questions about post op

[Guest guest]

Hi! I have been reading posts on this site for the past few months, but have not written in. I am almost 8 months post op - fused to the sacrum, operated on by Dr. Farcy. Being that I love to swim, I have been swimming since I was 3 months post op. It has been a long road with the swimming, as it is no longer that once-natural feeling. After I swim, my shoulder blade always hurts. Dr. Farcy wanted me to swim with a snorkel so that I would not rotate my body. He said that he doubted I would ever be able to do more than a few laps without a snorkel, due to the fusion. Once I am totally fused (checkup in February), I would like to try to swim free-style and breast stroke without a snorkel. Is this possible? Has anyone, with a fusion to the sacrum, attempted this? The thought of always swimming with a snorkel does not make me too happy. This has been one long recovery! I don't

think that I realized just how long the recovery period actually is. Next question: When do you stop feeling the rods in the back and near the fusion? Will I always feel them? Any answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated. I have really benefitted reading everyone's comments, as they make me realize that I am not alone! Thank you! Carol cammaltby <cammaltby@...> wrote: Hi Nan,I am glad to hear you are doing alright...although

sad that you now have a fused spine and a fused toe!I hope you can figure out the leg pain. It really is a trick bag we are in...I just decided I wasn't going to do walking as my cardio, after I got past that post op requirement, because I just dont feel like I can get enough benefit cardio-wise without really wearing out everything else that is called upon to take over for the fusion....hips, knees, feet...the works. As you know, I love to swim....but this fall I got my Townie bike into the rotation....and I go out and ride a couple days a week...I love the shock absorber in the seat post...and now I even ride off-road! Hopefully after you mend you will be able to explore some other options for exercise.I would love to visit the south..I will keep you posted.Take Care, Cam

Sponsored LinkMortgage rates near 39yr lows. $420,000 Mortgage for $1,399/mo - Calculate new house payment

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol...

For some reason, a small percentage of people seem to be overly aware of their implants. I don’t think anyone knows why. One would think it would happen more in very thin people, but in my experience, that isn’t the case. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but usually, in the people that I know that have this feeling, the feeling never goes away. Are there people here who had the feeling, and that it went away on its own?

Regards,

On 11/16/06 7:35 AM, " carol yedid " <carolyedid@...> wrote:

Hi! I have been reading posts on this site for the past few months, but have not written in. I am almost 8 months post op - fused to the sacrum, operated on by Dr. Farcy. Being that I love to swim, I have been swimming since I was 3 months post op. It has been a long road with the swimming, as it is no longer that once-natural feeling. After I swim, my shoulder blade always hurts. Dr. Farcy wanted me to swim with a snorkel so that I would not rotate my body. He said that he doubted I would ever be able to do more than a few laps without a snorkel, due to the fusion. Once I am totally fused (checkup in February), I would like to try to swim free-style and breast stroke without a snorkel. Is this possible? Has anyone, with a fusion to the sacrum, attempted this? The thought of always swimming with a snorkel does not make me too happy.

This has been one long recovery! I don't think that I realized just how long the recovery period actually is. Next question: When do you stop feeling the rods in the back and near the fusion? Will I always feel them?

Any answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated. I have really benefitted reading everyone's comments, as they make me realize that I am not alone! Thank you!

Carol

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol.

I just got back from the pool...and I certainly want to encourage

you to try the crawl....but only if you feel that you have your

doctors consent. You didn't say how high you are fused but perhaps I

can give you a few ideas of what worked for me and you can consider

how you might proceed.

When I first went back to the pool at around three months I worked

out as I had prior to surgery...mostly in the deep end, vertically

with an aquajogger belt. I can't recall exactly when but, over the

summer so, probably around 5 months I started working at the

backstroke first, and then the breaststroke....always with the aqua

jogger still on, snug and tight at my waist for support.

The more I healed, read, and played around with the idea the more I

felt sure that I could crawl also...and without a snorkel. I had

read that actually proper stroke technique at the crawl involves the

whole body rotating around your central axis, in other words, with

the breath particularly, but with each stroke, the hip and shoulder

should be rotating together. This really means that there is no

twisting of the spine in order to breath. In fact, if you go to

the " Total Immersion " website I think you can find that when they

coach the stroke they really slow it all down and have you focus on

gliding on your side between each stroke.

So what I did do was continue to use the aquajogger belt and swim at

the crawl...always thinking about rolling the hip up and out of the

water when I would take a breath and it worked fine. I am fused to

T4...so even with that little bit of flexibility I can get an easy

breath without twisting in a bad way.

I wore the aqua jogger belt while swimming until around 12-14 months

post op. When I first decided to challenge myself by swimming

without it I had a whole new appreciation for the work necessry to

hold the body in the correct plane while moving through the water.

Actually, I would say that it would probably not be wise to try to

swim any stroke (but maybe the breaststroke) without a belt until a

patient is well fused, and has a great deal more strength and

stamina. Of course I have no medical training or reason to say

that...it's just my own experience speaking.

I can say that today (19 month post), I swim all 4 strokes,

(including the butterfly!) I swim without the aquajogger and feel

pretty normal while doing it. It is a fantastic workout...I end each

session with a little static work and then some stretches.

I really think the water has been a real signifigant part of my good

recovery. That said...DO NOT RUSH IT! You have lots of time to gain

ground...at least another year before you can really call yourself

healed. I find I am getting more stretch and function still so this

all doesn't have to be accomplished right away. Just set small goals

and you will see progress. If it doesn't happen that you can swim

the crawl...don't dispair...you can always get a very good workout

jogging in the deep end.

I suspect that some of the pain you feel in your shoulder blades

could be from the effect of trying to hold yourself in the proper

position/plane and I bet the aquajogger will really help. If you

would like more help please feel free to email me privately and I

will be glad to explain further.

It is a long recovery. If there is any thing I hope to accomlish by

staying on this board it is to help people prepare for this long

healing timeline. I believe that the pressure that we (and our

families) put on ourselves to be back to 100% (or whatever

percentage applies)at 12 weeks is a big reason for pain, tension,

depression...the works. Yes...at 12 weeks you can do a lot....but

you are maybe only 10% done....and even today...I do not consider

myself done with rehab. So take heart...you are on the long slow

road to recovery...and you have lots more to get!

Splash on!

Cam