I read that over and over again in many of your posts, and it has been the most helpful advice of all - so helpful that I thought I'd bring it up as a thread, and also just to thank you guys for your experience and words.

I think when you're feeling good and you can trust your body to cope with whatever you put it through, you may not listen your body. In fact, maybe NOT listening to our bodies may have gotten some of us where we are now (or helped get us there faster).

I am a month post-op from a disectomy.

When my body said "Walk around and show everyone how well you can walk three days after surgery" I did it.

When my body said "Today let's stay in bed and not walk much" I did it.

When my body said "Hey... lets walk ALOT around the house today" I did it.

When my body said "Hey! Work out your calf more so that you will walk more evenly and so that the muscle contraction in your back can relax finally" I did, and very soon got results.

"Take a walk." "Sit down on a bench now" "Go back home now"

"Get on the bus" After 20 minutes my body said "Get off the bus and catch the one that goes back home. NOW."

One Sunday morning, my body said "Take the bus and go to that cool open air market" I said, okay, and we went. After two hours, my body said "Go home now in TAXI" so I went.

After having several outings in several days (at my body's request) my body said "Okay, let's stay home today and do dishes" and again, I was rewarded.

By now my body makes simple requests, requests that are more similar to my pre-surgery pre-hernia life.

Thinking about things, I am still amazed that everytime I did what my body seemed to request of me I was rewarded. It usually took me a day or two to fully recognize the request ... but I always saw results.

Anyone have any comments? Have you found it difficult to "listen?" Have you gotten good at it? Have you noticed a difference between what your doctor tells you and what your body tells you?

(PS - I live in Mexico City, so public transportation and taxis and open air markets are just like... well, driving to the supermarket or the mall)

Hi there,
I find that to be an interesting interpretation and one in which I do agree with and can relate to. I just made a post in regards to Medial Branch Block and my opinion on it was that i didn't like it because it's something that blocks the pain and therefor does you no good because I feel that your body tells you more than you think or could ever imagine and it's just a matter of being able to interpret it. Your body feels pain for a reason and if you choose to block it than I feel as though you are taking a huge chance at making things worse for yourself. You have to listen to your body, don't push yourself to the extreme, don't ignore the pain, don't block the pain, take care of it right away. And yes, most importanly listen to what your body is telling you. I suppose in some situations you do have to push yourself (PT) but I think you come to know where your boundries are rather quickly. I found your post interesting and it when it comes to something like this I think people need to hear it every now and then, it's encouragment. Sometimes I doubt myself and hearing this reminds me that no matter what certain people or doctors say, it's all about the way I feel. Take care. And good luck with the rest of your recovery. Kristy. :)

Nice post. I agree. Gotta let our body do what our body naturally wants to do and that is heal itself. Can't do that if we don't recognize and listen to the signals it tries to tell us.

victorita, Kristy, and Hunni:

Well I'm LISTENING to my Body today! My Problem is I'm not sure what it's tell me.... You can see my last post at "When can I take a Walk?"
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?p=1378660#post1378660

I'm SCARED right now....

Hunni, and Kristy, I know you've been thru a lot, and victorita, seems that you have been as well.... Could you help ease my mind that what is going on with me right now is just normal...and that I didn't do anything wrong....

I don't feel HORRIBLE, I just feel "echos" of the pre-surgery pain...and since this is the first time....I'm not sure whether I should "work thru it" or take the day off and take it easy. Yesterday was my first day to walk out of doors, and there is a slight incline in the street...not a hill, just an incline...and I feel it today....in my back, and in the hamstring,...the same place I had

I'm guess I'm being a baby...I just need some re-assurance....Sorry to be so pitiful...But I made a promise to myself that I would do nothing that would compromise the Success of this surgery!

Thanks for listening!

:angel: Bg

I think post-surgery anxiety is pretty normal. It does concern me that the pain "echoes the pain of pre-surgery". Does it feel the same as pre-surgery or just hurts, but not the same kinda pain?

Have you been given any mild exercises to do (knee lifts, leg extensions, etc?) How many weeks post-op are you again? (I lose track of everyone).

I'm thinking if yesterday was your first day out.. and you walked, especially with a slight incline, your muscles are screaming at you today! Could even be a little tighter tomorrow.

