New member questions

[Guest guest]

Hi Rob,

I am a 39 year old female living in the UK. I had revision

(anterior/posterior) surgery in 1995, where my previous harrington rod (from

surgery in 1976) was removed and replaced with 2 rods and loads of screws

etc. The reason for that surgery was I had developed a lumbar kyphosis in

addition to my thoracic scoliosis. Previous to that in um 1983 I believe, I

had surgery to reduce my rib hump.

My surgeon is Mr Mac, at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Center in

Oxford. I don't know if he is any better or worse than anyone else, but he

seems to do the job I guess. I am actually due to go visit him again next

month, because I have noticed that some of my hardware is more prominent now

and I am still extremely unhappy about the rib hump etc :-( althought I am

pretty pain free since being more disciplined about my exercise regime :-)

Hope this helps...

Anne

>From: " robglb " <robglb@...>

>Reply-Scoliosis Treatment

>Scoliosis Treatment

>Subject: New member questions

>Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 11:10:01 -0000

>

>Hi to all! I'm a 36yo male who went under the knife 20 odd years ago

>and recieved a Harrington's Rod and spinal fusion to try and clear up

>the mess that is my spine. I still have pain in the lower back and

>also nerve associated pain that shoots down the right thigh. My

>recent xrays show the rod being curved by my back, which is fairly

>horrendous but impressive. Having moved country (Aus to UK) and being

>subject to the NHS I have not been able to see a specialist for a

>while although I am on the waiting list to have an MRI scan (12

>months and counting!)

>

>What I was wondering from anyone out there was:

>-experience of similar people of my age. ie am I normal? What do you

>do to relieve pain (other than a beer or two)

>-what have the older generation who have had rods experienced?

>-when did the first Harrington's rods get fitted and what is the

>difference between the 'older technology' that I have and the new

>stuff with go faster stripes?

>-what happens when we get really old? (Apart from dribbling more.) ie

>do the rods stay in, get removed, replaced?

>-any UK people have a fantastic orthapaedic consultant to examine

>them?

>

>Any information would be greatly appreciated.

>Many thanks,

>Rob

>

>

_________________________________________________________________

Express yourself with cool new emoticons http://www.msn.co.uk/specials/myemo

[Guest guest]

Please don't let the cavalier attitude (very common) of the OS deter you from proceeding. You will eventually be pain-free. I am 59 and 10 weeks post-surgery and very happy I made this decision. I have a friend my same age who had both knees done a week before I had one knee done, and she is progressing very nicely as well. I have been back to work for two weeks; she is still off work because her work is less sedentary than mine. I am already able to chase my grandchildren around and hike much further than I could before the surgery. I am in fact almost pain free. There is still some stiffness and aching now and then, but nothing like the pain I had before the surgery. You didn't say if you would have both knees done at the same time. If so, the doctor will usually send you to a skilled nursing facility for a week or two after you leave the hospital (with one knee only, it seems to be a toss-up). At the end of that

time, you should be able to get around your house on your own with a walker and even do stairs. A physical therapist will come to the house and work with you. You won't be able to drive, however, so you will need someone to get groceries, pick up prescriptions, run errands, etc.

I'll send you some exercises in a separate email. My daughter-in-law is a physical therapist, and she gave them to me to start doing ahead of time. They're essentially the same ones you do after the surgery, and I feel it helped me a lot to start early. Best of luck to you!

Saratreah2003 <treah@...> wrote:

Just joined this group after going to a lecture last night on joint replacement given by an OS. He (at approx. age 40?) seemed to be quite cavalier about the procedure i.e. 90-95% of patients are happy they did it, no big deal, etc. However, I want to know how realistic it is to think I may be pain-free eventually; can I get back to longer distance hiking than I can do now, camping, be able to garden, drive, do stairs, squat, running after grandchildren, etc. How long will I be needing help? (I'm very independent & like to be active!) I am facing knee replacement for both knees & am 58. Thanks for any wisdom you can give!Treah

[Guest guest]

First off welcome to the boards Treah nice having you along.... I just go by Sassy.

seemed to be quite cavalier about the procedure i.e. 90-95% of patients are happy they did it, no big deal, etc. However, I want to know how realistic it is to think I may be pain-free eventually; >>>Welp he's right in the light that the operation has came a long way and in the approximate 300,000 joint replacements done yearly in the states few have little to no problems when it's all said & done. However, with any procedure there are no promises~ and there are two sides to every story. Some never see pain~free after word, nor do they ever have a life close to what they had prior to hip replacement. Research ALL your alternatives before making a choice that's right & fitting for your life needs but remember there are no promises.

