New here
I’m 54. I was diagnosed at 18 and qualified for surgery but I declined (1991). I had never heard positive outcomes of spinal surgery so I decided I was not having surgery- ever. However I said if I ever do need surgery I’m sure the technology would have improved. Long story short I began to have pain in my 30’s, it rapidly increased in my 40’s and finally at 52 I had the surgery. The sharp increase of pain was definitely because of peri/menopause. Hoping that someone else with long fusion is open to talk about living with all of that hardware but still having pain. As everyone on here knows you can’t explain how it feels and/or effects your daily life. The only time I don’t feel my hardware is when I’m lying completely flat and not moving a muscle. I thought that feeling would lessen but it hasn’t. Also I swear I get cold so much because of my hardware. My husband thinks I’m totally wrong but it is a different kind of cold like a chill you can’t get rid of. There are also many things that I am grateful for after surgery. Life is different now for sure
I 100% relate to the deep cold and being surprised by how much I feel my hardware. The only trick I have found is to wear a weighted vest on long walks...instead of feeling like I have a phantom backpack on that my muscles cramp around, my brain/body seems to be tricked into thinking the sensation is purely from the real vest and my muscles don't seize up. I have 3 long rods and lots of screws (T2-L1+T13).