5-Year ADR Anniversary: LP-ESP is still holding up well!

The LP-ESP is doing its job well!
April 4th, 2023 was my 5-year post-op anniversary date. I am not sure if five years count as “long-term” outcome, but I would say it’s a pretty great outcome so far. Going from the disabling and unbearable pain from my degenerated L5/S1 to being able to face what life had thrown at me since 2018 is a borderline miracle, all things considered. Hopefully, I will be able to continue on this path – and I am trying to commit to regular workouts and (bone) strengthening weight-lifting regimen. I admit, I haven’t done any structured workouts for a long time, which is partially due to my completely out-of-whack hormones that made me feel weak, creaky, and aged me at an alarming rate. However, I was still able to carry, lift, clean, and bend just fine during our move, which would have been impossible prior to ADR. I recently started on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy; I am slowly starting to feel better. Let’s see if it lasts. I resisted going this path for a long time, but something more radical had to be done to feel whole again, and as it turns out, hormonal balance is a pretty crucial part of that.

I haven’t done any x-rays or other type of evaluation of my artificial disk, and - to be honest – as long as there are no changes, I will keep it that way. I don’t want to repeatedly image my spine just because. I did have a bone density test done for the BHRT, and I am happy to report that my spine is strong and without any evidence of osteoporosis. The fact that I can do what I do, including deep cleaning a duplex for five hours straight without being paralyzed for two weeks thereafter, speaks for itself and is enough confirmation that my hardware is doing its job, and doing it well. I rarely think about my surgery anymore, and just want to live my life, with my Ralf, while I can. That includes walking to a local Mexican restaurant that also serves homemade ice cream....