Hi everyone,
So if you've been reading this thread you'll know I've been on a journey to reclaim my life after being totally disabled, deformed and completely unfit after my AS fused my upper spine and curved it forward + fused my neck so I had chin on chest deformity and couldn't lift my head up anymore. 2 years ago I was deformed and I weighed 26 stone, I looked disabled and really you would have thought that was how I would be for the rest of my life....however when I found out about corrective surgery it gave me hope and from that moment 2 years ago I decided to pursue surgery until I got it.
I prepared myself physically and got down to 17st for my 1st surgery 18wks ago. My 1st surgery was on my cervical spine (neck) where I had an osteotomy with titanium rods & screws implants, my head was lifted back up. Now I don't have the range of motion of a yoga expert but I can look up and down, left and right pretty dam well. In fact my range of motion continues to improve and it's a great feeling......however even though it was great to have my head up I still had a really curved upper spine and it was permanently bent forward, I was bent just below the chest which was weird also.
I healed quickly from the 1st surgery and was back lifting weights and doing cardio after 7 weeks. So I then trained really hard for the following 9 weeks and put on a decent amount of muscle, then exactly 16wks after my 1st surgery I went back for the 2nd surgery, this time on my thoracic spine (upper). Yes it was a big risk having 2 major surgeries in short succession but I wanted to get them done. I'd spent the last 8 years with no life and I wanted the nightmare to end.....I was told by my surgeons that this was a much bigger surgery but they said that they had never met anybody so motivated and positive, I was ready to rock and roll and I was convinced it was going to work.
Well I had the surgery 2 weeks ago and they were not kidding about it being a bigger op.....the surgery took 14 hours and they did 3 osteotomies on 3 vertebrae next to each other and put screws and rods throughout my entire upper spine into a couple vertebrae of my lumbar + of course what I've got in my neck. I awoke to extreme pain and could not move for 4 days....the pain was intense and it also triggered a massive flare-up un my lower back. However after 4 days I was moved from intensive care to the ward and 3 days later I was home. My lower back and abs were swollen and constantly in spasms which was very painful and exhausting. It's now 2 weeks after surgery and things are improving everyday. My lower back and abs have healed and now it's just my upper back muscles which are tight and painful from being opened up and the tightness and pain is simply my muscle fibers repairing themselves. Everything is of course tender and painful and it's going to take a couple of months for my body to adjust to its new posture and for my back to heal. However I'm already noticing a difference in pain. When I lay down, which I can do flat now, my lower back muscles aren't reacting like they did before. I believe by straighten my spine and restoring balance it's taken pressure off my lumbar spine and muscles and once I'm healed I expect to be a lot better with flare ups and pain. Very exciting.
Now the good news....I'm straight again, my head is up and I look normal again. My body is back in balance and movement/walking about feels natural and easy again. Before my 1st surgery I was 5foot2, after the 1st surgery I was 5ft6 and now I'm 6foot again. All my body parts are back where there meant to be, no more bent chest and I feel amazing. I have a good range of motion in my neck and lumbar spine so overall life will be back to normal. Ive been out and about already, going into shops, watching my son play a soccer match, taking my other son to school, driving my car with the seat upright.....and that's now, just 2 weeks after surgery. I can't wait until I'm fully healed and I'm back to the gym.....I've got a couple months to go before I get there but once the muscles heal in my upper back I'll be engaging in a routine of weightlifting, cardio and stretching on a daily basis. 2 years ago I looked totally disabled and deformed and now I look like a normal person who's in good shape.....I promised myself that if all my hard work paid off and I was able to get back in shape and build a decent physique again + if the surgeries worked and made me look normal and restored me back into balance, if it all came together and granted me a 2nd chance at life that I would embrace it and never take it for granted again. Well that's exactly what's happening....I'm going to keep things nice and simple for the next 6 to 12 months. I'm going to heal, let my implants fuse and clarify properly into my spine and workout. My mission is to get lean, flexible and build a good strong body. I'm about to take delivery of my new sporty hot hatch car, so I'll be enjoying driving that everyday, going to the gym and simply easing myself back into life. After being so isolated with no life for 8 years it's now a process of rediscovery as I reclaim my life. It's very exciting and I'll keep you all posted of my progress.
Never give up, always have hope and embrace life.
Take it easy everyone,
Peace out,
Anthony:)
