Does ANYONE have a really positive/complete resolution

[Pma_foyl]

Hello All,

I'm really happy I found this forum; it's provided MUCH more info that anything else I've found.

Unfortunately, I still have yet to find even ONE patient who reports the outcome that 3 surgeons have suggested: complete recovery.

By complete recovery, I mean returning to the activities that I can no longer do. I've seen several posts that say "running is bad" ... yet my surgeon says "if all goes well, you'll be running again..."

Are there any serious athletes here who have had received a prodisc (particularly L5-S1) and then really returned to their previous levels of activity.

I'm a runner, kayaker, climber, snowboarder, etc. who's not feeling all that confident in the various doctors' assessments of "where I might end up" post surgery.

That being said, if I could hear from even a couple athletes who said "yeah, I'm running..." or "yes, I'm playing tennis every day..." or something along those lines. That'd make me feel better. I have yet to see anything like that anywhere.

Am I hoping for too much??

Please chime in with opinions. I'm particularly interested in post-op ADR successes.

Thanks to all.

[Harrison]

Welcome "PMA." Many people have resumed active lifestyles after multi-level ADR procedures. Does that mean one should? Well, I suppose that's up to the patient! To address part of your question, I shoveled lots of snow ( ) this week, played squash and worked out with weights. My spine is a non-issue and has been for years.

Other patients have not done well; I believe that is the minority of the entire population of ADR patients. But you need not take my word as a layman; please take as much time as you can manually sifting through the pages of posts. One ProDisc patient that comes to mind is Scott (sorry for not catching up Scott!), he recently posted and is what I would call insanely active. His site is here.

And DO email and private message patients that you feel you can help you. In general, this is a transitional but very helpful community.

As well, please:

- re-read the welcome email that was sent to you.
- insert a signature.
- read the forum descriptions before you post.

OK, enough from "dad," someone else can chime in.

[annapurna]

If you really read carefully across the whole time that ADR Support has been existence, you'll pick out a number of names that posted for information prior to a surgery, posted again with positive results and then disapeared. The discontented troublesome ones, like my wife and I, are the ones that stick around.

[Terry]

Howdy Fellow Athlete:

I am a 4-level ADR recipient who bicycles, kayaks, snowshoes, skis (downhill and x-country), gardens, walks, shovels snow, lives life to the fullest. I went in to the surgery in good shape and got back on the bicycle quickly after surgery. This past season I rode 2,254 miles and am in to my Winter sports as we speak. You may PM me any time and I will discuss my sporting life after ADR.

Life is good.

Terry Newton

[Kirk]

Really? Do a little digging. I've seen a lot of complete resolutions reported.

[Grizz]

Hey PMA,

If your activity level hasn't fallen off for very long you'll should be fairly close to your pre-injury level. You should remember that we all are getting older and fatter (not faster). ADR will not make you a "Bionic Man", but you'll be able to do most of the sports that you once did. I had a Maverick disk put in L4-L5 01-12-07 and skiied for 1/2 day in the last week of March. I had a very good year mountain bike riding and racing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, fly fishing, deer and elk hunting, and consider myself nearly equal to where I was prior to blowing the disk. I have taken some pretty nice falls and even had a collision with a car while riding my bike all with no harm to my back. My activity level prior to ADR amounted to laying in my recliner with trips to the bathroom and if I was having a good day into the kitchen. In short almost no life. I feel like I have got my life back on track.

Good luck,
Grizz

Microdiscectomy, steroid injections, PT, and finally Maverick ADR at Stenum

[fl man]

I would say that, if I had been a serious athelete before surgery I would have stood a very good chance of maintaining that level of intensity afterwards.

Assuming you get a qualified surgen and have no contra indicators that would lower your chances of a positive outcome, then compete recovery is mostly state of mind. It is all based on, how proactive you are in doing the things pre and post op that keep the rest of your body from agrivating your back, how hard your are work at it, and how long you are gong to give yourself to not let your back interfere with your lifestlye.

[letteski]

Just skied for 6 hr in 5+ feet of powder today and skied hard as hard as I did before surgery and on the same runs. I was back downhill skiing in 5 months post-op and pasted myself. It has taken 2 years to get back to pre surgery levels.

I have to agree with everyone that has said if you go into surgery as strong as you can you give yourself a better chance at getting back to your old self again with maybe a few more aches and pains but we are all getting older. I spent a lot of time hanging upside down before surgery to stretch everything out. It really helped.

I too was advised to avoid running, its not my favorite anyways I am a mountain biker for sure.

[Karl 8744]

WOW!

To a very, very nervous patient who is less than a week away from his first (and hopefully) last ADR op, you are all hugely inspirational.

In my previous posts elsewhere, i note that i am a 36 yr old father of 2 active girls. Besides this, I play golf, football (soccer to our friends Stateside), run, general gym work and ski in the winter. I would like to maintain my activity levels and maybe even increase them post surgery and reading your posts suggests that this may be possible.

I am now more encouraged than ever about the outcome. Thank you.

Karl

[dorothy]

Originally posted by Terry:
Howdy Fellow Athlete:

I am a 4-level ADR recipient who bicycles, kayaks, snowshoes, skis (downhill and x-country), gardens, walks, shovels snow, lives life to the fullest. I went in to the surgery in good shape and got back on the bicycle quickly after surgery. This past season I rode 2,254 miles and am in to my Winter sports as we speak. You may PM me any time and I will discuss my sporting life after ADR.

Life is good.

Terry Newton

Dear Terry, I spoke with Rich(Harrison)today, and he suggested that you may be a good source of information for me; You and I have the same lumbar and cervical disk disease(except for 1 cervical level); I have read many of your posts, and if you don't mind, I'd like to ask a couple of questions. Were your 4 ADR levels performed within the same surgery, or were there 2 at a time? If the 4 levels were performed as one surgery, could you share with me why your Stenum treatment plan included 4 ADR replacements. I would also like to know, if they were seperate surgeries, how far in advance was the second one planned? I just found the Stenum website, then the ADR website, so I am new to finding all this wonderful information. I am very interested in ADR as I had a failed C5-C6 fusion(8/2005)which has caused more problems than fixed(headaches, including migraines, post 2 weeks fusion, symptomology existing prior to fusion has returned, and last cervical MRI(2/07)indicates moderate-serious DDD in C4-C5 and C6-C7. I have no disc material detectable between S1-L5, and L5-L4 has ruptured and leaks disc material & lumbar injuries started with ice skating accidents(x2), MVAs, work injuries); the neck injuries began with a 1971 MVA in which C4-C5 fractured, right mandible broken, ER MD released me with muscle relaxers and did not have the X-rays read by a radiologist before discharging me. I did not receive any tx for 72 hours, then was in a half body cast for 3 months.I have not panicked about the lumbar disk disease,yet my entire R leg goes numb, which leaves me very vulnerable for falls and disc space collapse(not a good outcome from this). I also have sciatica in both legs, and am running out of ways to sit, lie or stand with any comfort. I want to also ask you about the Maverick ADR, and how you are doing with those devices in your lumbar areas ? Could you describe what a typical recovery day is like for you? I would appreciate your answering these questions privately. Thank you in advance, Dorothytrinkles@comcast.net
so I am including my e-mail address