Tweedle Beetle Tri-Atheletle

Setting the Stage - The timeline:

Last December, 2009 - I made the decision that I was going to begin my training for the Pacific Crest 1/2 Iron Man in Sunriver Oregon.


December 19th, 2009 - Beautiful December day - 20 mile light ride. Tingling in my left hand.

December 21st, 2009 - Woke up to the most intense pain ever radiating down my left arm. (http://tweedlebeetletriatheletle.blogspot.com/2009/12/locked-up.html)

January 21st, 2010 - Complete Artificial Disk Replacement surgery, to replace the badly herniated Disk between C6/7.

Febuary, 2010 - Cheryl Kosta agrees to ignore my ridiculous insurance and provide to me the very best in physical therapy.  Thank you!!!!

The Badly Herniated Disk between C-6 and C-7.

The Group:

The North Lake Group, lead by Physical Therapist and North Lake founder Cheryl Kosta, took me under their healing wing back in February 2010 - after my C6/7 artificial disk replacement surgery.  This surgery corrected my badly herniated disk which resulted in excruciating pain, muscle waisting on my left shoulder, pectoral, bicep and triceps, numbness in my left hand and paralysis in my left triceps.

What They Did:

Rather than just rehabbing my cervical spine and shoulder area, the group took on a holistic approach - viewing the body and a system of interconnected subsystems.  I completed my rehab with two sets of ortohotics (one for daily use - the other for running/cycling), a professional and complete bike fit, and I am ecstatic to report that I have made a complete recovery.  The orthotics are designed to not only align my bone structure preventing some of my most chronic injuries (Achilles Tendinitis and IT Band Tendinitis) but also increasing performance!  By aligning my structure I increase efficiency and power transfer.

Post Surgery - Notice the artificial disk between C-6 and C-7.

The Result:


On May 15t,h 2010 (less than 4 months after my spine surgery), I returned to competing at the Pole Pedal Paddle. (http://tweedlebeetletriatheletle.blogspot.com
/2010/06/first-race-of-year-2010-us-bank-pole.html)

On June 6th, 2010 I competing in my first Olympic Distance Triathlon at Blue Lake, finishing 125th out of 405 finishers.
(http://tweedlebeetletriatheletle.blogspot.com/
2010/06/2010-blue-lake-olympic-distance.html)

My Sincerest Thank You!

There is no question that North Lake's direction during my recovery not only helped my physical recovery from my spinal injury but also returned me to a stronger, more limber and faster place.

To Cheryl and everyone at North Lake, thank you for your guidance, your support and your financial assistance!

I am not sure why... but I was totally prepared to schedule a surgery on this herniated disk.  I had come to terms with it and was ready to move forward.  I have to say though, I was taken by surprise when I was told that they would be cutting through my throat to access my spine from the front!  It doesn't take a engineer to figure out the shortest distance between two points is a straight line and if you have two straight lines of different length, it is generally easy to figure out which of those straight lines is the shortest.  Well... where is your spine???  On the the front of your neck? Nope - even I know this one, your spine runs down your back.  It seems logical to me that to get to your spine, you should probably cut through the back not the front!!!

Enough sarcasm, here are the stats on what the Neurosurgeon says:

• Severely herniated disk C6/7
• Disk degeneration C6/7
• Bulging disk C5/6
• Disk degeneration C5/6
• Bone spurs forming on C 5/6/7 (the body's natural way of fusing these joints to protect the spine).

Plan:

• Cervical discectomy and fusion (C5/6 and C67)
  
• Cut into the neck, through the throat to access the spine from the front.
• Remove all of the disk material from C5/6 and C6/7 (maybe - but definitly C6/7)
• Utilize a cadaver bone graph to facilitate bone generation and cervical vertebral fusion.
• