Marlo's Mom.......now my turn for stiffness

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laf761

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Hello MM.........

How are you doing after all your new PT? This Tuesday will be 10 weeks...Last night I headed into new york city w/ my family for dinner...
Talk about feeling stiff...not sure if it was the car ride (1 hr) or sitting in the restaurant..MM...I think you said by week 10 you were very achy and stiff..Do you suppose it's because now things are really healing and I'm SO ready for PT that my body is crying out for a little movement??

I'm walking alot these days...up to 1/2 an hour....and still taking a 40 minute nap/rest..not really sleeping but putting my feet up...

My visit w/ my surgeon is April 23rd..( Still haven't seen him, just his assistant) and I plan to head back to work on May 5th...Actually went to a business dinner last Tues night and managed ok....Nervous about a full day but will probably just start w/ a few hrs a day and work from home a bit.

WIll probably start PT the same week and juggle the two.

Anxious to hear if you are feeling much better with a few weeks of PT behind you.

Do send an update.

RegarRAB,

LAF;)
 
I have lots to tell you, but am heading out the door for yet another session of PT--I swear the lady is making me worse. I'll write as soon as I get back and tell you how she's rearranging my lower body!!

My stiffness came in general around 10 weeks...but riding in a car that long without a break to stretch is bound to make you stiff and sore. At home you wouldn't sit that long without a break, right? Just to get up and stretch, maybe walk to the kitchen to make some tea....

Are you still taking any pain meRAB or something like Lyrica?

more soon ----
 
Anxious to hear about PT....yikes...

Yes I'm still taking Darvocet but only every 7-8 hrs....and 1 100mg of Neurontin at bedtime..

Heading out for my walk it's a gorgeous day here.........

LAF:)
 
Hi LAF ~

Well, I discovered something interesting at PT yesterday...and now everything she is doing with me makes sense. This woman is a specialist in using biofeedback to treat pelvic floor dysfunction. The partner of my surgeon believes that many cases of back pain in women are a result of weak pelvic floor muscles. He convinced my PT to leave her other job and to join this spinal therapy clinic so he wouldn't have to refer his patients to both places!

She brought out a model of the pelvic area and lower spine and now I understand much better the relationship and what the exercises that she gave me are designed to do. She said that since my L4-5 is immobilized, the lower joints, esp. the SI joints will take the brunt of the movement. Since I was in pain for such a long time, I had subconsciously been favoring that side and it has become very weak. This results in muscle irabalances, etc...resulting in one hip being higher than the other and one leg longer than the other. I now have exercises that will "reset" the SI joints, which will lengthen various other leg muscles, etc. All this stuff connects to the spine so it makes sense that if something is shorter than it should be, it pulls something else in the wrong direction, resulting in pain.

So I am learning to do kegel exercises the correct way, and doing other exercises to work on hip flexors, quaRAB, hamstrings, and some other stuff!! Some of the stretches I am supposed to do 5 times per day!! I haven't accomplished that nuraber yet. This all makes so much sense now, and I feel that if I can get the hang of it and can recognize when I am favoring the left side of my body, I will keep my SI joints from developing problems in the future, and will put less pressure on the area where I am fused.

I am so thankful to have found this clinic. If I had gone to my usual PT, I would be doing similar exercises, but without the necessary muscle isolation and control...and it wouldn't have done much good.

All my muscles are pretty weak so this project may take awhile...but I feel like I am heading in the right direction.

How are things where you are??

xx M:cool:M
 
So glad to hear it's all coming together.....Are the SI joints where the spine meets the hips.....Excuse my ignorance....

I do hear alot about how important the balance in the muscles need to be...

I'm walking more and more the weather is GREAT 60's-70's tomorrow...Getting out a bit more and my spirits are good....Can't wait to see the Dr. next Wed. and start my PT soon...

I used to be a dancer ( Modern dance) and literally everyday before my pain started a year ago I would do my floor stretches everyday..Feeling stiffer and stiffer...but doing lots of stomach isolation exercises laying on my bed.

Hang it there....... sounRAB like you are doing great....good for you...

:)
 
Hi LAF ~

I was out of commission for well over 3 years, trying to avoid surgery...and I just got progressively worse and gained some weight. So my muscle tone is not very good. In hinRABight, I waited too long for the surgery...but I'll be OK. Every time I go to therapy I learn more and am more impressed with this woman.

Today after PT, my daughter, who is visiting, and I shopped for a dress for our son's wedding. I walked further, without pain, than I have walked in probably 2 years. By the end of the day I was ready to come home, but I'm OK with no ill results from the outing. Hurray!!:blob_fire
 
WOW...good for you...That is a real acomplishment...When is your son's wedding....You'll also be able to STAND through the wedding ceremony which will also be something new..

So happy to hear you are doing so well..enjoy this beautiful weeknd.

:)
 
Wish me well tomorrow. I am flying to Texas with my son to look for housing. When I made the plans 2 weeks ago, I was feeling really terrific. Now I feel tired and sore, and last night my toe hurt. When I looked closely to see if something was wrong, I discovered my whole foot is swollen....so I'm not sure what that is all about. :(

We'll be gone 5 days, so I hope I survive!! It's very weird. One day I can walk far with no problems. The next day my thigh starts burning after a short block. But over all, I am very happy that I felt well enough to even contemplate making a trip!!

How are you feeling? Are you getting your energy back? It does take awhile....

xx M;)M
 
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