Hi all!

[cowprintrabbit]

hmmm... is that usually good, bad, or indifferent? I HATE waiting

[LindaRacine]

I think it just means that the area is inflammed, which allows one's doctor to find problem areas which need to be further investigated.

--Linda

[cowprintrabbit]

Got lung function test, waiting for results. They had to measure me, and I have lost the final 1/4 inch I was hanging on to. I am now officially 5'6" That's 2 inches in 10 years

[RachelCB77]

reflux and pain killers

I too suffered from reflux, and while its "gone", there are some things I still cannot tolerate. One of them being pain killers. I have found however, that if you let your doctor know, they can prescribe a nice little pill to counteract nausea. You take one everytime you take a pain killer pill. It works wonders! There are several of them out there. Let me know if you need a short list. I have taken 2 so far (one kind after wisdom tooth extraction, another following a different surgery) and they worked like a charm!

[cowprintrabbit]

Finally have all tests done - lungs normal (yay! maybe playing the flute all those years and learning to breathe from my diaphram did some good!)

Can't get in to see Wagner until 3/8, though. Aargh, waiting drives me nuts! I drove a clunker in high school and learned to fix it myself because waiting for the mechanic drove me insane (besides, I couldn't afford even the friend-of-my-father's rate he charged me) I wish I could get in there myself and fix it - what are the success rates for fusions with duct tape and popsicle stick instrumentation?

I've found that a Vicodin or two after work gives me enough relief to have the energy to ride the exercise bike and do chores around the house before bed. I even cooked an honest to goodness dinner last night! I think I'll try the Back Care Yoga tape I bought but never used tonight.

[cowprintrabbit]

weight lifting?

OK, yoga tape baaad idea... I could barely lift my right arm for two days afterward.

I can live w/o yoga; what's killing me is not being able to lift weights - how soon has anyone started post-surgery? I don't care if it was only 5lbs :-)

Oh, and my MRI showed 3 or 4 disks going bad and two places where my spinal cord is "slightly" compressed.

[Theresa]

Re: weight lifting?

I am now 91/2 months postop and only using 2 pound weights for arm exercises. I use them about 3 times a week.
The next day I usually have some swelling and tightness in the shoulder blade area. My therapist also suggested using thera bands before weights.

[blairf83]

I started with 5 lb weights as soon as I had that weight limit restriction lifted, and then 10 lb weights at around 6 months....

My PT had me using therabands as well.

[cowprintrabbit]

That's something to look forward to - thanks :-)

[cowprintrabbit]

surgery go-ahead

Not sure whether to be releived or scared :-)

Dr. Wagner gave the go-ahead for surgery today. It looks like it will be this August - they don't schedule that far ahead; but if I do it earlier (May) I won't be able to dive in August in Jamaica (already paid for)

Plus, we are having our Kitchen remodeled in late April/early May and I don't think that would be a good recovery environment :-)

He's talking about fusing T3 to L3 - he makes it sound really long but I notice that a lot of you have that length or longer...