I have had two seperate surgeries after a parachuting accident. The first was a removal of the damaged disc from the impact. The second was the removal of the disc immediately above it do to rehabbing too aggresively. The most important thing to remember is to take it slow and do it right when rehabbing. I golf regularly and play most other sports with minimal pain, but sitting or standing for any prolonged time is very uncomfortable and hard to accomplish without 600mgs of ibuprofin or alleve. The key is to keep stretched out, especially your hamstrings and calf muscles, they seem to set the tone on my pain anyways. The hardest part of all is the internal risk-reward bargaining you have to go through every time your kids want you to do something physical with them. Figuring out if the fun is worth the pain over the next two or three days is an easy decision to make in the face of an expectant three year old son but is a hard decision to live with afterwards. Anyways, best of luck to you and your wife, don't forget the power of prayer.
