I had surgery on 2 Aug 2010 by a neurosurgeon. I am a 54 year old female who also suffer with diabetes, lupus, high blood pressure, and arthritis. While I believe my recovery is going well compared to some of the comments I've reviewed on this site - I am still concerned about the following: I was told that it was okay for me to climb stairs right after my surgery but to not walk at an incline (true or false)? I went from 161 lbs before the suregry to 145 lbs as of today, lost a lot of muscle mass in my thighs and legs which has rendered my legs very weak - how can I improve this? At present I am experiencing most of my numbness, pain and tingling in my ankles and both feet, around big & second toes and at insoles. This still cause my walking to be wobbly and unstable, will this improve with time? And, is there some at home therapy measures that I can implement? Bending and stooping is still very painful for me, once I'm down I am unable to pull myself up without assistance - should I continue making attempts to strengthen these skills? I have experienced pain in my left buttock (same location where drainage tube was inserted) since the surgery - what could it be? No one discussed sexual activities, but after waiting 6 weeks after the surgery I notice that even during light & careful sex I am left in really bad pain in my lower back afterwards - should I abstain for a while longer? I become severly fatigued from simple tasks such as making my bed or taking short walks - how can I improve this or could it be I'm trying to do too much too soon? Thank you!