recovery Archives - Life After ADR

8 Months Update: Back to Volunteering!

irisappenrodtNovember 15, 2018December 29, 2018Leave a comment

In this Update:

Disney’s Food & Wine Half-Marathon
Active Shooter Drill
Hal Scott Preserve Outing

Disney’s Food & Wine Half-Marathon

Sunday before last was another milestone for me: returning to be a medical volunteer for the Walt Disney World running races! To put this into perspective, the last time I volunteered didn’t go so well... My back was so far gone then that I shouldn’t have volunteered in the first place, but I remember the depression and fear of losing yet another activity I really enjoye, to my evolving disability. I had to stand a lot that day, which caused my back to “seize-up” and lock into place. I also couldn’t get down to the stretcher anymore, which added to my pain and frustration. To top it all off, when I got to my car after the event, I stood for about five minutes next to the open driver’s door, trying to prepare myself to sit down. I looked around, and when there was nobody else around, I let out a scream and forced myself into the seat. The pain was so overwhelming that I got nauseated, started to sweat, and cry. It took me another several minutes before I could drive off the parking lot.

Fast forward to Sunday before last: this was the first Disney race since my surgery, and even though I had to get up at 3 am, I was so excited that I was able to go! I watched over 10,000 participants come through the finish line, and even though I was on my feet for hours, my back was doing ok! Sure, I felt a tad sore, but that was also due to the inability to do my proper rehab over the last few weeks (still working on a solution for that issue). But I was really ok and didn’t have a set-back at all!

In fact, after leaving from Disney, I satisfied my civic duty and voted early...

Active-Shooter Drill

Later that same week I participated in yet another event: an active shooter drill at work, complete with fake victims, covered in fake blood. I have been with the Orlando VA Emergency Response Team since 2014, and I am so grateful that I was able to return in full capacity! I was part of the Medical Emergency Tactical Team (METT) and ran with two team mates and a Stryker stretcher to the 4^th floor to stabilize and retrieve “victims” of the “shooting”. The hardest part was to get that stupid stretcher to comply, but after cutting off shirts and applying some pressure dressings, we got everybody to the Emergency Department for “treatment”. Before April 4^th, 2018, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this! So, ADR surgery saved not just my life, but also my “victims”, lol!

Hals Scott Preserve Outing

Even though I still haven’t figured out yet where and how to do consistent rehab, I went for a nice mountain bike outing in Hal Scott Preserve. My new ride is amazing but I need to find a better saddle that fits better with my “female anatomy” and seat bones. This wasn’t single track but had a variety of different trails, which where challenging at times but gave me a good workout. Besides deer and a black racer snake, we encountered a tortoise having lunch…

I started doing light deadlifts with the kettlebells that we still have in the garage to strengthen my back, and I have not just tolerated the exercises well, it actually felt good while doing them. Zero discomfort! I do listen to my back and go with how movements/activities feel, so this was very encouraging. It still blows my mind that I live in this oh-so cutting-edge “wellness community”, which has not a single calisthenics park to offer… Maybe the new construction close to work will have something suitable for doing some bodyweight workouts? We will find out eventually.

7 Months Update: Reflection

irisappenrodtOctober 17, 2018December 29, 2018Leave a comment

In this Update:

Deployment wrap-up
Reflection
Paisley trail ride with new bike
Insurance update

Deployment wrap-up

So, this is it: the last four days of my first out-of-state deployment are coming to an end. The lessons learned so far include that everything can change in a heartbeat, that you cannot count on maintaining a healthy diet on missions like this, that deployment and graduate school are not friends, and that you may meet some amazing people during times like this. I also couldn’t keep up with rehab and stretches (that carpet was yucky and the bed too soft for it). So, would I do it again? Absolutely! In fact, after my return Saturday evening, I barely had time to adjust, wash my clothes and get ready for my 12-hour mid-shift on Monday, when Hurricane Michael made its appearance in the Gulf of Mexico. Needless to say, by Thursday I was back on alert for possible deployment to Mexico Beach, Florida but so far, the facilities in Georgia are providing enough manpower…

Last (I hope it was) oatmeal breakfast at Ft Bragg...

I do hope to see some of my new-found friends again – even though that usually entails that disaster strikes beforehand. I guess we all share the passion of helping others when they need it most, even if that means leaving our own lives and families behind at times.

Reflection

I wanted to take this time to reflect on the last few weeks and how it affected my (still less than 8-month post-op) back. Looking at the overall outcome people described on ADR support groups, I came to realize that (especially) lumbar ADR surgery may take a year or so to show full effect. I was just reading Layne Hermansons’ one-year update and the struggles he has had during his recovery. Even though it took his body longer to heal, he now leads a pain-free and active lifestyle again. I truly believe that the majority of people who undergo ADR surgery will end up leading a normal, pain-free life again, even if it takes longer for some to fully recover. I am one of those lucky ones, who had this amazing result very early on, but just because your timeline of recovery may be different doesn’t mean you won’t get there.

With that being said, many fellow degenerative disc disease sufferers have asked about sitting for prolonged periods of time. During my deployment, I had the opportunity to test my sitting-abilities pretty thoroughly, since my commute was 2 ½ hours (each way!) by bus to get to those North Carolina coastal communities. I also “pretzeled” up over two seats to snooze at 06:30 am, which went surprisingly well. Neither the sitting nor “pretzeling” caused any harm or pain, which amazed me especially since I wasn’t able to do my maintenance stretches like I would at home. I was able to handle my luggage and a fairly heavy backpack during this trip without issues. There were also days where I had to stand in place for long periods of time – an (in)activity I wouldn’t have dared before surgery! I did shift my weight this way or that, but I was able to move without the feeling of this severe stiffness in my lower back later.

