BG - Actually I post the quotes because, if you have multiple questions, it's easier to scroll up and down in this box.

Three months is about what they originally told me. But it depends on how quickly the bones fuse, and that is going to vary from person to person.

When I had the surgery I was living on an island in Puget Sound, Washington State. It was really rural, no signal lights, light traffic, familiar roads. So I was driving the day I got out of the hospital. Driving the car isn't so much the problem as is being observant. Remember, you will be doing all of your turning with your waist and back, not your neck. In all honesty, BG, I was in such a protected environment traffic wise (the only accidents we ever had on the island were when a drunk would drive their car into a ditch), I don't really think I'm qualified to answer this question.

You're going to feel pretty fragile when you get out of the hospital. Just keep in mind that those screws CAN move and the inherent fear, mixed with a little common sense, should tell you what you can and cannot do.