I thought I'd just pop back on and give everyone an update! I'm now heading to 10 years post-op, and doing great!
I can run, walk, swim and crawl which I never thought would be possible 10 years ago. I still have the occasional twinge which makes me doubt myself, but generally, it's all doing so well. Last Summer I had my second steroid injection in my right SI joint which took a while to settle, but is all good now too (the next one is already scheduled for 3-4 years time!).
I've never been in any doubt whether going through all of this was worth it, and now I'm on the sunny side and proud of the story that all my scars tell.