Thanks for all the advice and good wishes on my back!!

Glad things are looking up, DJ. Sounds like you have a good plan to take care of it with the weight loss and all.

DJ, I'm a bit late at the thread, but wish you all my best on your prudent recovery plan...

Best Regards,

3 tons

Best advice you are getting is to lose weight. Go for it. losing weight will extend your longevity. I have been taking Cod liver oil since 1991 for knee injuries. I never thought I would ride a bicycle again. Now I play racquet ball at age 76. You can take the gel caps or the liquid form. Liquid is better with an OJ chaser. If it works OK if not nothing lost. I am not kidding. Try it.

Wishing you the best in all your therapy ventures!

My back is the main reason why I can't drive any extended periods, and have not gotten back west with the camper (I can drive or sit a max of about 3~4 hours in a vehicle-- any vehicle, even with special ortho molded seat support for seat in the truck). Maine is about the only 1 driving trip I can do these days from here. Because of this, it is also nearly impossible (extremely difficult) for me to climb up into the high-perched cabover bed of our pop-up; if I do manage to get up there during a back situation, climbing down is even worse (even with a ladder/step). We may have to look at a truck camper with far less drop to the floor, I'm afraid.

I would need about 20 days to drive out to Arizona one way (for example). However, if my back goes out after 2 or 3 days of driving, I'd be stuck somewhere on route for 3~5 days recovering.

I'm in very, very good shape (despite the back), and not overweight at all, and do exercises, and eat extremely nutritious foods, but this does not seem to help.

I have had excellent care from our VA also. I had a woman Doctor who had graduated top of her medical school class at Johns Hopkins. When I asked how come your at the VA when you could make so much more in private practice she said," I want to be a Doctor, with the VA I can spend as much time with you as I need to, I don't have a clerk at an insurance office telling me what I can do or how much can be spent to treat you!"

In the past year I've lost almost 50 lbs. Mostly by eating small frozen dinners and walking daily. It's portion control and the dinners are balanced with protein and veggies. After a short time I guess my stomach shrunk and now I don't have the former desire, I once had, to eat as much. With weight loss lots of ailments disappeared, heart burn, high cholesterol, back pain, loss of energy etc.

Good Luck, you can do it. Remember, You Are what You Eat!

Love to all,

skip

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
DJ, best regards to you and your health. Hope you get back to your 'fighting weight' and feel better in the back. :)

Is this from the dirt bike accident a few years ago?

Actually I was run over by a Navy truck while serving in the Marines back in '72. He said it was an accident. Yeah, sure!!!!

btggraphix wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
You might ask them for a Tens unit. I use one when my back starts screaming at me and it really helps relieve the pain. Of course mine is muscle damage so it may not work for you. But certainly worth asking about.

That's not a bad idea. They do work on the muscles surrounding the spine, but, one of the big problems can be that the muscles end up "guarding" the spine and get all tight and tensed because of the bone and arthritis. The stim unit is especially useful after wrenching it or setbacks in PT as the muscles go back to "guarding".

DJ, I actually have one of those crazy-expensive units that I haven't used in some time. If you talk with your docs and/or PT's and they think it would help.....and your insurance or VA won't pay it.....let me know. I'd be happy to loan it to you. All you have to buy are the little disposable pads for the electrodes. I got mine through the PT, not the doc, so the PT's know about them and can help guide you in its use.

Good luck regardless, we want to see you back on your dirt bike someday too!

Thanks so much for the offer. But I actually have one. It's been in the dresser drawer for a few years. Forgot about it!!! :o

Got to get it out and put new batteries in it!!!

DJ, best regards to you and your health. Hope you get back to your 'fighting weight' and feel better in the back. :)

Is this from the dirt bike accident a few years ago?

Good luck,sounds like your plan is a good one,save surgery as last option.

Thanks for the post - it has inspired me to purchase one of the Mckensie books - to help keep me from slacking off. :)