Think things r getting worse ?

[My3labs]

My hips snd thighs and calves and left foot hurt,ache alot more back of my thighs it is like a permanent charlie horse trying to start... And every so often when i go to get up it feels like somebody kicks me in the lower back but no one is there doing that .... I am scheduled for adr in Nov with Dr. B in Bogen Germany... I hope i make it still in the up right and walking position... So am i getting worse ... Any one with any thoughts ...
And with all that i ended up with tennis elbow and i can barely use my right arm
Sandra

[annapurna]

If you've got any pull at all with an airline, frequent flyer/traveller, etc. really try to fly to Germany in first or business class. It helps a bit with the seat but more so with the airline's attitude about making sure you're comfortable and taking care of you during your travel. It's a pile of money to pay for first so it may not be effective for you but I'd look hard to see if you can make it happen.

Another piece of advice: travel light. We've been to Bogen many times; feel free to PM if you want to know what can be bought there as opposed to bringing it with you but plan to travel light. We've even used used books for entertainment and left them behind and brought clothes that were on their last legs for the in-clinic days and left them behind as well just to lighten our load.

[Maddie]

In my experience flying to Brazil last year, the airline personnel (Air Canada) were wonderful and if there had been a spare seat in first class, they would have moved me.

The best move we made however, was to let the airline know ahead of time (when we first booked the tickets) that we needed wheelchair assistance both going down and coming back. While technically I could have walked through all the gates, etc. on the way down, the trip would have been very slow and painful. Both my husband and I were whisked through the back way and had no worries about our luggage or being late. He had to jog to keep up to me

It made a huge difference getting through Customs as well...again we were put at the top of the line and through in no time.

I also highly recommend asking for an epidural for lumbar surgery. It made a HUGE difference in my pain levels post-op, and I believe it greatly shortened my recovery time. The body feels pain even when under general anesthetic if you don't have a spinal block, and the nerves get very angry.

I was up and washing clothes in the hospital bathroom sink and walking laps around the ward two days after my three level, seven hour surgery (two levels were fusion at L4/5/S1). And it wasn't because of pain meds...mine were greatly reduced right after surgery.