can I get back to longer distance hiking than I can do now, camping, be able to garden, drive, do stairs, squat, running after grandchildren, etc >>> Can... some do and majority have little to no difficulties BUT there are exceptions to every rule too and in all truth some don't. At 35, my life is nothing close to what it was prior to THR.... nor is it "pain~free".... mine didn't go "as planned" and my body kinda did it's own thing. So... I've learned a new way of life... 360 degrees in the opposite direction. What it all boils down to is no one can make a promise as to what your out come will or won't be. The one thing that's present in your case that's NOT in anothers is YOUR BODY.

Don't think I'm trying to scare you off about making your decision~ that's not my intent at all. I just want you aware that all cases are their own... and there are no promises as to out come for any of us. Know all your options, research alternatives which you might not yet have tried like injections etc. (*someone resently posted regarding knee resurfacing which might be an option for you) check into the various procedure options and be real honest with yourself in terms of your quality of life needs. I can't say that I regret having my THR done because it did at least lessen my pain to tolerable levels (*on some days)... but I do regret building my expections based upon anothers out come and getting nothing close to what was mentioned. Make your choice wisely and don't assume anothers out come will be your own. In the end... each case brings it's own case history to the table as each case has it's own recovery time, limitations or restrictions and doctors advise given. The only real common factor we all share is having a bad leg.

How long will I be needing help? (I'm very independent & like to be active!) I am facing knee replacement for both knees & am 58. >>> I tell everyone to plan for at least 30 days to get ya over the hump. I'm hip replacement though and I've heard several say knee replacement is rougher so I'll let them comment on all that. I'd say the more help you can get the better off you'd be~ least better to have and not need then to need and not have. Best of luck 2 ya

[Guest guest]

Treah, i'm getting both my knees done on 10/31 so know all about the

questions you have. I'm 55; scared to go through it all but know it

has to be better than what i've been experiencing for the past number

of years. I've been through this on the outside looking in with my

dad, my brother who had theirs done. My dad had his done at my age

and is now 82 and still has all the parts working and that is with the

old glues and plastics.

i plan to go to a rehab for 2 weeks following my 5 day stay in the

hospital. i know that squats and getting down on knees can take two

years from what i've read. Hiking, biking, longer distance walking

shouldn't be a problem from what my OS told me. Walking of any kind

will be wonderful to me.

Get on line looking up everything on TKR and you'll learn a lot.

gayle in seattle

[Guest guest]

i'm getting both my knees done on 10/3........ walking of any kind will be wonderful to me. >>> Well sweetie I certainly wish you the best of luck and you'll have to keep us posted on your post-op progress with things. Hopefully when all is said over & done~ you'll have knees better then you've ever known and friends will have to have theirs done too just to keep up with ya. LOL Find a smile and make the most of it~ even when things don't go "as planned" life is only going to be what your make of it.

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I am a " forty-through " year old South African, living in Georgia, USA.

My husband (he is from Peru) and I have recently been introduced to

the W.P.F. and Sally Fallon's " Nourishing Traditions " , and are sure

that the reasons for our feeing " grim " regardless of the organic

foods consumed and other healthy living we have practiced for years,

is because of our preparation methods!

Now, with all this new knowledge, however, we have many questions

which may be able to be clarified by members of this list.

I would love to hear from as many as would care to teach and lead us

further. I am not so much interested in hearing what people think as

I am in what is correct to do according to Dr. Price's teaching.

Here are some questions:

1) In preparation of BRAZIL NUTS (NT pg. 511), how long should they

be soaked? There is no indication for them or several other nuts.

2) Regarding drying of nuts - what DEHYDRATOR (NOT NON- STICK

TEFLON), has worked for you? Is there a Stainless Steel dehydrator

i.e. not necessarily " non-stick " ? Also - I presume one can use

parchment paper instead, to prevent sticking of nuts, for example,

since the heat is low.

3) We have a Reverse Osmosis water filter in the kitchen, but have

read in N.T. that " other minerals " should be reintroduced. How is

this done, and wht are such minerals, in what quantities, etc? This

all seems very odd and difficult.

