dave80909

Hi there

Last Nov. I took a horrible fall and broke and compressed 4 vertibre in my cervical
area of my spine. I had surgery with fusion of basicaly my entire neck. I spent 4 month
in bed and then anohter 6 just learning how to walk again in horrible pain. I still have
terrible pain in my feet from all of it and can't walk very well at all not more than like
a few hundred feet....but I can ride a bike again now !!

At first I was pretty scared and I could barely get on the thing without falling over.
Wobbly and shakily I started peddeling out the driveway onto the street. Up the street
and down..it felt ok..i could ride , and the pain wasnt bad at all, I couldnt belive it.
Walking any length just kills me but riding was ok...a little wobbely but ok.

Little more each day...down the block and back, then around the block, then a mile
or so, then two...I'm up to about 15 miles now on a nice flat course of paved trail
and some street riding. I'm slow but sure, feeling so good to start riding again.
Not doing much more than about 5 mph but just slow and steady along the trail.

Wondering if any others have had such cathartic injuries and have come back.
I want to hear your story. Or if you need my help or encouragment I would
love to give it.

I'm in Colorado Springs, the weather is beautiful...i feel alive again

-dave

DeweyJuice

While not nearly as severe as your situation I did have spine surgery in 2004. Afterwards I could walk again but I was in constant pain so I just sat around for years. I gained weight and got miserable and was in alot of pain. I finally decided to try some activities. I can't run because of the back so I thought I'd try a bike. Biking has removed all my pain. I'm in pretty good shape and much happier these days. I have to ride constantly to achieve this affect. If I skip a week my back pain comes back.

Kurt Erlenbach

Great news, Dave. Keep up the good work.

I started cycling while doing chemo for colon cancer. My first ride was three miles - I came back afterward and laid on the bed panting, trying to catch my breath. My red count had crashed and I was very anemic, but a few shots of EPO (Aranesp, which is magic juice) fixed me right up.

The cancer came back a year and a half later, but by then I was in pretty good physical shape from cycling. I had a big liver surgery followed by more chemo, and I rode most of the time while getting chemo (I had a crash before session #8 and came into the chemo room on crutches, which the nurses thought was very funny. They don't get a lot of stage 4 cancer patients crashing their bikes, apparently). It was easier getting through the second surgery and chemo because I was in much better shape than I was the first time through.

That was three years ago, and a few months ago I passed 10,000 miles since ending chemo on July 19, 2006. Although I'm in the 30% five-year survival category, I think I have it beat, and that's due to my bike (as well as some good doctors and strong medicine). So, not quite the same situation as your's but I know that cycling can work miracles on a beat up body.

dave80909

oh man, this is just what i need to hear...both of you are really inspiring me.


dewey- I'm so glad you got better with your spine...how long till the pain
abated ?

I'm in a lot..doc says it could take a long time, or maybe never go away
but im not going to ever quit if i can still climb on the thing and peddle.

Kerlen- Amazing..I am awed that you could still bike going through
all that. These are the stories of hope and courage that people should
hear..that is truely inspiring.

thank you

eshvanu

Wow! Congratulations on the recovery so far. I've had constant back pain for most of 18 years, and it's soft-tissue damage rather than vertebrae/disk. After years of trying a variety of exercise routines, I started riding again in mid-May. I'm down 28 lbs since then, by BP is way down (90's/60's, on average), and my resting pulse rate is down to 60.

Take things slow and easy at first, then build up as your body gets used to cycling. Remember, take good care of yourself first, and have the patience to let your body heal. Wishing you the best of what comes!

DeweyJuice

dave,
It's hard for me to remember exactly how fast the pain went away when I first started riding but
I'm thinking like a few weeks. I think the numbness I got in the legs and feet took a few months to go away. Like I said, if I stop a week my pain starts. I can hop on the bike and it goes away.
I recently was hit by a car and broke my wrist in a few places. At first my family didn't want me back on a bike because they felt it was too dangerous and I was lucky to have survived my incident. But after a few weeks they all could see how miserable I was so they ended up encouraging me to get on the bike as fast as possible.

DeweyJuice

I also wanted to mention that I don't recommend anything to anyone. I've found that everyone is different and needs to find a unique solution. Through my ordeal many people started asking me which chair I use or which shoes, etc. and I think my comments started becoming rules which they aren't. Probably the worst example of this was with a neighbor. She had back surgery before me and has never been able to work since. She saw me get better and commented that her doctor must have screwed up her back and she was angry comparing my situation with hers. We aren't even medically trained to compare her back with mine let alone compare our unique lives.
I've found a way to live great with my situation. It took me years to fine tune this lifestyle.

dave80909

dewey

I think it's great you found a way out of the pain through what
you personaly worked out.

Definately it's different for all. I doubt I could ride if my injury
was lower down on my spine, since its in the neck, it doesnt
strain that area to ride.

It hasnt decreased my pain, but it sure has helped my fitness
level to be able to excersise usung the bike. I couldnt even walk
to my car without getting winded. I hope my pain goes away but
if not I will cope. Often people are far to quick to blame docters,
we've come to expect miricals from them when sometimes the magic
bullet just isnt there.

Indeed people should always take advice on health as just suggestions
or alagory information. I just want to hear how others have delt with
there injuries.

Again thanks to all who have replied