Re: Re: Reoperations for Retethering of the cord(second operations)

[Guest guest]

At 01:05 AM 7/13/2004 +0000, davidbrian232000 wrote:

>Huh, do me a favor can you tell me what excersises you do to " free

>up " the cord. Maybe I am getting some minor entrapment and can do

>some things to help myself out.

I do a lot of bending over myself, like give myself an extra stretch when I

sit in a chair and bend over to tie my shoes, I never used to be able to do

that. I do not know how to describe what my PT does, she has me laying flat

on the table, she is on a stool, has her hands under my neck for about 10

minutes until I 'feel the flow' from my head to my toes, I am very relaxed

at that point, then she gently pushes up and down on my cord, she says she

can feel it move, I can feel it move. Thats the only way I know how to

describe it.

What is the nature of your tether? We do not know what mine is nor when or

why it became tethered. I could not do sports in HS, just too clumbsy, I

guess now we know why. Suddenly at age 42, I started falling down for no

reason, my feet would not lift when the brain said to, 18 months later I

could no longer walk at all so I finally had a MRI done. I do not have SB

or any form of it, nor any other medical issues - that I know of - except

the same stuff everyone else has with TC, bladder, bowel, spasms,

spasticity, atrophied muscles, etc. It goes a lot deeper than this, my

original problem was AVM from T8-L4, but I was still tethered. You can read

my story at http://www.tetheredcord.com/

I need to update that - soon!!

Rick

[Guest guest]

Yes. It has helped many.

I know it's hard to believe when you didn't have a good outcome from your

Surgery........I've been there, done that. But it's true. It took me awhile

to realize that though.

Succuss of the Surgery has a couple different meanings, and can be different

from person to person.

I would have to say that many would say their Surgery was successful, even

though they may have gone on to Retether and have another Detethering. Just

because you have to have another Detethering, doesn't mean things weren't

successful to begin with. I'm trying to look at things broader then what is

on this List. I am sure there are a few out there who have only had one

Detethering, for one reason or another and some truely because they didn't

need one. But it's pretty common to have more then one, I would say atleast

2, more then that I would say would be less common, but it does

happen.........just because that happens doesn't mean something went wrong,

and that they shouldn't have had another Surgery.

Even though my first Surgery did make me worse......I did gain back a good

portion of it. After that, I remained stable for 9 Years.

Yes, pretty much everybody Retethers, but that's just Retethering, alot of

times when we talk about Retethering here, it means a Symptomatic Retether.

Not everybody who Retethers will develop Symptoms.

Hope this helps. We all feel your frustration to one point or another.

Me

Nebraska, USA

mymocha@...

> I just get to wondering sometimes if any adult should have ever had

> surgery for this condition. I had surgery in 2001, After surgery I lost

> sensation to the greater portion of my right leg and foot(so much so

> that I can't use my right foot to drive a car). Now I am

> experiencing worsening issues like burning, shocks, numbness and

> extreme pains waste down.

>

> I get to wondering if there is ever a truly successful surgery. I

> mean one where someone stays stable for the rest of their lives

> after 1 detethering operation. No one on this forum seems to have

> maintained any stability over 5 years. I keep hearing statistics

> like 10% chance of retether, but it seems like everyone retethers.

>

[Guest guest]

I know this was just Rick's Opinion, but I don't want new Members to think

this is completely the Case..........if it was, I wouldn't be in the

situation I am, nor would many others. I think it is kind of a Hit and Miss

kind of thing.....luck of the Draw. For some, trying to stay Active is what

brought them down, because it just caused insult to injury.

Me

Nebraska, USA

mymocha@...

My personal opinion to keep from

> retethering is to STAY ACTIVE. I do realize that is very hard to do for

> someone in great pain.