I am counting my blessings every single day to be able to do what I do, because I can still (quite vividly) remember that ever-present, sickening, disabling, tear-provoking, quality-of-life-sucking, depression-inducing pain! The dread in the morning of moving out of bed, the screams of agony when putting on socks, the realization that I can’t do my job anymore… It’s all gone now, but the memory remains. Never, ever will I take my back for granted anymore.

Paisley trails

On a lighter note, I discovered some footage on the GoPro that captured, not just a nice section of the Paisley trails, but also the follow up phone call of my deployment orders – in the middle of the woods. Apparently, Ralf forgot to turn off the camera when the call came. This whole scenario had him pretty stressed…sorry, sweetie! But I really enjoyed riding these beautiful (mostly single-track) trails with my new bike: die Rote Zora (it’s a German thing, and yes, I do name my bike and my plants, too).

Insurance update

As some of you may know, I am still fighting an ongoing battle to appeal the denials of Blue Cross Blue Shield to reimburse me for the cost of my surgery. After submitting my surgeon’s letter of medical necessity and recent journal articles that show the superior efficacy of lumbar ADR surgery compared to fusion, I just got another set-back in the mail. Now BCBS denied my claim, not because the procedure wasn’t “medically necessary”, but because the disc (LP-ESP) is not FDA-approved! This is interesting, considering how many people got reimbursed by BCBS International for ADR surgery overseas, having either the M6 or ESP implanted. At this point, I have nothing to lose, so I will file an external appeal with OPM (I have BCBS Federal). I am planning to submit my appeal along with more evidence by this weekend. I’ll keep you guys updated.

Week 14 Update – Finding a Routine

irisappenrodtJuly 11, 2018July 11, 2018Leave a comment

I thought I share how my efforts of finding a routine have turned out this week: after that first intense week back to work, I finally was off for three days (Friday through Sunday). I already had a PT appointment scheduled with Bill for Friday afternoon and decided to commit to at least one PT session per week. I am already scheduled out for the next three weeks, so that way, I will go for sure. I also want to do at least one fun outdoor activity per week or at least every two weeks (as my schedule permits).

Bill worked on my sore spot over the bony prominence of L3. He thinks that either the ligament is still giving me grief or that I have a slight misalignment that is still present (he carefully mobilized that spot manually; I think it’s already making a difference, but time will tell). It really doesn’t bother me unless you press on the spot directly, so I don’t really notice it much anymore. It doesn’t give me any pain while I bike, jog, or work out, so that is good. Bill truly believes that this will resolve and will continue to work on this issue.

Speaking of PT: I have made huge progress over the last few weeks, and I am very pleased with the outcome so far. Bill adds more or substitutes different movements to my regiment while keeping me safe, which makes me feel at ease. I now do interval sprints on the treat mill, 50 pounds cable pull exercises (shoulder/arms), lunges with weights, and squats. He already informed me that next week, he will ramp-up my abdominal workout – I told him that I expect a six pack! We’ll see, lol.

Another milestone this week was the cleaning of my home! Mopped the floors AND vacuumed the carpet, whoohoo! I know, I know, it sounds silly but before the surgery I wasn’t able to do any of this. Mopping my floors always led to a vicious flare-up of crippling and disabling pain (same for vacuuming). But no more! I am happy to report that I conquered the mop and vacuum cleaner once and for all! *Add victory dance here*

Now to the fun stuff: as I mentioned during last week’s post, my next goal was to take those 15 miles I bicycled on pavement and take it to the woods! Saturday was the day: I ended up biking just shy of 20 miles (!) on trails in the Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area, and despite the fact that it was over 92 F (or more like 200 F in the sun), it was amazing! It’s been a long time since I explored the outdoors like this, and I was rewarded with the sighting of deer, wild boar, and a good-sized black racer (I almost run over). One very unique thing about Bull Creek is the fact that it has an old cemetery – in the middle of nowhere right in the woods. Many graves are from the 19^th century and still well cared for. Never seen anything like it!

Riding the trails was fun, and the only part of my body that got quite sore was my butt. However, the soreness wasn’t as bad as when I first started out biking years ago. Either my seat bones remember the saddle, or I got a big butt (more cushioning) from being dormant for so long… I may never know, lol!

I also crossed many bodies of waters since it has rained a LOT in Florida and some parts of the trails are flooded:

I crossed little puddles…..

… and big puddles, lol!

After this rather intense ride, my legs where heavy and I was quite tired – but no pain! I always wait and see how I feel the next day, and I am happy to report that I felt strong and refreshed. I am still amazed to no end how my condition has changed so dramatically from near-disability to doing things like this in only 14 weeks after major surgery! I am so incredibly thankful that I didn’t end up getting a fusion because I really don’t think it would have been the same outcome.

Week 6 Update

irisappenrodtMay 16, 2018June 14, 2018Leave a comment

Today, I am six weeks post-op, which means that I can take off my back brace! I am still a tad afraid to bend or twist but I guess that is normal. Recovery is also a mental game for sure!

I really need to start stretching though, since my hamstrings appear to be much shorter than they used to be! However, besides the lingering muscular issues I am still dealing with, there is no more crippling back pain that I used to suffer from! Now I can (carefully) take my rehab efforts to the next level.

In a couple of days I am going to see Ben to start getting regular medical massages, and I hope he can help me with the soreness. I still have that sore area in my lower-mid back that is tender to touch but I hope this is not because of the twisting-incident from last week but rather part of the recovery time.

I can now bend sideways and forward without pain (won’t do the back-bend though!), which I wasn’t able to do at all before the surgery. So, I take that as a victory and will now move forward by increasing my workouts (carefully). Maybe some light jogging (on soft ground) and definitely more stretching.