Looking for success stories from T3-Pelvis fusions

I had T10-pelvis fusion with L4-L5 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and L5-S1 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with S2AI screws for pelvic fixation. In short, I had spinal fusion surgery that took place on March 23, 2026. Yes, you're right it's a huge spine surgery (not just "back surgery") and recovery is challenging. I don't know that pre-surgery I actually realized the depth of mobility limitations of a spinal fusion. I'm 79 yrs old, female, and have always been active--running, hiking, biking, walking, gardening. I gave up running a few years ago due to knee issue. Giving up gardening nearly breaks my heart because, as you will find, bending over isn't possible anymore. However, I can still walk, and in a post-surgery meeting with doctor this week, I can continue to hike as long as it is a mild rated hiking experience. Full recovery from surgery is expected to take 2 years. By that time, my goal is to be able to complete a daily (pre-surgery) 4-mile walk. I recently began driving to grocery store, church, appointments. For now, I'm avoiding highway driving until I'm very confident about re-learning how to drive. You must learn to rely on rearview mirrors because of limitations in looking backwards for approaching cars. My neurosurgeon appointments are 40 minutes during good highway traffic, so I take an Uber or Lyft. I've been contemplating taking local streets instead of highway travel but not sure that I want to spend an hour or more to get to doc's office.

Just to let you know, immediately after surgery there's a lot of pain and walking to the bathroom is excruciating. Going to the bathroom is a humbling experience. You have to rely on someone else (male or female) to clean you because you cannot do it for yourself due to mobility issues. It took me 35 days before I could clumsily clean myself while in rehab. I was in a hard body brace that could only be taken off while lying flat in bed--it had to be on at ALL other times. There's a lot more but maybe this will somewhat prepare you for what's to come. In my opinion, people who call this "back surgery" are not fully comprehending the intensity of spinal fusion. After surgery, I was sent a questionnaire as to whether or not I was glad to have had the surgery. I couldn't answer with a simple yes or no. In my mind, there were consequences for having the surgery and consequences for not having the surgery. I had to decide which type of consequence I was willing to live with. Full disclosure, I was born with scoliosis and never had any problems until about 1-1/2 yrs. ago when my head, neck, and right shoulder began leaning to the left. I was experiencing difficulty in swallowing food and liquid and had pain in my right shoulder.

You will have OT and PT after surgery. Do what you can in these areas but don't push it. You'll get to a point of comfort in these exercises, especially if you're faithful in doing them.

I don't know if the above is TMI or not enough, but I wish you well. Post the date of your surgery and I will pray for you before and during surgery, and as you recover.

@memuno1stborn I cannot thank you enough for the information you provided. I do not think anyone can give TMI on this format regarding spinal fusion. I am 71, female, live alone, I too have scoliosis all my life, and of course, other spinal issues now. My current neurosurgeon has recommended fusion from T10 to my pelvis. I have seen 2 other neurosurgeons and they suggested that I not have fusion unless my current pain is so severe that I would rather die. I would not say I am having pain, per se, so much as, I can no longer walk very far without a grocery cart or some support. So, I have delayed the surgery. I hear recoverin is at least a year and since I live alone, finding someone to come in and help in a rural area is almost impossible. So, I thank you for the details you have provided, and on driving afterwards. Anything at all. Where did you have your surgery?

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. My surgeon is actually recommending a a T3 to Pelvis fusion...which is even longer! YIKES...It's probably too soon to tell how glad you are that you did it. Maybe it will be months? I certainly wish you all the best in your recovery !
My situation is less about the pain, well yes of course pain, but the weight of my body seems to be pulling me down and over making it hard to walk any distance ...it's exhausting to live like this

