Days are better & brighter now...

Haven't been on here much lately. My loss as I'm sure I've missed some great threads. Been away from home here too long. Here is my last 3 months... apologies for the long post.

As of Feb 1st, I was at a dead stop. After 15 years of lower back L5 issues, it finally stopped everything I loved over the last 2 years. No firewood work since 2014... I missed that a lot. Really glad I was on the 3 year plan Dennis Backwoods Savage. Walking short distances was not happening so I never went anywhere. Lifting any small weight would set off the expected need for Ibuprofen way too much. Sitting eventually became as painful as activity.

So... went to my doc and we got talking about how my back was. She said, it's time... "You need to get some physical therapy to see where you really are in the degenerative stages of your spondylolisthesis." I was as enthusiastic about PT as driving a spike through my foot. I knew it wasn't going to do a thing except cost money and waste time The first visit to Back In Motion, in Portland was the most embarrassing experience I've put myself through in a while. My inactivity over the last 2 years had caused my muscles to be so weak they'd shake uncontrollably after doing simple easy stretches. My fat gut glared back at me every time they'd have me lie flat for more stretches. I said FUGG THIS in my head many times. I stayed tho... and kept going back, twice a week, for a month. Every session started with Mike standing on his thumbs (I'm flat on my stomach) slowly moving all of my discs up and down my spine... for a half hour. Very unpleasant. He first described my spine as being like wet concrete, no movement at all... and that was very bad for the coil spring spine. Said my discs were gunked up over many years and the only real movement I had now was at the lower L5 area. It was taking all of the blows of motion and that's why I was experiencing the pain. After a month of PT... my back was noticably more flexible.

Near the end of the PT, an old musician friend emailed me. Wanted to know if I still played. I'd been walking by my drums for 10 years with no interest at all. Thought those days were long gone. Told him I sit down and play every once in a while. I lied. We kept going back and forth talking about maybe trying to get together in a month or so. I started to play. One song was all I wanted at first. Upper shoulder and arm strength was not there. Feet could hardly do anything but shake. Timing was horrible. Sounded awful. But...... my back wasn't hurting as much, and I was walking more. So, I kept playing.

Music is now, once again, consuming me. I've lost 19 lbs so far and have done nothing different except play drums. Core muscles are getting stronger every day. Have put together a decent studio here. Our first session here at the house got everyone all excited and are back here again tomorrow. Can not tell you how grateful I am with all of this. It wasn't going to happen again. Can't believe it. I've now worked up to 30-40 songs played in 4 hours (last time, I was in my 20s)... I'm spent at the end... but the lower back pain is now almost nonexistent after 3 months. Have mowed the big lawns here twice and it actually felt good. Totally unexpected. Am now thinking about the activities I'll get back to, like woodchips flying down in the woods again, for one...
It's nice bein' a mighty happy youngster again... ... so much to be thankful for.

BTW... thank you wildwest for all of your encouragement during all of this. You really are a class act.

 

I'm glad things are getting better. I've lost 25 lbs since Christmas and I'm determined to never gain them back, I feel much better.

 

Stinny, just this........
Well, a lot more too...........

 

Glad the PT and your own therapy (drums) , along with a bit of weight loss has done wonders for you. People are to dismiss PT as voodoo, or actually start and it doesn't produce noticeable results in 1 day, so they stop. They want it to be a miracle cure that brings back range of motion without any pain in the process - but that isn't the way it works.

I've been thru PT for a wrist tendon issue (invasive injury - not repetitive motion) and the gal was so impressed that I worked hard (but not "too" hard) on my "homework", they actually discharged me from t PT early because I had improved so much faster than most people and they knew I would continue on my own.

Now you know what your motivators are - just keep remembering them and continue on your way to improved health and well-being!

 

I'm gonna hafta get a T shirt made with whippahsnappah on it Eric...

 

Good for you Jack. I have no doubt that another 20 lbs is gonna disappear soon... maybe more. Last time I did this getting back to drumming in 2005, I went from 260 to 210 in a summer.

 

Thanks bro. It's so nice to have possibilities again...

 

I remember 210.........very vaguely.

 

Good work! 27 pounds since Christmas for me. I'm now lighter than I have been in a decade and striving for more. Blood pressure is down and so is back pain. I've never been skinny, but I was beginning to be just plain old fat/obese. Changed my eating habits substantially. I'm not on a diet...I just changed what and the amount I eat....it is a permanent change. I make goals 5 pounds at a time. Have stalled for a week or two here & there, but it's still going down. Hoping to reach my teenage weight by end of summer....only 15 pounds away! I haven't made any huge lifestyle changes and don't walk around starving all day so it's not bad at all.

Glad to hear others are enjoying some success with their health!

 

If I got to 220 I'd be happy. My biggest issue is learning to be smarter about how I go about this. Not one of my finer attributes... During the first 4 hour session here, I paid no attention to electrolytes causing me to dehydrate... and then, when we were done, I was so jacked up on adrenaline from playing, I loaded gear outa here like I was 20. I had 3 intense days afterward to think about that a little... It won't happen again. Pain is my teacher...

 

Good for you Stinster!

Glad to hear your making so much progress and your up to your old tricks again.

 

Stinny Keep up the good work! I know it will be hard at times to stay on course, but with your positive attitude you will overcome all obstacles!

Now about your slacking on not getting any firewood in! Just kidding! Your on the right track and it won't be long before you'll be back hoarding like the rest of us.

Keep on keeping on!

 

Thanks guys. My first woods adventure has got to be a decent path around the perimeter of our 12 acres out back. Will be some farwood along the way I'm sure.

 

Congrats on the recovery Stinny ! I think the key is finding some regular physical activity you really enjoy; or at least it has been for me.
I've never had too much back trouble, but I struggled with my weight my whole life, even as a teenager. A few years ago I was pushing 270 , and decided there was no way I was going to get to 300. I stopped buying junk food and soda pop, started cooking for myself, and riding my bike more. That was good for about 15lbs or so, but it wasn't until I bought my house and started heating it with firewood that I started to see a really dramatic change. At the end of the summer of '14 (a couple months after joining here), I was tipping the scales around 197 - first time I'd been below 200 since I was 14.



I'm actually gaining weight again now - I'm back up to 225. But it's been all muscle this time - you need em slinging around these big chainsaws!

 

congratulations to all who have dropped a few pounds im trying myself ( it was easier to quit smoking ) its encouraging to hear your success stories

 

I was concentratin' hard on not whippin' a stick across the dance floor and pokin somebody's eye out...

 

I have been wondering about you man ! I was thinking of putting up a thread, Where Is Stinny.
I'm glad to hear things are going much better now.
Keep on rocking.
Looking forward to seeing a little more of you on here