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  • #61
    TL: Glad you like it- I'll keep posting one a day if anyone enjoys them. This was the best part of my day.

    There must be a name for a phenomena, kind of a Murphy's Law, where you decide to take a certain course of action (no coffee, sugar, or wine) and the next thing you know those items are offered to you in an almost ludicrous degree of abundance and temptation. Has anyone ever noticed that? If so, we need to name it.

    Today was a store set-up day which greatly added to my work-out- probably about 10 miles of running around, but I walked in to work and was put in charge of coffee, pastries, donuts, etc....for 15 people, and then again for lunch- Mexican food and go buy the Halloween leftovers for dessert. Then they sent me out again to get the big boss her latte. I had to laugh.

    But I prevailed!!

    Coffee for me is not a good match. I'm not sure why and I love it, but it's just not right for me. I've been drinking green tea til I'm drowning in it. Tastes a little like the lawnmower blades got put in the juicer, but I'm getting used to it.

    Just sharing How is everyone?
    Amy
    58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
    Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
    Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
    2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
    Exercising to correct

    Comment


    • #62
      P.S.

      I'm deeply envious of your running regime. For some reason, last year I ran part of the way to work one day, and my left knee, old ACL reconstuct warhorse decided to let me know- no way. Now everytime I push it a little, it rebels. The body parts are warring for first surgical procedure. Who will win? But that little bit of running felt so good. Next time you go, run a "k" for me, ok??
      Amy
      58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
      Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
      Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
      2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
      Exercising to correct

      Comment


      • #63
        So, Foofer, if I run a k for you, can you live with one of the five I am already running or do I have to run an extra k just for you?
        And I do like the photos. Been a couple years since I was in Colorado. When i was there, I worked out at a gym that was at an altitude of 7,000 ft. Had everything my usual gym had-except oxygen.
        Also, green tea is an excellent lypolitic (fat burner) as well.

        Comment


        • #64


          The Mining Museum... I walk past it every day- hardly look at it. Pretty cool place.

          Now everyone is running...TL, You too, Darrin ?! At least I can still ride my bike.

          TL, it works fine with me it you just mind-dedicate 1k out of your 5k. Enjoy!

          I'm doing well and enjoying this...no Halloween candy, no coffee, no alcohol. The easiest thing to give up is wine, the next is coffee, the hardest is sugar.
          I'm going straight to heaven.
          Amy
          58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
          Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
          Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
          2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
          Exercising to correct

          Comment


          • #65


            American Flag

            I feel good. Tough day at work and still eating well. Have to remember to walk with head held back, as neck issues are starting to get a little aggravated.

            But a really good day despite the high emotions at work- everyone else, not me. Could hardly wait to walk home during evening blue light.
            Last edited by foofer; 11-04-2010, 09:48 PM.
            Amy
            58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
            Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
            Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
            2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
            Exercising to correct

            Comment


            • #66
              Okay, I've been replying to myself for a few days. Not healthy...The halls are empty, school's out....did I miss a memo?

              Well, to keep myself going and in hopes that someone somewhere might be interested, all is still wellish. It's actually going quite well on the surface of things. I do my yoga, I walk to work, I run around at work, I walk home, I eat all the appropriate little meals, I report in. There's more than that, but that's what has been all-consuming.

              Tried to post a pic last night but the internet wasn't working. I'm at work now, lunch break,hungry, all my pics on home computer. Will catch up on that later.

              There are hard parts with life changes. Yesterday was a hard part. Back, arm, neck started to hurt more again, as opposed to less for three days. Zagging instead of zigging...When I woke up this morning I had thought bombardments, when the mind rebels against the mind and tells it that this will never work, you'll never be able to keep this up, there is too much else to do, this takes too much preparation, and you/I am neglecting everyone and everything else. So I got up, went for an early walk, took a few pictures. Lonely.

              Onward through the mist...........

              Later:

              Last edited by foofer; 11-06-2010, 07:41 PM. Reason: added day 5,6 pics
              Amy
              58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
              Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
              Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
              2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
              Exercising to correct

              Comment


              • #67
                Hey Amy-

                Sure wish you lived closer! You are NOT alone. We are just sometimes busy and can't find the time to do things we need to do and should do...

                I just stumbled on this thread. I've become an addict-there is so much information here. Literally thousands of threads. My husband is thinking he is single again.... But being so near my surgery, I find I am voraciously reading any info I can absorb. Then I can't find where it was when I try to find it again because there is so much info!! Awesome.