@bassetmom: I have empathy and sympathy for your situation. I, too, live alone. While I have one son in the area, he didn’t have time to provide the 24/7 care I needed post-surgery. You’ll need help with meals, medications, OT and PT, etc. The decision to have surgery all depends on the quality of life you now, or will, have vs. the quality of life you’d have with the surgery. That’s not for the doctor to decide, that’s for you to decide. Yes, there have been times when I regretted spinal fusion surgery and the resulting mobility limitations, but the alternative wasn’t to my liking either. As I continue this post-surgery journey during the last part of my life, I have confidence that I’ll learn how to overcome mobility challenges. I know it won’t be easy, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. If it’s something that turns out to be too difficult, then I’ll accept it and be happy with other progress.
I live in the Denver area, but as mentioned, I didn’t have the support and assistance that’s necessary for successful post-surgery recovery and was admitted to a rehab facility. Discuss your situation with your doctor to find out if he or she and the surgery team can assist with recovery at a rehab facility. If you lived near, and decided to have surgery, I would do whatever is in my power to help you because this is a life-altering surgery. Only those who've been through it can understand the situation.

@richstein52: I actually don’t know the exact location of my spinal fusion nor yours. I only know the spine locations from the surgery notes that were given to me. What I can tell you from the x-ray is that I have a rod on either side of my spine to correct scoliosis, and the spine was fused to my pelvic bone area to stabilize the spinal correction. Am I glad about the surgery? Frankly, there are days I regret it, but the alternative future without surgery was not going to be pleasant. The Spine Center at Anschutz hospital in Denver has patients with all types of spinal issues. I could only imagine how life would be if I allowed my deformity to continue. Basically, there are consequences in having surgery; and consequences for not having the surgery. We have to decide for ourselves what consequences we’re willing to live with.
You mentioned a weight issue. I don’t know if it’s due to your height or due to being overweight. I gained a bit of weight in rehab because I wasn’t doing anything to burn calories. Walking post-surgery (after the pain has subsided) is an exhausting experience as well. You can expect to be exhausted after preparing a meal, after showering (when it’s allowed), after OT and PT. Your body will be recovering from a traumatic event and it takes time to recover from this.

@memuno1stborn I am in a rural area of north Florida. If I were to have the surgery, my surgeon is at Mayo in Jacksonville and has recommended a post surgery rehab facility for a week or two in Jacksonville so that is a good thing. The big question for me is, what will I do once I get home b/c I know I will need help here and I just do not have it. And, being a rural area, it's not that easy to find or even pay for. Again, I so appreciate your TMI b/c how else will people like me know? Doctor's don't usually tell you things like, you'll need help will cleaning yourself after you use the toilet. So, I'm holding off on surgery for now. You are very kind to offer a stranger your help if you were located closer. Thank you.

@richstein52 and @bassetmom I read through all the topics and was going to overlook this one. I've had my cervical and my lumbar fused. I am 69 now and I need another surgery below the lumbar and probably a pin to my SI joint. I have degenerative disc disease and scoliosis. My parents probably should have put me in a body brace when I was a kid. But they didn't. Like you guys I suffer with the surgeries but I am GRATEFUL I had ALL of them (including my hip replacements) because I would be less independent without the surgeries.
One option is to move to an area where you are not so rural. I am considering when that day might come. Although I have always paid someone to come take care of me and the dog after surgery.... I don't know who I will turn to next.
I guess I just figure this is part of my life. No one really sees the suffering. It is silently endured inside. I read a lot of books when I was young... and it just seems SUFFERING is noble and part of life. Lucky us! LOL 😉 We are building character!

t10-s4, 9 months ago. I turned 60 in the midst of this. Suffering is a big piece of all our of stories here. But also, as you read these entries, there is also great strength, resilience, and hope. We all are looking for the happy ending, and with Christ that will come. For those of us that are walking through the pain that drives us to surgery, or the recovery that is life altering, clear and open answers of what we can expect might be illusive. If we could post a timeline of how we all experience recovery, it might provide great information. We could see where the average turning point might be, and we could motivate ourselves to reach the goals others have been able to reach. Having others on this forum share their journey of recovery helped me to put goals in place, and that helped me with expectations that were practical. I honestly do not know how I would have navigated my recovery without my husband. He took off 6 weeks from work, and I might have been able to manage at the 4 week mark, but I was so glad I did not have to!

