Re: Re: 8 months post-op

[Guest guest]

Good morning - I don't understand at all why was not referred. My slight tip to the front & right is ABSOLUTELY muscular... & that's why Dr. Hu referred me so quickly. The sooner you catch it...the easier it is to fix. For me, it's a combination of several factors. First...I am having to retrain some muscles. I'm sure people are familiar with the term "muscle memory". If you are bent forward for any length of time, your muscles naturally want to move in a familiar way. Like I said before, my right hamstring has shortened a little, due to my semi-squatted walking for 3 1/2 years. I figured out why I have a slight tip to the right too...my anterior surgery was actually done on my left side. So my left

lateral obliques were weakened from being detached & re-attached...causing my right side to be stronger. So the good news is...it was caught early & won't be too difficult to remedy. I started seeing results immediately. So just a little left-side core strengthening & right-side hamstring stretches should do the trick. Dr Hu did a great job with fixing my bones...now it's my job to work on my muscles. I am also proud to say that I made the "Dean's List" this summer & am now PHI THETA KAPPA...with a 4.0 GPA!!! Time to go hit the books = )..........................................Kathy

From: <elizabethrgonzalez@...> Sent: Thursday, September 1, 2011 4:11 AMSubject: Re: 8 months post-op

Hi, Kathy --Congratulations and bravo! -- It sounds as if you've done a wonderfuljob of rehabilitating some of your muscles with all that walking, ourinadequate health care systems notwithstanding. California can't pay forpost-op PT? -- Phooey. Post-op PT is a no-brainer. I keep gettingshocked and irate over the care we still can't get in the United States.I think your experience with Dr. Hu will be of interest to several of uswho have noticed ourselves slouching forward and/or sideways since ourrevisions. I'd go see Koski here in Chicago, but I seem to recall thatall he did in 's case was tell her the problem was muscular -- noPT referral. It's good to know (for people in the Bay Area and environs,at least) how conscientous and pragmatically helpful Dr. Hu seems to be.It sounds as if you are also planning on a great new career. Come whatmay with the economy, people always seem

to need CPAs.Best,>> Hi Everyone - It's been a while since I gave an update, so here it is.I have good news & news that could be a little better. As all of thepost-revision members already know, revision is not perfect & neither isthe recovery. My revisions were December 2010 & January 2011. My resultsare nothing short of miraculous. I am strong, healthy, & currentlywalking 2.5 miles / 6 days a week. My state sponsored insurance did notcover physical therapy, so I have walked my way to recovery. Tomorrow, Iwill pass the 200 mile mark!! I have> started noticing a loss of correction though. Looking at my shadow, Inoticed

that I am tipping forward and also tipping to the right. Icontacted UCSF last Friday...and once again, Dr Hu & her staff'sproffesionalism is unmatched! Since I now have Medicare, I qualify forphysical therapy. In 3 short days, Dr Hu has gotten me set up with alocal physical therapy place. I start tomorrow. I think I need helpstretching out my hip flexors and some core strenghthening.> I know with a little help, I can stop & probably reverse my loss ofcorrection. I only had flatback for 4 years, but as my pictures show, Iwas pretty bad. I'm sure that this is common & it wouldn 't suprise meif I will require a little regular maintenance from now on. It's a smallprice to pay for being able to stand up straight again. Other thanthat...I started taking online classes this summer to get my accountingdegree. I am very proud to say, I got straight "A"s> !!! WooooHoooo!! I look forward to to

posting my success in physical> therapy.................Kathy>