                Since scheduling my surgery, I have decided to go healthier these last couple of months. I am usually pretty good, but the stress of work, scoliosis pain, and nerves about possible surgery have turned me into a weak woman. So these last few weeks I have cut out all pop, which I didn't drink at home, but did at work. Cut out tea, which I love, and only drink water. Coffee? No go. My one luxury other than ice cream! My secret is that it is all in the amounts. One small cup of weak coffee in the a.m., and ice cream as a treat once a week or so. Not every day like I did years ago... Due to health issues and family history, I eat no prepared foods, no salt and very little fat. I only eat scratch prepared food. My problem is I am a snacker. That's when I blow it. I'm a carb junkie. It's hard to find a variety of good snacks that satisfy and that I don't get burned out on. Any suggestions?

                I have always been very active, and still work a very physical job. But my recreational activities have slowed down. Partly due to pain and limitations, and partly due to being a newlywed and wanting to spend whatever quality time I can with my hubby. Mostly due to being dead dog tired when I get home from work!! All I want is a heating pad and a good book. So I need an exercise partner to keep me going. My friend skates with a roller derby team, so I started skating outdoors at a park with a large bike path. I feel like I am flying or gliding. What freedom! I love it. It is low impact, and I can still satisfy my adrenaline junkie side without running, jumping or putting any stress on my spine, and yet still get aerobic exercise. I think it is strengthening my core muscles due to the continual balancing act. And those pesky rocks keep you on your toes!! Luckily, I skated a LOT as a teen, and in my back brace, so I developed a keen sense of balance. Thankfully, I still have it. It helps with snow skiing in the winter, also.

                So I guess I unconsciously joined your 30 day challenge club. I'm in, for whatever I am able to do. I really want to be "cleansed" or detoxed and physically at my best for the upcoming surgery. I can't help but think it will help recovery. And just being all around healthier and feeling better.

                Thanks for listening!!! I will try to keep in touch as well as I can.
                Jenee'-52
                Bend, Oregon

                Braced 3 years in high school
                Lumbar 70'+ Thoracic 70'+
                I had 3" shrinkage in 6 months...

                Surgery Jan 10, 2011
                9 hours
                T3 to S1 with pelvic fixation
                Both curves now 35'

                Possible revison for Flatback Syndrome
                Non-fusion
                Loose/broken hardware-awaiting CT results

                Here is the link to my before and after pics..
                http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt......&highlight=

                Comment


                • #68
                  Ppreparing for surgery with nutrition

                  I see you are trying all types of dietary restrictions. Unless you are very obese, are an uncontrolled diabetic, going into surgery well nourished is very important because one needs the vitamins, iron and fat(yes) stores to carry one through healing. My surgery was very extensive and involved 2 stages a week apart. Needless to say I did not have a hearty appetite for quite awhile and when I went to post-op rehab my bloodwork showed my protein levels were too low.
                  Pre-op my surgeon prescribed iron, B-12 shot and folic acid as well as ester-C. Some supplements/vitamins cause bleeding: Vit E, fish oil and Coq 10.
                  I am a teetotaller so I still enjoyed my coffee and was not into sodas.
                  Last edited by Karen Ocker; 11-07-2010, 12:13 PM.
                  Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
                  Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Jenee'!!

                    I am so glad you joined. Yay!!

                    From the sounds of it, you are basically good-to-go, but you just want or need some fine-tuning. I'm still off in the future for surgery, although I think it's drawing near, and I want to know that I did everything I could think of to be responsible and ready. Then I keep hoping for a miracle, as well...one of those, I Ate A Perfect Diet and did Yoga For Scoliosis 1/2 an hour a day and I am Pain-Free and No Longer Require Surgery....magical forest thinking. So I've geared up with leaning toward anti-inflammatory foods (Dr. Oz and Andrew Weil talk this up a lot), not so much dieting per se. I know if I exercise every day and eat healthfully, I'll look good in my hospital gown- very important.

                    Snacking...Usually? ...or this past week? "Usually" is a fluctuating situation. Usually I don't have to snack much because meals are too big and can include dessert. Times like this past week- (and in all fairness to myself, I eat well pretty often-I just like to joke about it), I have to snack because the meals are leaner and healthier, but I get hungry sooner. If I eat something every three hours, I do much better. I have to eat an apple everyday. They keep me going for hours without cravings. If I'm dying for chocolate, and we live in a chocolate infested society, I resort to 1/2 banana with peanut or cashew butter- the good stuff from the health food store. String cheese saves me. If I need crunchy, we always have a stash of "Mary's Gone Crackers" at work. It's a brown rice cracker that gets you through tough moments. I do better when I mix carbs with a protein, like nuts with fruit, than with a carb alone.