If it were me, I'd take it easy today but still try to sit in a straight back hard chair and do some knee lifts, leg extensions. Just keep moving. Rest mostly, try to relax your back, but don't stop moving.

I'd give it until next week. If you don't notice relief, I'd call the doctor.

Hi Hunni: :wave:

Thanks so much for your reply!

It's nowhere near the same kind of pain :nono: ....just a faint reminder....I think you are right. Yesterday was my first out of doors walk...today is one week post-op!

I have been given nothing as far as exercises. :confused: My doc called me yesterday and asked "Have you been getting out?" I told him about my "walk" and he said "good keep trying to get out as much as you feel that you can"!

Can you further explain "knee lifts/leg extensions"....sorry to be so "ditzy", but not sure what you mean here, and don't want to do too much... :confused:

Thanks again for the reply...it has put my mind at ease some! ;)

:angel:
Bg

I can tell you what my physical therapist had me doing at about week 2.5 or 3.

Knee lifts:
Sitting in a chair feet flat on the floor (a chair with arms is best - like a wooden chair or dining room chair) just lift your knees up one at a time (as though you were marching in your chair). Do it slowly and try to support lift and lower in a controlled motion. (Not flopping your knee up and down) Start with 10 on each side.. then move to 15 the next week. Do those for a couple weeks then increase to 20.

Leg Extensions:
Sitting in same chair... extend your leg out so that it's parallel with the floor. Do 10 on each side for a week, then increase to 15, then 20.

I also would have to stand at the counter and lower myself down, bending at knees (like squatting), using the counter for balance and keeping my back straight.

Each of these are done 2x per day.

Victorita, your post is incredibly eloquent. Are you a writer? It was right on the mark. You ought to think about trying to publish it in a magazine.

I agree that our bodies tell us what we need. the problem is getting the doctor to take our pain seriously. I am young looking (look 25 at age 39) and feminine with a high voice and feel that the doctor does not believe how much pain I am in. I had a surgeon tell me once when I nearly died that I had way too high of a tolerance for pain and it would kill me, so MAKE the doctor understand. Well, I've never been able to get the doctors to understand that when I say I am in level 8 or 9 pain, I am IN pain! and it progresses to a serious level.

On what to do one week post op from microdiskectomy - I wasn't allowed to sit at all for 6 weeks. I think it's usually 4 weeks before you can sit. I had NO exercises to do, other than walk. And those slight inclines are very tough on the back. Flat ground is the way to go. Not too far away from the house, so you can turn around and get back. I was told NO bending at all, very light lifting, no twisting. Keep the spine straight at all times. i only sat to use the toilet or to sit on the couch or bed before I laid down. Sitting puts tremendous pressure on the spine and can ruin your surgery.

EXCELLENT POST Victorita. Best wishes to all.

Great post. elequently put and a true reflection of what is needed to negotiate our way through post op expereinces. If we listen we learn, if we ignore our bodies we risk doing damage to our alreay fragile spine.

Losy

bgsigns... It was YOUR post that inspired me. I was gonna add on to yours, but thought it was a strong enough idea as to deserve a new thread.

My initial reaction to your question was "Do what you feel like." So if you really feel like getting up and walking around, go. When you feel like coming back, do so, and if you feel like lying down afterwards, then do it.

I think an important thing when starting to "get out of the house" is going back when you begin to feel tired, not 10 minutes later when you're having muscle spasms and you'd really rather just lie down where you're at. It's the return trip that over-exerts you.

Also, ice down a bit after exercise. And leg exercises are REALLY important.

My therapist had me doing LOTS of ankle pumps, and leg lifts and leg stretches lying on my back.

Listen to your pain; pay attention to patterns.

I'm such a ding-dong - for a week or so after I was feeling better, I was laying in bed with my laptop on my stomach. I wondered my did my back REALLY hurt after being in bed for a little bit. Then one night I just lay on my side and tilted my laptop along side of my... and I realized what my body had been telling me: GET THE $#$%& COMPUTER OFF ME!!!!!

HA. I love that last line... "and I realized what my body had been telling me: GET THE $#$%& COMPUTER OFF ME!!!!!"

I think my body gives me lots of those kinda messages that I just ignore. (Its usually the "don't eat that snack at 9 PM" message HA)