SUCCESSFUL M6ers PLEASE STAND UP

[Boxer78]

Mia your like the doc I never had!!!!!! So what activities can u do? Can u twist bend flex jump run etc???

[TPatti]

I am also at the pont of deciding to have surgery and with whom, narrowed down to Dr. Clavel or Dr. Bierstedt with Dr. Cappuccino (who happens to be an AIMIS doc) being my stateside follow-up doctor.

Question to have surgery is still hard: I am a triathlete who has not run in almost 3 years, I was still riding 180 miles a week last summer but now can only ride for 30 to 45 minutes at a light to moderate pace, don't think I could handle any big hill climbs. The above activities cause flare-ups that can be 4 to 6 on pain scale but most of the time my pain is manageable 1 to 2, more of an annoyance/hinderance than pain. It seems as though I have to keep cutting my physical activity back to keep pain down. When walking or riding I get pressure in calf after 10 to 15 minutes, then it usually bounces around to my buttocks and thigh as well. Doctors have told me that it will continue to get worse and I should have the surgery before I lose more muscle strength or have to start taking pain meds to get thru the day but it is so hard when you have been telling yourself for almost 3 years that there must be some more conservative treatment that will work besides surgery. Doc's look at my images and can not believe that I am not in more pain. I am aslo told that if I wait much longer be facets at L3/4 will be too far gone for adr at that level. Are there others that have made the decision to have surgical intervention before the pain was unbearable?

[M.Frost]

Given the opportunity there is no activity a would decline.
Since my op I have played tennis, hiked climbed and walked part of the GR20 in Corsica, ridden horses, sailed, off road biking, swimming and use the gym.
I can bend to touch my toes with no problems bending back is fine but I'm not really sure how far is normal. But defiantly can't touch me toes
Bending from side to side is no problem, jumping is not something I do very often but easily jump on and off a horse. Running is something I defiantly don't do only because I really don't enjoy it. And that's probably because I can't talk and run at the same time!!!
Always happy to answer your questions
Mia

[Boxer78]

I totally understand your situation of wishing conservative measures could keep u out of surgery but the bottom line is that sooner or later your back will start to fuse on its own so this may be the right time to pull the trigger. It is amazing that your pain doesn't match your MRI. My MRI looks like a newborn baby compared to yours and I'm on fire most of the day and night.

[SonjaB]

TPatti my MRIs are nowhere near as bad as yours and I'm having a 3 level in a week! A walk to the postbox at the end of the road reduces me to tears by the time I get back!

Looking at your MRIs (and I am no doc) I would be looking into ADR soon before the bones stop you, they don't look good either. I'm 60 and I soooo wish I had known ADR was an option years ago. It would have saved me this decline into more and more pain.

You want to do something while you are not in so much pain so you can make an informed decision not one made out of desperation to get you out of pain.

Good luck with your decision. Glad I made mine already, 4 days till we fly out......

[Boxer78]

Mia thank you do much for that post I needed that!!!! I just miss having that freedom f being able to train without worrying or paying for it later ya know. So I believe u said u didn't need much pt during recovery? How quick we're u able to drive? Thx again

[CanadianDean]

Hey Mark, fyi, I had ADR surgery in Canada (Calgary) 7 months ago. Pro Disc L.

[M.Frost]

Hi Boxer 78
I had a mixture of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy for about a month and I really didn't feel I needed it because I had no back pain, but I do think its probably helpful to get the muscles back to doing what they should. I'm sure I was driving after about three weeks with no problems but I did have an automatic car, I drove myself to my first post op check up which was about four weeks. I did take things easy for a while and defiantly didn't push myself in anyway I just went with the flow. When you say training do you mean training for boxing?
Mia

[Boxer78]

Yea Mia I was boxing and grappling for years before all this started but I suspect the heavy weights did me in. I can do without the weights bu really miss the combat. I can find anyone anywhere that's had lumbar ADR and returned to this type of sport. I have seen fusions return though. My theory is if I can run jump horseback ride etc then boxing is not a problem. I remember clavel saying don't get slammed on the ground lol

[M.Frost]

Hi Boxer78
What I wright and say in these posts is only my views and how things have been for me. So if I was boxing before surgery and the boxing did not directly cause my injury I would still do it. I would think that ADR must be better than fusion as with fusion you lose all flexibility in the fused disc but with the ADR you still have flexibility. I'm intending to get the most out of my new back and say that now I will try anything once!!!
May be you could play one of those computer boxing games whist on a running machine!!!
Best wishes