Did your bones fuse? Ask your doctor to test area around fusion for problems.