1 year out!

[green m&m]

Had my 1 year (technically 13 month) follow up. All cleared, even for snowboarding, not that I will for sure... I asked if there was a sure fire way to tell if I'm fused or not on xray (not really). Only way really is a CT scan, which my surgeon and I both want avoid because of the fact i've had lots of radiation exposure due to other diagnostic tests.

Other than feeling the upper portion of my hardware there isn't much else that reminds me of fusion on most days.

Next follow up is in a yr unless other problems arise. Woo.

[jackieg412]

That is good news. I heard tonight that they predict the east part of the country will have more snow then usual this winter. Good for snow boarding!

[titaniumed]

All right there M&M this is good news.

We are the ones that need the heavy snowfall.....Please send it out here, all the lakes are drying up.

Ed

[mabeckoff]

Glad to hear it but Ed is correct. Send us the snow please

[green m&m]

Lets hope lots of snow for me and for those of you experiencing drought.

I'm going to have to get over a huge mental block to go out snowboarding this season. Part of me is thinking I should wait until next season so I can be a bit more assured bone mass is solid.

Another part of me is thinking, my next surgery (not set for sure but more likely need a C1 tumor resected) could leave me too unstable to board ever again so I should go this winter. I need a crystal ball!

[PeggyS]

Congrats on your 1 year! I'm looking forward to my 1 yr visit in a few weeks. I'm about twice your age, so I'm hoping for a CT to confirm fusion. I can't imagine snow boarding - good for you! ( I like your idea of possibly waiting another year - just my cautious side talking)

[titaniumed]

Hard to say but how do we REALLY know if we are fused or not? It seems that many report doing some sort of activity that results in rod breakage. Not due to the rods, but due to not fusing in a correct manner.

All of us eventually fall or do some sort of crash at some point. I had mine at 10 months, tripping over a boulder camping, and planting my face into the ground quite hard. For a second there, I thought that was it, but it wasn’t.

I have also done 2 face plant crashes in deep powder while skiing, so I guess I have passed that test. You don’t really know until you have fallen or crashed at some point.

My surgeon actually ordered me to go skiing at 1 year. I walked on eggshells for a year, but he wanted me to loosen up mentally in regards to this.

I skied at 14 months post at Park City, Utah. I have a thread here on this trip back in April 2009. I didn’t crash, and took things easy which all worked out well.

It was all part of recovery....mental and physical.

Here is my skiing video again. Jan 2011, 3 years post. Hope this helps.....

Ed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEypv3Vz8o

[golfnut]

Congratulations on your 13 month anniversary. I'm glad you got a good report.

[Marianne]

Congratulations on your 1 year outcome, great to hear all is good. I am going for my 6 month check up tomorrow.
Snow boarding sounds kind of scary to me right now. But then I am also more then double your age so probably a lot more cautious.lol.

[green m&m]

My surgeon actually ordered me to go skiing at 1 year. I walked on eggshells for a year, but he wanted me to loosen up mentally in regards to this.

I skied at 14 months post at Park City, Utah. I have a thread here on this trip back in April 2009. I didn’t crash, and took things easy which all worked out well.

It was all part of recovery....mental and physical.

Here is my skiing video again. Jan 2011, 3 years post. Hope this helps.....

Ed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEypv3Vz8o

Oh wow glades! I'm not that good, still scared on blues... Honestly will probably stick to greens on the east coast. Everyone just bombs down here on our narrow trails.

I got to goto Jackson Hole thanks to winning an all inclusive trip and could board down double blues there with relative ease. Was absolutely delighted to find at times I feel alone on a open wide trail. I wish mts were bigger in ny/nj.

Tempted to goto JH again but should test my feet at at Mt close to me first.

More surgery definitely in the future since my cervical tumor keeps growing despite the drug trial treatment everyone else is responding to. Neurosurgeon says I can schedule when I want to and fit it around my schedule. (He admits thst sounds ridiculous). Going to work on my mental block and go before I get cut up again.

[JenniferG]

Awesome one year update Green m&m! Congratulations!

[titaniumed]

Going to work on my mental block and go before I get cut up again.

I know what your saying......

My surgical decisions, my waiting over 34 years had everything to do with my skiing....Forget progression, forget scoliosis. Ignore it. But in the end, the extreme pain eventually made the decision for me.....

I also broke my shoulder 10 days before my scoli surgeries hitting the hill hard in a last emotional blast.......thinking I would never ski again.....it wasn’t worth the emotional distress. Not at all.

At the time, I didn’t know. Nobody knew.....and what can you do?

I have a few photos posted below that I keep and look at every so often.

The first one has to do with our decision. We have to visit the bear. Most of the times they wont attack, that’s rare, but still very scary.....I guess it’s a mutual understanding.

The second one shows what not to do. You never EVER run from any animals, and it’s the same with us, sometimes we cant run from our surgeries. We have to be very brave and even keeled in dealing with our fears.

The third one is me at Lake Tahoe after all my surgeries were done. My Zen theater, school of thought. Skiing is just my vehicle, always has been.

If you do hop on a plane, come out here......snow or no snow, the scenery always helps with understanding and thinking about things.....

Ed

[jackieg412]

Ed that is a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing

[green m&m]

Thanks Ed!

You have such a way with words...