By the 4 week mark I was able to begin making simple meals for myself, but all the decisions and ingredients needed to be accessible to me. So as you consider surgery, plan to put all the things you use within arms length so you do not have to bend. This includes in your bathroom and bedroom. Think linens, pots/pans, toiletries, books, remotes, etc.

Bathroom: We installed a bidet from Amazon ($30ish) and I started "practicing" wiping without bending/twisting. This is a learned skill. Not easy. I determined I was not going to ask for help. I watched videos that used tools to assist and couldn't wrap my mind around that, so practice makes perfect! A shower chair! This is still in my shower because there are days when I've exhausted myself and standing up to wash my hair or shave my legs - I need some assistance. I also purchased an extendable wand for my razor so that I could shave my legs. I have a shower sponge that the hospital gave me to wash my legs and feet, and I am still using one similar still. I kept the kidney bowl from the hospital to brush by teeth because I was unable to bend low enough to spit and used this for probably the first 3 months.

Bedroom: Learn to logroll into and out of the bed prior to surgery. Watch YouTube videos to learn how. I still have to do this. I can still feel the hardware when I lie down at night, so we have a feather duvet insert doubled under me to provide just enough cushion. I have a bedside table that held the things I might need: tissue, chargers, emesis bag for nausea ( which I battled the first 5 months). Reacher to help me get dressed ( I used this until probably 7 months); long shoe horn (still using this!). Clothes are all in drawers I can reach and pull out easily, or hanging up.

Car: I had a silk pillowcase to help me sit down and spin without twisting. I used this for probably about 7 months. My abs and thighs needed to get strong enough to do this. My doctor ordered a temp. handicap parking pass that lasted 6 months. I did get good use out of this when I went back to work at the 4 month mark, but was able to start parking further away by the 6 month mark - and even taking the stairs! I did not start driving more than 15 minutes away from home until the 6 month mark when I felt confident to get on the highway.

I went on my first trip on a plane at the 6 month mark and it was interesting to note where the challenges might be and try to prepare for those. We ordered a wheelchair and for that first trip it was a great idea, even though I resisted it at the time. I pre-boarded which helped me not feel the rush of others while I tried to settle. That also helped me catch my connecting flight which I likely would have missed had I tried to walk the distance. The hard thing was asking others for help, but I found that people were always more than willing to help.

What continues to challenge me at 9 months post? I still have incredible sensitivity around the top of my waste to the top of my thighs. Certain fabrics are simply intolerable! It worsens as the day progresses, so showers can actually be painful for the water to hit that area. I'm still learning how much I can bend, but my squats have gotten pretty good! I do not have the stamina that I did prior to surgery. I do have to pace myself. If I work a full day, my at home pt has to be light, and I might not get a walk in. I have to be ok with that. I've had to learn to be ok with a lot more things now. I have to be ok that I can't get in my yard and work all day like I used to. But with certain tools, and patience, I can work at it. I can't run around and do things without a little forethought. If I go shopping I have to prepare for the challenges that come with it. Trying on clothes might not happen and might need to make sure how returns work. Grocery shopping is most difficult as the weight of things, or where they are located on a shelf present challenges.

All that to say: I'm really grateful to not have the kind of pain that led me to surgery. I've dealt with pain from scoliosis since I was a young child. I had not slept through the night in several years due to the pain. I don't have that anymore. I don't know the last time I even took a tylenol! I know this is lengthy, but I was trying to think through some of the things I wish I had known, and hopefully this helps. Please feel free to ask questions, as I'm more than glad to help!

Very helpful, thank you! Yes, we should be grateful we have this alternative to the pain. I had a ruptured disc in my lower back when I was 18 that I had to have surgery on so I have been "aware" of my back and my scoliosis all my life. I am now 71. And I remember my recovery from that but, I had my mother and dad back then. I didn't appreciate all that at the time! It is the little things that you don't think about that you do on your own when you are independent, until you can't. Thank you again.