Re: Re: 7 months post op - CINDY

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I just read your post and caught your comment about DISNEY so I thought I would chime in and let you all know that my wife and I were married at the WDW Wedding Pavillion in Orlando - if you ever get a chance to visit, it's a GREAT place for pictures!! Living in California, we only took a small group, but we stayed 2 weeks and had a wonderful time! (that was almost 13 years ago)! We planned to go back for our 10th anniversary but with the back issues we couldn't - so we now hope to go for our 15th!

Take care, Ken.

From: starrc44 <starrc44@...>Subject: [ ] Re: 7 months post op - questions Date: Friday, November 21, 2008, 10:22 AM

Hi, :I am in Newton, working in town.> > > > >> > > > > ,> > > > > > > > > > This first year after surgery is a long one. You are probably > > in > > > > that > > > > > endless period where you just can't believe you are not back > to > > > > 100%, > > > > > and frankly it is depressing. I hope

you speak with DrRand or > > > > > Priscilla if you have any concern that the uptick in pain > seems > > > > out > > > > > of proportion to whatever activites or events are going on in > > > your > > > > > life.> > > > > > > > > > I know that it was after my 6 month check up (actually at 7 > > > > months) > > > > > that DrRand let me begin a very small land based PT > > program...and > > > > I > > > > > also began additional aquatic therapy. While neither of those > > > > > activites brought on more acute pain...I did realize there > were > > > > some > > > > > parts of my body that hadn't been used in some time! I also > > > > realized > >

> > > how short and stiff most of my muscles and ligmaments had > > become > > > > and > > > > > was able to begin the slow process of restoring some of that > > > > > function. (That still goes on to this day, by the way).> > > > > > > > > > So, with regard to your question about still having bad days > 7 > > > > months > > > > > out...I think you will find that most of us will > > > > say "yes"....either > > > > > mentally or physically (or both) and that the timeline that I > > am > > > > sure > > > > > that DrRand gave you of 12-18 months of healing will be as > true > > > > for > > > > > you as it is for most of us. Even coming up on 4 years I have > >

> > > definitely noticed a stronger more able bodied "me"...we are > a > > > lot > > > > > older than when we first had scoli surgery...and so it will > > take > > > a > > > > > long while for your body to adjust to your new "you". What > are > > > you > > > > > doing to strengthen yourself?> > > > > > > > > > I don't believe that the cold bothers me much...at least not > in > > > > the > > > > > way you describe but others have definitely expressed the > same > > > > > feeling. My favorite post swim activity is to lay and stretch > > in > > > > the > > > > > sauna...and that heats me right up. If you havne't started a > > > water > >

> > > based rehab, and if DrRand permits it, perhaps you can find a > > > club > > > > > that has a warm water therapy pool to float around in for > > > > starters. > > > > > That would be lovely AND warm! > > > > > > > > > > Also,I am not sure where in New England you are...but down > this > > > > way > > > > > there is a virus going around that seems to be hitting > everyone > > > > with > > > > > that tired and achy joint feeling..I am just getting over > > > it...but > > > > > the first few days before I realized it was a bug my joints > > were > > > > all > > > > > aching like the dickens and I was worried it was Lymes or > > > > > something... now its

subsiding. Could that be it? I think a > lot > > of > > > > us > > > > > experience this at the beginning of an illness.> > > > > > > > > > Can't help you on the stylish shoe thing.I am tall..and > always > > > > have > > > > > worn flat shoes, which I would recommend anyone stick with at > > > your > > > > > stage in recovery. Heels would tilt me forward in a way that > > > would > > > > > way overload my spinal muscles and I would be exhausted > trying > > to > > > > > hold myslef up (a la the old flatback pose). I particularly > > love > > > > > Merrills as they fit my feet well....but they tend to be more > > > > casual. > > > > > I agree

completly that on line shoe stores are a great source > > for > > > > > shopping since you don't have to spend the day > shopping...they > > > > just > > > > > ship and you can see for yourself if they work.> > > > > > > > > > Don't be a stranger to the group! You are in a recovery stage > > > that > > > > is > > > > > a difficult as the first 6 weeks, in some ways.> > > > > > > > > > Take Care, Cam> > > > >> > > >> > >> >>