@cabits First, thank you for your service. A few of my uncles were in the service (WW II) and my dad was in the Naval Reserve. I'm glad I could help. You may get a plate on the front of your spine, but there are some cages that have screws that run in at about a 45 degree angle into the vertebrae above and below that don't require plates on the front of the spine. Some of the cages have a space where they seed bone spurs that are removed during surgery. My surgeon told me that cadaver bone is a good choice because it heals better with natural bone and that if bone is harvested from your hip instead, it may hurt the rest of your life. I didn't want a hip problem that would bother me when I'm elderly. cadaver bone has been sterilized and what is left over is the mineral matrix and in healing, you will grow bone cells into that matrix which is what takes so long to heal a fusion. Your neck mobility will change too and a multilevel fusion will have more of an effect on the ability to turn your head and bend your neck. C1 & C2 do most of the work to turn your head kind of like a ring (C1) on a post (C2). C3 & C4 also assist to a lesser degree. My fusion is at C5/C6 and I have full range of motion in turning, but can't tuck my chin to my chest anymore, but it is close. A lot of spine patients give up activities like fast boating that pounds on the waves, roller coasters, running, etc. Because the discs are a shock absorber to your spine, hard bouncing and any whiplash like movement will put extra stress on your spine. I do have a gaited horse that I ride, but just at a walk or a running walk since he does that instead of trotting. This build s a lot of core strength for me, and that supports my spine from the bottom up and it helped me in my recovery from my fusion. At 7 months post op, my surgeon let me ride and of course he told me that horses always carry risk of injury to the rider. I had a sweet old Tennessee Walker who didn't worry about anything even the crazy bike riders who whizzed past from behind which would spook a lot of horses and he was confident to ride out alone without other horses. He's retired now and no longer sound to ride, and I have a new young horse that I'm working with a training safe behavior (like not freaking out about bicycles).

It is OK to just give yourself time to heal. You can't rush it or push through it. You will get there when you get there, so just help yourself heal every way that you can. Imagine that you are the caregiver in charge and helping someone else through this recovery. There have been patients who have fallen before the fusion was set, and required another operation to fix the damage done. Your balance might be off with restricted movement. Going back to any strenuous activity or lifting too much weight has to be carefully considered. Because the shoulder muscle connects to the vertebrae, that pulls on the spine in your neck. Your doctor will give you lifting restrictions that gradually are increased over time as you heal. Mine stared at 10 lbs max for the first 3 months. I could not drive either, so I had to let my husband do the grocery shopping and be my driver. Just prepare yourself to hibernate at home and be happy doing that. I slept a lot and the body needs it is when it is directing all of your energy into healing. Many surgeons ask patients who smoke to quit because that affects the oxygen levels in the spine, and you need the oxygen for healing the bone. I don't know if that applies to you, but I wanted to share the information for anyone else who may be reading this.

I think one of the toughest things is to let someone be your caregiver or assist with chores, but that is the best way that you can help yourself. In time, you'll be recovered. Listen to your body. That took about 3 months for me which is how long it took for the fusion to start, and my neck was weak from wearing the neck brace. I was happy to go to physical therapy. The incision also creates internal scar tissue in the fascia. You might like to look at this discussion about myofascial release which can stretch out the scar tissue. The scar tissue binds and prevents normal movement and can be painful. I did MFR work before and after my surgery and it made my neck muscle and tissue easier to retract during surgery. I asked my surgeon how I could help by stretching my skin before surgery and he showed me what to do.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
It"s great that you are embracing a surgical intervention. You do need to be a part of the team. That is how I looked at it. Even though I am the patient on the table, I am part of the team that is solving a problem. If you want to check back in along the way, I'll be here. Do you have a surgery date scheduled?