4) Both my husband and I are allergic to DAIRY. I get terrrrible

mucous colds and he gets very bad acne. Since the skin and mucus

membranes are organs of elimination, this is why the mucus built up

by dairy in OUR BODIES eliminate so severely. Everywhere we read, it

seems to be about stomach intolerance, which is not our problem. Now

- here's the issue - in N. Trad. there are SO MANY things that have

to be soaked in WHEY or SOME OTHER dairy product. (I want to make

chutneys, for example, which HAVE to use whey, and am petrified

because I do not want colds the way I had them all my life until I

stopped dairy.) My question is: Although one can use lemon juice or

vinegar in the recipes where it is stated, can one use the lemon

juice of vinegar in reciped where it is not stated? What else do you

suggest?

6) I have read in several health books that " NIGHTSHADES " (potatoes,

sweet potatoes but not yams, tomatoes, all peppers, all chiles,

eggplant/aubergine) remove calcium from the body (I supposedly have

some osteoporosis). As a result, I have avoided nightshades for

years. What does the W.P.F. think of this?

7) Regarding " braai-ing " (South African) or barbecuing (USA BBQ)

meat - we BBQ on a GAS grill outdoors. Does GAS GRILLING/BBQ have the

same carcinogenic effect on the meat as (the N.T. Book seems to

indicate) CHARCOAL grilling (and smoking)? Of course, the meat is

still above the flames and does come into contact with the direct

flames at times.

In Argentina I found the traditional practice there is to grill/BBQ

the meat on an open fire, but to keep the meat away from direct

contact with the flames (the meat is along the side of the pit, not

on top of the flames). I saw this in the Middle East too. Can anyone

comment? We LOVE grilled meat! One can leave it virtually raw as well!

8) On a related note, (and lastly!) we would like to know if salted &

dried meat (i.e., biltong, jerky) is essentially " raw " in the

nutritional sense -- or just as good.

Eagerly awaiting any and all responses, please forgive my apparent

ignorance at this point - we have just embarked on a journey into a

whole new world!

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Lynne

--

Lynne Muelle

lynne@...

[Guest guest]

Lynn, I can only answer some of your questions as I am transitioning

from raw vegan to NN.

I understood that Brazil nuts were one of the few that did not

necessarily need much if any soaking. Because the shell is thinner/

more fragile? Looking forward to responses.

I have the nesco/ american harvest round dehydrator with temperature

control, available at most Walmarts for about $40 or the american

harvest website. I've been quite happy with it. It comes with " fruit

roll up trays " for liquids, but you will find that most solid items

like nuts don't stick once dehydrated. I use parchment paper when I

run out of the trays.

There are a lot of health books that seem devoted to demonizing

foods. I often ask myself is there a culture that eats a LOT of this

food? If so, do they have the problems that the " experts " claim the

foods would cause? Are there other factors in play? I have resolved

the nightshade issue for myself this way, but of course you must be

comfortable with your diet on your own terms.

Jerky must be dehydrated at a higher temperature than fruits nuts and

veggies to reduce risk of bad bacteria. So the enzymes in jerky are

gone. But... since you can dehydrate at 190-225 many of the nutrients

remain. Eating meats with fermented sprouted or raw beverages, grains

or produce can make up for the lack of enzymes.

As for the prodigious use of whey in NT, may I suggest a few other

books that offer alternatives? Wild Fermentation is excellent and

Klaus Kaufmann has written a few good books on the subject. Whey

accelerates the process of fermentation but that isn't necessarily

desireable for some foods. It is possible to ferment foods without it.

Christa

[Guest guest]

Lynne,

I thought you had terrific questions (I have many of the same myself!).

>We have a Reverse Osmosis water filter in the kitchen, but have

> read in N.T. that " other minerals " should be reintroduced. How is

> this done, and wht are such minerals, in what quantities, etc? This

> all seems very odd and difficult.

I also have a whole-house RO system. My 12 y/o daughter started having

migraine-type headaches. In doing some research, I found that this can be

due to a magnesium deficiency. She takes a supplement and soaks in epsom

salts occasionally. My youngest had a problem with wetting the bed which

stopped immediately with the same treatment. So I am convinced that we

have a problem with our water, but haven't figured out the solution. I am

considering getting a copper ionization system that will preserve the minerals.

>

> Both my husband and I are allergic to DAIRY.

I would also encourage you to try raw dairy if you have not already.

> Regarding " braai-ing " (South African) or barbecuing (USA BBQ)

> meat - we BBQ on a GAS grill outdoors. Does GAS GRILLING/BBQ have the

> same carcinogenic effect on the meat as (the N.T. Book seems to

> indicate) CHARCOAL grilling (and smoking)?

