L4-5 & L5-S1 Chartie Stenum - kc0iet

[mmglobal]

I just spoke to Janet. Unfortunately, the report is mixed. Regarding her schooling, Janet "made it through the hard part" and got more than 1/2 way through law school. Unfortunately, she needed to return home to care for her ailing mother and is no longer in school. I can't tell you how much I admire her ability and drive to have gotten that far, and her priorities for putting family first. Way to go Janet.

Warm Houston was good for her. Unfortunately, her pain syndrome reacts pretty severely to cold weather. The Missouri winters are really, really bad for her. In any case, she is still on a medication level that is a fraction of what she needed following her two botched Stenum, Ritter-Lang surgeries. She bought a recumbent trike that she absolutely LOVES and, in spite of the harsh winter, she has over 500 miles on it.

Her leg still gets pretty swollen from the DVT, but it doesn't hurt her nearly as much. You don't want to be having a long anterior revision surgery if you can avoid it... I've seen many, most OK, but there can be problems. That's why you really need to be with a careful, competent surgeon... make sure it gets done right the first time!

So, even though the news is mixed and her life could be much, much better; she is still a thousand times better than she was.

Hang in there Janet!

Love,

Mark

[Maria]

Mark thanks for updating on Janet. That's just incredible re the law school endeavor and even more so having gone back to take care of an ailing parent. Both photos of Janet are great~ congrats on the recumbent biking and doing as well as you are now Janet with all that you have going on! Would love to see you post here again if you've any free time or inclination to do so!
Maria

[kc0iet]

I know, it has been forever since I have been here - sorry…

I was so glad to hear from Mark yesterday that I decided to check in. This month is proving especially hard for me as I would be graduating from Law School this month I was exactly half way through, and on the Dean's List when I left.

Anyway… how do you like my trike?? I guess I just like a challenge LOL. Climbing hills is MUCH harder and slower when you cannot stand up on the pedals LOL. I got the trike 9/27/2013 and ride every chance I get. That has not been much this year since the furnace was still kicking on LAST WEEK! The cold REALLY sets me back. In fact, I left my bed only to go to the doctor for meds from January through May. Hopefully I will bounce back quickly now that winter is finally over! But it is depressing to know that once the cold returns - I must return to hibernation. Unfortunately I put a quite a bit of weight back on over the long winter in bed. I was quite happy tipping the scales at 105# before winter - not so now!

I am still on Fentanyl and Percacet, but much less. During warm weather I was doing very well. I purchased a recumbent trike to further my rehabilitation, and did quite well with it until winter. During cold weather I must either stay in bed or take more medication. I am still unable to sit or stand without a significant increase in pain. I can only find comfort in a near zero gravity position. I cannot sit on the couch long enough to watch a TV show or sit at the table for a meal. But if I sit in my only acceptable position (in my hospital type bed, or on my reclined trike seat) I can sit as long as I want to. Still hopeful that more exercise will increase my strength, stamina and pain tolerance.

Thanks for keeping everyone posted for me Mark. Maybe some day I can ride my trike to CA to see you LOL.

[Maria]

I too had one when I was living in Florida and while I found the position better for my low back or tailbone I should say I also found that pedaling up an incline was much more difficult because my quads were really put to work and thus also there would be more strain on my lumbosacral area so in turn I had to ride on pretty flat terrain in order to have a pain free ride or one that didn't create pain.

When I moved back to CA while I would have had a great bike path to ride my trike on down by the beach I had no where to store it and I could not even carry my 2 wheel bike upstairs to my apt.

I was also going to mention that while living in Florida was great during good weather when the humidity got full blast there my everything hurt so bad like my hands, my fingers, thumbs, my neck, my back... I mean I could hardly stand it! It also rained there every day at some point during the summer and I would feel intense pressure in my low back until the rain started then it the pain would lessen. Of course that was when my back was much worse and I had all kinds of pain. Fortunately I was getting ESIs at the time as well as being on the same dose of opioid medicine that I remain on to date.

I too have gained weight in the last 2 years but not because of my back as I actually started to walk quite a bit back in 2004 but a bilateral case of posterior tibial tendonitis in both feet has slowed me down quite a bit so I too have gained about 15 lbs and was weighing just what you were as well! Can't even pedal my bike as that exacerbates the condition so am thinking of getting an electric bike and hoping that I could pedal it and stop when my feet start to hurt as the aggravation of pain comes on so suddenly (just like my back pain flare ups used to and occasionally still do)!

Will you be able to return to law school as some point perhaps? I hope so. I would not want to have to live anywhere with extreme temperatures myself (extreme cold/snow and such). I doubt I'd be getting out of bed either due to DDD thru out my spine and osteoarthritis thru out my whole body.

Anyway wishing you the best and hope all is well with your family. Maria