Thinking we had it all figured out

After the x-rays didn't show much, we went on to have MRI, and that's when the real problem became apparent:  a mass that turned out to be a benign blood vessel tumor (hemangioma) had taken over my T3 so thoroughly that it lost structural integrity and collapsed.  In early August I had surgery to remove the tumor, along with the destroyed sections of bone, and insert a balloon of cement to help strengthen T3.  Months of intense back pain and troubling neurological problems in my arms and shoulders were immediately improved, and we all felt a great sense of relief, and hope that we could now put all this behind us.  Surely I would quickly recover from surgery and soon be able to return to work, right?