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Posted 4/29/2010 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
PaLAdy, I see your point. Right now, I'm sticking with my walking as that is enough motion for me at this time. I think that I'm still in the critical stage of the game here, and do not want to damage something.
Just getting out of bed is a chore, and I still can't tie my shoes at this point.
I have to go back today and get some more paperwork straightened out for my employer, so I will ask the questions on the meds.

The road to recovery is a very long one, and even then the outcome may not be what we expect. I would like to finish out my career before I have anything else done.
My neck is a mess as well, and I hate to think of the possibility of having that type of surgery again.

We will just hope for the best, and continue with the epidurals as long as they are working for me.

Thanks!

SE
Posted 4/29/2010 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
Screaming, you made me laugh about not being able to tie your shoes. When I could finally bend over far enough to tie my shoes I couldn't get that little extra needed to get the tie in the middle of my shoe so my bows were alway crooked to the inside of my shoe.
Posted 4/29/2010 6:01 PM (GMT 0)
SE your dr is talking along the lines of how  many drs now no longer send the patients to PT after several different types of surgery. Drs were hearing from patients far too many complaints about physical therapists that were too agressive and either re-injuring a patient or  causing pain that was not there before. They say there is a small reasonable amount of pain to be expected when first starting PT but they were seeing much more than this. Finding a good physical therapist is like finding a good dr. A friend mine had his hip replaced last year and he finally asked the surgeon when he was going to send him to PT, the dr said well, are you hurting in your hip now? He said no, I have no pain at all,  he said well if I send you to therapy they will grab a hold of that hip and be pulling it this way and that way and I guarantee you, that you will be in a lot of pain. He said to my friend if you will continue doing your exercises on the sheet I gave you that hip will be fine. He has done awesome he can now sit with both feet on the floor and walk without a limp.

 

I don't know about the "crunches" your dr is speaking of, that is putting a lot of stress on the spine if you think about it. I would stick with my walking that is the one thing that has brought you where you are today. Also, when its time to come out of your brace be weaned, don't do it all at once, it will make a big difference

 

 I do hope Hydrangea thinks twice about getting on a motorcycle. She is a rare one that has been as successful as she has, it would be a shame to mess it up after doing so well. I have nothing against scooters my husband has a gold wing and is leaving on road trip with his buddies today.

 

Take care.

Posted 4/29/2010 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Anyone w/ back problems or a big belly will always have their laces tied on the inside side of their shoe not in the middle! This is because they try to put their foot up on the other knee and pull it up twards their belly till it hurts to reach them causing their shoe to rest on their thigh w/ the inside of their shoe facing up instead of bending over to tie them! Do you know how many times people asked me if tying my laces on the far inside side of my shoe was some sort of new style or just why the hell do I tie them that way??? I tell them not only is my stomac the size of a keg of Budwiser but I also have a bad back! And their reply is of course, "Why don't you just exercise and loose some weight? You know if you lost some weight it would be good for your sore back?" Oh it gets soooo old sometimes> doesn't it? OK then> Thanks for your suggestion but If I had two good feet, ankles, knees, legs, hips, lumbar spine, shoulders, elbows, arms, fingers, hands and of course a good neck instead of the broken peice of crap neck that constantly hurts as well as> hypothyroidizm, hypogonadism, high blood presure, carpol tunnel, the flattest feet my foot doc ever saw, optical migrains that cause me to loose my sight or see things that look like I just took some LSD, cronic depression as well as some other undiognosed mental issues and take meds that make me constapated, light headed, sensitive to sun and heat, drymouthed and be cautious while driving or opperating large machinery but most of all might cause me to get down right ornary sometimes>>> I would exercise and loose some weight then maybe the social security people will not just judge me as a overweight, lazy hypocondreac and finally award me dissability!!
Of course, I'm just sayin it aint easy tying my own shoes> Right???
Your inside shoe lace tying friend,
Pete
Posted 4/29/2010 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Jag! Yes it tends to be funny at times, but Boy!...I sure do miss the old me! :) Stray, I think you are dead on right, about what the Dr was trying to tell me, and I think I will just stick to walking. I'm glad to see some of the more experienced members helping to decipher some of the information on this. My sister went to a PT for her hip and they damaged it to the point that she had to have surgery to repair it. I do think there is a need for PT, but agree that you have to find the right one with lots of experience.

Pete!..I made sure that my Harley Boots zip up on the side, but it will be a while before I can use them now :( ...You take it easy! You HEAR ME?!!!!

I want you to be at least halfway healthy when I come and see you! :) Also there is a city down there named St Pete, is it named after you? :) or is it St Petersburg? I can' tremember! I had a friend who used to work down there. He paints boats for a living.
Is the oil slick coming your way? Stay out of it for Pete Sake! :)

SE :)
Posted 4/29/2010 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
You guys are killing me :)

Crunches???? Do what???? A treadmill??? Do what???? Shoes with strings??? Do what????

