Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Volleyball, Soccer, 4-Wheelers, Parties and a Very Angry Orthopedic Surgeon

So I went back to Honduras for Easter break. I invited a whole bunch of friends over to the beach and we all had a blast. Among the activities I tried:
-Volleball: I played twice without a single hiccup. Jumping, spiking, falling, sweating.. it felt great.
-Soccer: I played beach soccer for a good hour, running, sprinting, and falling.. No hiccups either.
-4-Wheelers: I rode bikes on the beach, very bumpy, no hiccups.
-Parties: non-stop for a whole week.

Our dear friend and orthopedic surgeon came to visit us as well. He wasn't happy. Even though he has no experience with ADR's, his concerns with it have always been the risk that the disc might prolapse into the bone. He says the bone matter never regains its original strength and that I should think LONG-TERM about the durability of the attachment and bone quality. I immediately sat up straight and realized that i'd been overdoing myself despite me being able to do so. I'm almost 6 months post-op living the life of a 15 year old with a fake id. He told me to take it easy.

He's right. I should think long-term. The surgical procedure for removing an ADR is extremely complicated and risky. I would never want that to happen. I'm still in very good shape and I plan on keeping it that way. Now i'm off to the gym again to do some healthy walking to shed some belly fat that's been bothering me as of late.

Remember everyone, after surgery, your life WILL be better but it WILL be (or should be) limited as well.. and THINK LONG TERM.

Also, some of you have been asking if I'm still in pain meds. I've been OFF pain meds since day 9 post-op.