Roller Coasters Post ADR ... to what extent have you pushed your ADR?

[NJWC]

So, would it not be wise to consider climbing aboard one of those roller coasters at Disney World with an ADR which was done nearly 2 years ago? It's a Charite L5 S1.

To what extent have you pushed your ADR?

Symptoms post ADR are consistent discomfort at the L5 area (about a 4 or 5). In addition regular discomfort down the left butt and upper left leg (almost like a "charlie-horse" type of feeling). I walk fine and get around fine although sleep is not as comfy as it was 3 years ago.

I have been VERY, VERY carefull with my body post ADR -- avoiding running, shoveling snow, lifting heavy objects, bundgie jumping, cliff diving, etc. Basically avoiding physical activities that could put myself in a position to hurt myself (or damage the ADR). Generally I've experienced a huge slowdown by being overly cautious. Boring....

BUT I DO WANT TO GET BACK OUT THERE and have some fun (within reason).

My Doc says that I'm as solid as steel. The signs at Disney say "avoid this ride if you have heart trouble or back problems".

[Cirobi]

I'm a little over 1 yr post op on my Prodisc at L5-S1 and I find myself wanting to push myself whenever possible. Most of that is because part of me hates being gimpy, but another part of that is that I've seen what happens when you don't push yourself at least a little in surgical recovery. Knowing your boundaries is important, in my opinion.

That being said, I haven't tried a roller coaster yet, but likely would have this summer had I remembered to RSVP for our company picnic at Hershey Park. Oops! I'll know next summer if riding a roller coaster gives me any discomfort. Also a point to note, prior to my surgery I still went on roller coasters despite my back problems and didn't really have any discomfort out of what had become normal to me at the time. I would think it would also depend on the type of roller coaster as the kind with loops likely put more strain on the back than others.

As for things I've already pushed myself with, here's a list of things I can come up with on the fly:
-- cycling - 2 miles on a regular bike, 45 minutes on a stationary cycle set to random resistance level 11
-- small amounts of jogging - i.e. through the halls at work, 2 blocks of sprinting to dodge a nasty thunderstorm (that 2 city blocks had me a little sore later that day and the next day, but was a lot less than I anticipated)
-- tennis - I've been taking lessons with my boyfriend and trying to take it easy, but when I played a match with him and his parents my competitive spirit stepped in and I pushed myself a lot. I was mildly sore for a couple days, but it was nothing some rest and my trusty ice pack couldn't fix
-- standing for long periods of time - this still makes me antsy and sore, but I stood for upwards of 1 hr with little to no discomfort when I was at a music festival the first week of July.
-- heavy lifting - I've been doing a variety of lifting at work and at the gym with no discomfort. I also carry a large backpack with a laptop and other stuff on a daily basis. The one daily thing I avoid lifting much is a full laundry basket. I have one that is tall and thin because of the way my basement stairs are, and I get a little sore trying to lift that as I go down the stairs. If I have to carry it down, I usually go down the stairs backwards and slide the basket down step by step.

Now, the major difference I can think of between us, is that our bodies are different and such actions as I mentioned above will cause us to react differently. I don't think it'll come down to our different discs as the major difference simply because they all are meant to emulate the same kind of movement in our spines. Just in reading everyone's stories, it's amazing to see how each of us reacts differently to similar procedures.

Hope this helps,
Sara

[2cool4U]

My surgeon said that I was cleared for any activity 12 weeks after surgery in April. I specifically asked about roller coasters, and he advised me to wait several more months. We normally hit King's Island 2-3 times per year, but we put off our summer visits this year. I will be there in October for Fear Fest, and I'm going to try the new Diamondback. Friends have said it is very smooth. I'm probably going to avoid the rougher wooden coasters, as I'm not quite pain-free, although I've had some recent improvements.

Test the waters gently. Disney coasters and rides aren't quite as rough as some of the more "thrill-ride" oriented parks. Each coaster is different. I spent three days at Universal last year before surgery b/c I wanted the kids to have fun. The parks were empty, so we rode everything multiple times. I came away from that trip in misery. I think we rode Dueling Dragons 6 times and The Mummy about 10 times. I really don't know what I was thinking. I guess I was stubbornly avoiding letting my back pain dictate my activities.

Now that I've had surgery, I'm hoping my next outing will be better. I'm also looking forward to jet-skiing in the spring, but as they say, your mileage may vary.

Let us know how it goes.

Tim

[rhatzy]

Afriend of mine who had L4-5 and L3-4 done in January 08, is back to squatting over 300 pounds. He is a weight lifter/body builder/trainer. He says he is back to his original weight and training with no pain at all. I think I'll just be careful.

Mark

[Fuzzy]

lifting weights is a lot different then roller coasters. It is smooth with no jerking etc. Rollercoasters rattle the heck out of your spine. You get subjected to some real forces that you normally don't get subjected to, including high g-forces especially in loops.

If your lumbar healed really well and you have no pain and you are sure you don't have any neck problems then maybe. I would rather not chance it. Coasters are for young healthy spines.

[mom2jj]

I read your reply with interest as I live near Hershey Park. I would love to talk to you about your surgery and your doc as I am still considering options.
Lynne