I did PT several months out. My PT was wonderful! She told me NEVER do any crunches and NEVER walk a treadmill ever again. She actually said that the treadmill was one of the worst things I could do to my lower back because it takes all of the impact that way. Walking was fine, but never on a treadmill.

The shoes thing kills me. Can you say Crocs? They have become my new best friend....from a woman who ALWAYS wore dress shoes with heals to work! A little over a year ago you couldn't have put me in a pair of Crocs. Now, I couldn't tie a pair of shoes on my feet if my life depended on it. I even went and bought those fake front string keds with no backs on them so I would look like I tied a pair of shoes, but I gave them up too.

You guys please be careful and best of luck! It took me literally months to be able to get on socks.
Posted 4/29/2010 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
Retiredmom, I'm not wearing those funny looking shoes! :) Give me a break for goodness sake! I ride a Harley! :) :) I do wear sandals though or flip-flops. Seriously though, I will have to wear some sort of protective shoe for work, so my wife may have to help me get into them in the mornings.

I can put on socks, but it is a stretch for me. Tying my shoe is out of the question though. This has been a very good thread, but it may possibly be getting too long, and I'm sure one of the Mod Police will notify me of it here in a bit,
so it may be a good time to stop here. I will start a new thread when anything else comes up related to it.

Thank you so much for all of the replies. You all have been very supportive to me, and I can't thank you enough.

SE :)
Posted 4/29/2010 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
Retiredmom,
I just wanted to comment on your post here so it would be relevant. You're likely right on point about the treadmill. When my PT had my try - and I emphasize the word "try" - it, I was about a year out from surgery. He was really trying to get me moving, as I wasn't even doing a lot of walking (I think it was winter here at the time and thing is I have a great treadmill at home that hasn't been turned on since I fell in 2004). After I had done a lot of stretches and such he had me get on it for 5 minutes at .5 miles/hour which drove me crazy as I used to do 3.5-4.0 mph! But he insisted - nothing faster. Well, I left that night hurting more than when I went in, and the treadmill had aggravated all the nerve pain, so that was the end of that. I love my PT, but I've had some bad and dangerous ones over the years. That's why now I'll only go to him.

I will say he did help immensely with putting my SI joint back in place very gently. I can pretty much tell now when this goes out because my pain in my feet (oddly enough) flares like crazy, and he will see me at no charge and just roll it back in place. He said he learned all these tricks over about 40 years of experience and training, starting with being in the military.

But SE what might be relevant for you is that my PT really worked more to ease the muscles around the incision, and try to keep scar tissue from forming. But it was mostly all passive modalities like ultrasounds, heat, stim, and some massage. That might be worthwhile if you again can find a PT very experienced with post-fusion patients, and who isn't going to try to push you for exercise, just help with healing. Unfortunately the insurance companies often don't like that because they like to see "progress" usually meaning more and more activity. And straydog I really think has that right that a lot of times PT can aggravate more than help. It's all in the skill, experience and philosophy of the PT.

Oh - Birkenstocks, anyone? I have tons of those for summer to slip into, and did manage to find some mules (slip into shoes in case guys don't know LOL) just before my surgery made by Rebock and I'm on my second pair. They have ties so you can keep them snug, but you tie them once (even on your lap) and that's it. Then the rest is just like crocs, which I don't own yet but may one of these days.

SE I'd watch the flip flops. Just my thoughts but I think those of us with back issues need something with more support or cushion.

Ok, I'll stop now! :-)

PaLady
Posted 4/30/2010 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
Mikey, whatsa matta you? Are you so vain that you put looks over comfort? My pain doc told me just last week to stop wearing shoes w/ high backs that ride up on my achilles tendon! All my shoes do that even my Rebok walking shoes! So I went to Wally world and got a pair of the biggest knock-off crocs they had > size 13, I wear a 15 shoe but they were ok. I cut the rubber band thing off the back and have been wearing them everywhere! These are some real Frankinstiens, talk about UGLY!!! I don't give a snail's fart who see's me wearing them either!!!! I'm starting to worry that you might be one of those Fu-Fu boys after all mikey!!
Later Dude>
Frankenfoot!
Posted 4/30/2010 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
Man oh man! Framkenfoot! LOL! :) No Fu-Fu here! :)

The End! Everybody done, taking pot shots at me yet? :) Mis Me...Me!...now you gota Kiss me! :)

SE :)
Posted 4/30/2010 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Mikey... I haven't made my comments yet... :) Don't knock the Crocs, buddy :) I'm w/ Retiredmom... I love my crocs... ok, so they ARE ugly... I'll admit it... but I don't care... See, even Pete is on board :) Oh...and PaLady's right... birkenstocks are good, too :) I'm all about comfort these days :)

Smile!
--Tina
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