                    Roller skating? Now there's an intriguing idea. On this forum Sally "Loves to skate" is into that. You girls may need to compare notes. Do you rollerblade or roller skate? Rollerblading was so big around here for awhile but has died out- not sure why. I am also, like you, trashed at the end of a work day. It used to be before this last year, that I could still do a few things after work - clean a little, talk to friends, organize something. Now I want to lie down on the floor in the middle of dinner, then skip washing the dishes and get in bed where I hold court for a few hours until sleep time. So, books, internet, all happen from my bed now. If I work out it has to be before work, so if I let time slip away or am disorganized, there it goes. Sometimes I think that work should go instead. A girlfriend of mine keeps advising, Quit work instead of surgery, your body can rest, see where you are at when you're not racing around on the job like a lunatic, another door will open...she may have a point. But there's the needing income and insurance problem.

                    I wished you lived closer, too...you sound fun.

                    Meanwhile, I'm glad you are on this forum and glad you are now on this thread. We'll talk more....
                    Amy
                    58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
                    Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
                    Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
                    2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
                    Exercising to correct

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Originally posted by jeneemohler
                      Since scheduling my surgery, I have decided to go healthier these last couple of months. I am usually pretty good, but the stress of work, scoliosis pain, and nerves about possible surgery have turned me into a weak woman. So these last few weeks I have cut out all pop, which I didn't drink at home, but did at work. Cut out tea, which I love, and only drink water. Coffee? No go. My one luxury other than ice cream! My secret is that it is all in the amounts. One small cup of weak coffee in the a.m., and ice cream as a treat once a week or so. Not every day like I did years ago... Due to health issues and family history, I eat no prepared foods, no salt and very little fat. I only eat scratch prepared food. My problem is I am a snacker. That's when I blow it. I'm a carb junkie. It's hard to find a variety of good snacks that satisfy and that I don't get burned out on. Any suggestions?

                      Congratulations with wanting to eat healthier, and doing something about it. I used to be a carbohydrate freak as well! I found out that if I ate more meat and actually increased my intake of good fats, my need for carbohydrates disappeared. Sugar often makes you want more sugar, so if you try these things:
                      " cutting down on the carbs especially (breads and HGI High glycemic index foods)
                      " Eat at least 1Lb vegetables (raw if possible)and at least some meat or proteins containing good fats (The immune system cannot function without fats, especially the n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. I
                      " Eat fish, free range animals, eggs, or other proteins to every meal.
                      " End your meal with the meat. I found that when eat the carbohydrates at the end of the meal I get hungrier, but if I end with the meat I feel full.

                      I hope this might help you.

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Thanks everyone! Great ideas.

                        I will have to try eating the protein at the end of the meal like you suggested, Christian. I love fruits and veggies. Eat a lot of Cliff and Luna bars. Just too tired to actually fix anything when I get home. I usually don't get any breaks and never a lunch, so I am starving when I get home, and I grab whatever is quick and easy. I am just going to have to make the time, right?? My husband spoils me (and I'm still not used to being so spoiled!) and brings me home chocolate with this big, boyish grin. I don't have the heart to tell him not to-I think I will have to hide it or give it away...

                        Amy, I thought seriously about the "quitting work and seeing if I felt better" thing. But I believe that time and gravity will sneak up like a thief, anyway. I alway knew deep down that it would just be a matter of time. I know I feel a lot better after a 10 day vacation, and even after a few days off. Amazingly better. I also have a very strong work ethic, and feel like I have to do my part to support our home. I broke down and cried last night when we were discussing the possibility of me not returning to work. I have always been the one to take care of business. I have that "I can do it myself" attitude. Very independent. I like having my own money. I was previously in a 28 year marriage that I did EVERYTHING and was the one with the steady income. My new husband, fortunately, is a caretaker also, and keeps telling me "I will take care of you, baby. Don't worry. " And he will. (He is a pharmacist, which will help considerably when the time comes for all the meds!) I am my own worst enemy. I don't really WANT him to have to take care of me. But I feel very fortunate to have that to fall back on, if necessary. I know a lot of folks don't have that luxury. I truly count my blessings!

