Slow and steady wins the race

After undergoing back surgery, I have some important restrictions that are critical to ensuring the success of the spinal fusion.  The doctor told me to remember it as "BLT" -- no unnecessary Bending, no Lifting of anything that weighs more than a carton of milk, and no Twisting of my torso allowed.

The bending is proving to be a little tricky.  I have a handy dandy grabber thingy that Steve bought for me, and it works quite well on small objects.  It does NOT, however, work on ice cubes.  And, not to veer off the subject too sharply, but please tell me I am not the only person who just cannot seem to get ice out of the freezer without dropping a piece.  ugh...

At any rate, I am doing my dead level best to abide by those restrictions.  They will be in place until the vertebrae are completely fused together -- probably three to four months.  After the bones are knitted together, though, then it will be a good thing to put some stressors on them.  The surgeon said that will make them stronger. 

The one activity that my surgeon says will help me heal more than anything else is walking.  His goal for me is to be able to walk two miles a day by eight weeks out from the surgery.  Tomorrow will be three weeks to the day from my surgery, and I think I am making tremendous progress toward that goal.  Every day I try to walk multiple times.  Today I got outside three times and took three different routes.  I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood that is very walker-friendly.  There is a steady stream of walkers, runners, bike riders, and dog walkers out at any given time. 

This time of year, it's lovely to walk and look at all the flowers in bloom.  So I thought I would share some shots I captured with my phone today during my outings.

This looks like a peaceful place to sit with a book and a cup of coffee.

And last, but not least, I think this house has the prettiest front porch on our street. 

I'm really thankful to have such a beautiful neighborhood to appreciate while I walk.  It makes my walks, no matter how slow they are, something that I truly enjoy.

More later --