@joanland
I’m facing a very major spinal reconstruction and would really appreciate hearing from people who have actually been through something similar.

My surgeon is planning to remove my existing hardware and replace it with new instrumentation, potentially using rods extending from my neck all the way to my tailbone. I’m expecting approximately two days of surgery.

My biggest concern isn’t simply the surgery itself—it’s what life is really like afterward.

For those who have had a long fusion or reconstruction extending through most or all of the spine:

* How is your quality of life now?
* What can you still do physically?
* How difficult is walking, sitting, sleeping, and getting around?
* How long did it take before you felt somewhat normal again?
* What do you wish you had known before surgery?
* Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?