                        My dilema was this-to postone surgery as long as possible and live with the evil I know, and risk having surgery later when the correction would not be as good; or to do it sooner while I am younger and would probably heal better, and have better correction. I thought...if I get 50% correction of 50*, then I would be 25*, hopefully. Now I am 66*, and if it worsens to, say, 75* over the next year, I would only get a correction to 37* or so. Almost back to what my original curve was in high school. I've been hemming and hawing over the last couple years. But time made the decision for me. I have remained fairly stable throughout the years. A few degrees here and there. Last January, I was 5'6". When I went to my physical in August, I was 5'3 3/4". Freaked me out. I made her remeasure, and went home and had my hubby measure, also. But I should have noticed the signs... The nerve pain in my hip and leg got considerably worse. I couldn't sleep without propping my torso in a very specific way. And driving felt like my ribs were wearing out my hip bone. There was a definite change in my symptoms. Now, I am afraid if I wait another year, my curves will increase too quickly and I don't want to give up any correction of the degrees.

                        So I think you will know when the time is right. My doc told me "only YOU will know when you have had enough". She was right. She also reassured me that she would not let me get too far, and she would tell me if I HAD to have the surgery to prevent other complications. This way, I was comfortable with her monitoring me, but felt like I was in control of WHEN it happened. An important thing to a control freak.....

                        I never got the hang of rollerblading. Plus, when I skated as a kid, there WERE no rollerblades!!! Dang, when did I get so old??? And derby girls skate on old fashioned skates, so I fit right in.

                        Thanks everyone!!! I love, Love, LOVE this site....
                        Jenee'-52
                        Bend, Oregon

                        Braced 3 years in high school
                        Lumbar 70'+ Thoracic 70'+
                        I had 3" shrinkage in 6 months...

                        Surgery Jan 10, 2011
                        9 hours
                        T3 to S1 with pelvic fixation
                        Both curves now 35'

                        Possible revison for Flatback Syndrome
                        Non-fusion
                        Loose/broken hardware-awaiting CT results

                        Here is the link to my before and after pics..
                        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt......&highlight=

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Week 2!!

                          Second week....my first one was good as far as doing what I set out to do. I lost 2 1/2 pounds, which I like, but I want to be careful about focusing secretly on weight loss. I really just want to feel better, and I don't yet. Yesterday, Sunday, I was quite the couch potato after going to breakfast with my husband and Grand Boy, age 18 mo- talk about spiritual fulfillment. Babies check out everything...they "take a picture" every second...who knew an ice cube in a plastic cup with a straw could be so fascinating? The rest of the day I was achey and tired. But maybe that's what the idea of "Sunday- Day of rest" means....just stop runnin' around and just Be!

                          I am loving the walks- today had snow tires put on with a long wait, so I went for an hour and 45 minute walk. So great- I go by myself- not my usual style, but I'm liking the solitude and really looking at everything.

                          Christian: Wondering if you use any oils? I favor olive oil, sometimes too much- but the Mediterranean Diet...I eat veggies in mass quantities, steamed usually, but sometimes finished with oil and garlic, sauteed....so yum.
                          Keep the tips coming. I bought rye flour today.

                          Jenee'...My plan is really not to quit work- but it is getting very difficult-and I have the same platform as you, for the same reasons, with the same personal characteristics. I'm so glad your husband carries that banner for you...I've looked at your x-ray and truly- if I was progressing- I would just do it, no more speculation (more like incessant agonizing), but I can see it's going to be a stumper. Yours seems more clear-cut and I understand your decision COMPLETELY. A year ago, my curves were measured at 65 and 64- they have always been very even, and that was up from 56 and 57 the year before, measured by another doctor. This year, they were measured in the 57's zone again, same doctor that measured in the mid-60's. So, I have not progressed in a few years. Still, based on pain reports, arthritis on the x-ray, spondylolisthesis, he said to think about the surgery. My final hold-out is that I just keep thinking that if I was very clean in my diet, maybe things would be different. I never realized it but I carry a lot of guilt about my own condition, like I caused it somehow and can do better with managing it. That attitude has got to be 86'ed as well.


                          the Bike Path...it goes 20 miles in either direction....and No pesky rocks allowed.
                          Amy
                          58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
                          Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
                          Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
                          2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
                          Exercising to correct

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Yes, 86 those guilty thoughts....
                            We are just the recipients of some undesirable genetics. Or ??? -whatever causes it. It just IS, my friend. Did any of your kids show up with it? My middle daughter has a very slight curve, no problems. That is the only time I would feel guilt, if she had a bad case. Our kids and that mother bear instinct, you know... My mom struggles with guilt because she has scoliosis, too. But hey! No one "gives" this away on purpose!!!! Sometimes life just deals us a bummer hand of cards. It is all in our attitude-how we deal with it, learn from it, and go on with it. I just try to set an example and hopefully be an inspiration to others. (Like my rally squad advisor who called my mom when I got my brace and told her I should quit because it "didn't look good". I showed her-mean old lady!! ) Hang in there, and 86 that guilt!!! It can always be worse. Remember, the glass is half full.

