This is my last night in Barcelona and I can't sleep...So much has happened in the past few days and I regret not keeping up with my daily entries as I had intended. I just wanted everyone (friends and family) to know I've been doing extremely well post-surgery. So let me recap the past few days for you...

On Thursday, I had my last meeting with Dr. Clavel at Quiron Hospital. He had removed my bandages and said that my suture was healing nicely. The incision itself is not what I expected; it is relatively small compared to the caesarian style incision they use in the UK. Dr. Clavel explained the different types of incisions which can be made on the abdominal. The approach he uses causes less inflammation and scarring of the tissues which obviously allows the patient to heal much quicker.

The frontal view

My abdominal is still swollen where the incision was made and it's quite painful to the touch and a little itchy at times. I have another week to go before the bandage can come off altogether. (Dr. Clavel was kind enough to supply me with some waterproof bandages as it was impossible for me to not get it wet with the kind I got from the pharmacy).

Tried to capture it from a different angle to show you the inflammation around the suture

 

Meeting Dr. Clavel for one last time was bittersweet. While I was there he made a point to check up on me at least once a day to see how I was feeling. He has great bedside manners and he's an awesome surgeon. I really am going to miss seeing him, but am very happy I'm well enough that I have no need to meet with him anymore. But of course, I'm not 100% cleared. After 3 months, I need to have x-rays done again and send it to him so he can see how the vertebrae is healing around the prosthesis.

Me and Dr. Clavel - he is extremely camera shy which is why you see the big cheese on my face because I was laughing at him; he was awkwardly adorable

Here's another shot :)

According to my physiotherapist, he's one of the best in Spain. Most of her previous clients had procedures done by him and through word of mouth she decided to meet him. She now collaborates with him to help with the ongoing treatment of his patients. As a result, she deals with lots of international patients. Laia, the physiotherapist, is able to tailor her techniques specifically to each patient because she and Dr. Clavel discusses the ins and outs of the surgery prior to her first meeting with her client. This way she is able to understand the mechanics of which nerves and muscles need to be exercised and which areas to avoid. This level of communication allows her patients to regain their strength and/or flexibility more quickly. Anyhow, I had my last session with her on Friday. Laia said that she was happy with the level of flexibility I had reached...she was able to get my body at a 90 degree angle. She said my hamstrings are well enough that I can advance to working on my abdominal muscles. Yay!

There is one more person I need to mention and that is Yolanda. She is the Barcelona Spine Center assistant. She handled everything from transportation to and from the hospital, the paperwork, the translation, and much more. For me, she was my source of comfort in an unfamiliar place in an unusual circumstance. She is one of the loveliest people I have encountered. She, along with Dr. Clavel, Laia, and all the nurses especially Izan will forever hold a special place in my heart. (Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture with any of the nurses...Thursday was a very strange day for everyone and the nurses that worked on the sixth floor in the VIP suite were unavailable).

Me and Yolanda

The first part of my journey has come to an end. So bye bye Quiron Hospital.

My second home in Barcelona

I will post links at a later time to show you the device that was implanted in my spine as well as information about this hospital. Just so you know, I've never been to a hospital that was as people friendly and efficient as this one which is why I extended my stay...I didn't want to leave.

As for me and what I'm experiencing now is minor pain in my right sciatic nerves which is perfectly normal. I've decreased my pain medications to once a day as well. And I haven't felt this good in so long. :)