We also have a gas grill, but I use it sparingly. It is my understanding that

the

problem comes from the fat dripping down and then vaporizing. The leftovers

are then deposited on the meat and are carcinogenic. I have heard that

marinating the meat in something acid (vinegar, lemon) helps with this but I

don't know how or why. I also keep the grates really clean of all of that black

stuff...

Nice to have you with us!

Kathy

[Guest guest]

On 10/9/05, Lynne Muelle <lynne@...> wrote:

> Hello,

Welcome.

> I am a " forty-through " year old South African, living in Georgia, USA.

> My husband (he is from Peru) and I have recently been introduced to

> the W.P.F. and Sally Fallon's " Nourishing Traditions " , and are sure

> that the reasons for our feeing " grim " regardless of the organic

> foods consumed and other healthy living we have practiced for years,

> is because of our preparation methods!

Yes, that can be a eye-opener. For many foods the

preparation/processing is often the difference between healthy and

problematic.

> Now, with all this new knowledge, however, we have many questions

> which may be able to be clarified by members of this list.

> I would love to hear from as many as would care to teach and lead us

> further. I am not so much interested in hearing what people think as

> I am in what is correct to do according to Dr. Price's teaching.

Folks we have a winner! LOL!

> 4) Both my husband and I are allergic to DAIRY. I get terrrrible

> mucous colds and he gets very bad acne.

Unfortunately not all dairy is the same. At the minimum it should be

raw from animals raised on grass and should be fermented. Some people

have a " true " allergy to dairy and some are just reacting to poor

dairy, even when raw and fermented. This is a complex topic. Ask away

if you have some specific questions.

> Since the skin and mucus

> membranes are organs of elimination, this is why the mucus built up

> by dairy in OUR BODIES eliminate so severely. Everywhere we read, it

> seems to be about stomach intolerance, which is not our problem. Now

> - here's the issue - in N. Trad. there are SO MANY things that have

> to be soaked in WHEY or SOME OTHER dairy product. (I want to make

> chutneys, for example, which HAVE to use whey, and am petrified

> because I do not want colds the way I had them all my life until I

> stopped dairy.) My question is: Although one can use lemon juice or

> vinegar in the recipes where it is stated, can one use the lemon

> juice of vinegar in reciped where it is not stated? What else do you

> suggest?

I would check out Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz:

http://www.wildfermentation.com. You don't have to use whey to ferment

your foods.

> 6) I have read in several health books that " NIGHTSHADES " (potatoes,

> sweet potatoes but not yams, tomatoes, all peppers, all chiles,

> eggplant/aubergine) remove calcium from the body (I supposedly have

> some osteoporosis). As a result, I have avoided nightshades for

> years. What does the W.P.F. think of this?

I don't think they have an official position. Personally I doubt the

above is true concerning modern nightshades and even if it were it is

probably dose dependent. Do you have any citations for such claims?

> 7) Regarding " braai-ing " (South African) or barbecuing (USA BBQ)

> meat - we BBQ on a GAS grill outdoors. Does GAS GRILLING/BBQ have the

> same carcinogenic effect on the meat as (the N.T. Book seems to

> indicate) CHARCOAL grilling (and smoking)? Of course, the meat is

> still above the flames and does come into contact with the direct

> flames at times.

> In Argentina I found the traditional practice there is to grill/BBQ

> the meat on an open fire, but to keep the meat away from direct

> contact with the flames (the meat is along the side of the pit, not

> on top of the flames). I saw this in the Middle East too. Can anyone

> comment? We LOVE grilled meat! One can leave it virtually raw as well!

The heterocyclic amines are rendered harmless by marinating and/or

adding fruit to the meat and/or mixing vitamin E into the meat.

> 8) On a related note, (and lastly!) we would like to know if salted &

> dried meat (i.e., biltong, jerky) is essentially " raw " in the

> nutritional sense -- or just as good.

Sure, if its dried at low enough temperatures. Check out Guts and

Grease: The Diet of Native Americans on the WAPF site,

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/native_americans.html

--

" It is no crime to be ignorant of economics,

which is, after all, a specialized discipline

and one that most people consider to be a

'dismal science.' But it is totally irresponsible

to have a loud and vociferous opinion on

economic subjects while remaining in this

state of ignorance. "

-- Murray Rothbard