                            Oh- and oh man, could I FLY on that bike path!!!
                            Jenee'-52
                            Bend, Oregon

                            Braced 3 years in high school
                            Lumbar 70'+ Thoracic 70'+
                            I had 3" shrinkage in 6 months...

                            Surgery Jan 10, 2011
                            9 hours
                            T3 to S1 with pelvic fixation
                            Both curves now 35'

                            Possible revison for Flatback Syndrome
                            Non-fusion
                            Loose/broken hardware-awaiting CT results

                            Here is the link to my before and after pics..
                            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt......&highlight=

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              The internet, concentration and digestion.

                              I have been reading about how some of you enjoy taking a walk, and I must say, I really find it life saving. Not only for the back but also for the mind, and for that reason I wanted to post something I have been reading about, which is the internet.

                              The negative effects of the internet.
                              I have been reading a book called "The shallows: what the internet is doing to our brains" which is very interesting. The book explains how the way we use the internet deprives us of the ability to concentrate and contemplate. When we open a web browser, it's filled with pictures, headlines, hyperlinks etc. At the same time our one hand is on the mouse (clicking, scrolling, moving the curser) and the other on the keyboard (different fingers hitting various keys), we are literally multitasking. Studies showed in the book that most internet users have a very difficult time reading a full page of text without losing their concentration, and most people have a hard time recalling what they just read. This is because most online text is filled with hyperlinks, making the brain have to make a decision whether or whether not to click on it. If a person clicks on the hyperlink, suddenly the person loses the "whole" of what the person is reading, jumping from hyperlink to hyperlink just sucking up all the information from all the different hyperlinks. This changes our never cell structure in our brain (according the brain scientists), and a new habit is formed. We have become information gatherers , and we want to feel "connected" (facebook, hotmail, forum posts) which is great on the one hand, but the shadow side of it is this: The time we once spent concentrating, contemplating, reading deeply (in a physical book), observing ourselves , our habits and thinking about what we want in our life and what our direction is, is being filled out with the internet.
                              This book has been a Big AHA for me, especially concerning scoliosis. At the moment I'm sitting less, exercising more and spending more time reading from physical books (sitting comfortably), and it feels better on my back.

                              Eating and the internet (Digestion): Since some of you have been talking about weight loss i wanted to include a Danish news article I read (combined with a book about the digestive system) which said that eating while on the internet causes health issues. The act of thinking while eating is bad, because it's our tasting sense that activates our digestive system in the first place. When we sense the taste of food, our saliva is being secreted and the muscular contraction in our stomach begins and esophagus. If we are too lost in our thoughts without sensing the taste our digestive system will not work as well. Even though the enteric nervous system (digestive nervous system) is autonomic it communicates with the central nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, so if we for instance feel fear, our sympathetic nervous system dominates and shuts down the digestive functions (Don't eat and watch a horror movie :P) so I would really recommend being present with the food we eat
                              Last edited by Christian0710; 11-09-2010, 02:58 PM.

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Hey Christian, in keeping with the mind-body connection topic... how about this...

                                MEDICINE PRIZE: Simon Rietveld of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Ilja van Beest of Tilburg University, The Netherlands, for discovering that symptoms of asthma can be treated with a roller-coaster ride.
                                REFERENCE: "Rollercoaster Asthma: When Positive Emotional Stress Interferes with Dyspnea Perception," Simon Rietveld and Ilja van Beest, Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 45, 2006, pp. 977–87.
                                ...

                                PEACE PRIZE: Richard Stephens, John Atkins, and Andrew Kingston of Keele University, UK, for confirming the widely held belief that swearing relieves pain.
                                REFERENCE: "Swearing as a Response to Pain," Richard Stephens, John Atkins, and Andrew Kingston, Neuroreport, vol. 20 , no. 12, 2009, pp. 1056-60.

                                ...

                                PUBLIC HEALTH PRIZE: Manuel Barbeito, Charles Mathews, and Larry Taylor of the Industrial Health and Safety Office, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA, for determining by experiment that microbes cling to bearded scientists.
                                REFERENCE: "Microbiological Laboratory Hazard of Bearded Men," Manuel S. Barbeito, Charles T. Mathews, and Larry A. Taylor, Applied Microbiology, vol. 15, no. 4, July 1967, pp. 899–906.

                                http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html

                                Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                                No island of sanity.

                                Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                                Answer: Medicine


                                "We are all African."

                                Comment

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