AM I A WUSS ??

[Guest guest]

Dear hippies:

I waited 8 years for resurfacing, and lost virtually all of my flexibility.

I had to use my arms the last two years to get up a flight of stairs to

work.

I am now healing really well and feel great, but am having a hard time with

the rehab, due to massive loss of ROM from before surgery.

I work on a second floor with stairs, and as department chairman, do a lot

of moving around the buildings on campus.

My PT said that is why rehab will take 3-6 months. He says I'll be walking

around okay really soon, but to regain actual normal flexibility is a long

term issue. He claims it takes more than a few weeks to get back to where I

was 8 years ago.

1. to regain full ROM is my goal, and I've got a year+ of sick leave. Do

any of you have a similar situation? Loss of range of motion, and a long

term rehab? Is 3-6 months unreasonably long?

2. 3 months seems pretty fast to me. I used to train to run a competitive

marathon for a year, but I'm open to your experience.

3. This is an issue right now, because I need to arrange for the Doc to

write another medical certificate to stay off work and use sick leave. My

boss says stay home, but our Human Resources Dept says " the stitches are

out- back to work you come. "

Thanks for your input.

Dave Edmonds, WA

Boyd

C+

12/18/03