I've been through 3 surgeries (not on my spine, but I've been lucky in my accidents) and I understand the pain. It sucks, but we're here for ya. If you are running out of stuff to polish, throw some scales on or hone, let me know.
One of my friends has been through 3 surgeries on his back so far and he's going back again for a fourth surgery on the 6th. It sucks, but I figure they'll either fix it or keep working on him till they name a hospital wing after him!