L4-5 & L5-S1 Chartie Stenum - kc0iet

[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