How to break your spine?

My routine checkup this week of my new fancy titanium spine had an unexpected result on the X Ray..... "its snapped" pronounced the young Registrar who left scratching his head and unable to answer any of my questions on how did it break? how do you fix it? What are the current risks with the break? All he said was to take it real easy with rehab & work and that he will refer this through to the guru's and that they will get back to me shortly on a plan of attack. Although only a mechanical fault this is really annoying on top of everything else, and puts me in a hiatus with recovery and getting on with life. I also suspect in buts me on the path for more surgery, so excited about that, not. 

Titanium Physical properties
A metallic element, titanium is recognized for its high strength-to-weight ratio. It is a strong metal with low density, lustrous, and metallic-white in color. Commercial grades of titanium have ultimate tensile strength of about 63,000 psi (434 MPa), equal to that of common, low-grade steel alloys, but are 45% lighter. Titanium is 60% more dense than aluminium, but more than twice as strong. Certain titanium alloys (Used in Medicalimplants) achieve tensile strengths of over 200,000 psi (1,400 MPa). 

Out into the light

It's fantastic being out of chemo prison and back in the land of the living. 2 weeks out of the system and today is when I would normally be checking into hospital. All upside from here. It gets a little frustrating as physically and mentally I am not capable of doing all that I would like to do and also realization that it will take months to recover physical fitness. I have just started back at work and doing a few hours here and there, which is exhausting and most days when returning home I need an afternoon nap to recover. It's fantastic using the grey matter again and very pleased that it still works. Just need to keep reminding myself to take it easy and to pace myself.

Restarted rehab work at ISIS to straighten and strengthen back and spine. They i.e. Jo is fantastic and it was encouraging to see that I have made progress since the last time I was up there a couple of months back. I am now convinced that physically I will be able to do all that I want todo (including skiing, chainsawing, golf, terpsichore) and this is better than I though going into spinal surgery. I am not disabled.

I have a couple of key scans and consultations with specialists in the next 2 weeks and hopefully that they will confirm NED status and that back/spine prosthesis is hanging together. I still have my Hickman line in and expect to have another blood transfusion to spike up the blood before it's removed. I love that blood and its great for improving the energy levels.

I have a couple of big parties planned in June and July and I expect to be kicking my heals up.
June is "I am not a patient month" and I'm very excited about that.

Ciao
Gary  

That was then ... this is now

7 Months on since back and spine operation. The eye popping war scar is looking far more presentable.