So sorry for your loss. We have our beloved companions such a short time. She'll always be in your heart.
My Border Collie, Max had a very serious degloving injury to his left leg when he was 6 months old. I had a terrible time keeping him on crate rest. (A little like keeping a tornado in a cardboard box.) He kept tearing off his bandages and figured out the collar of shame within 15 minutes. That was when he earned the nickname "Houdini Dog". He was so bored with being crated that he not only learned to open his own crate, but Neechee's and our foster dog's as well. (Being bad is no fun unless you have partners, I guess.)
Don't stress too much about the circling. As long as it's not violent activity (i.e. running, jumping, etc.) she should be just fine.
I had a spinal injury in 2003, and had 2 rods and 6 screws put in in 2005. Less than six months later, three of the screws were broken, and one rod was bent. My ortho never could figure out how it happened, but had to go in from the front and put in a plate to shore up the collapsed vertebra. You do have to be VERY careful with ortho implants. It can take the bones up to a year to knit properly so as not to put too much stress on the implants. Supplements should help her heal quickly.
Rescue Remedy is ideal for a stressed dog. So is melatonin.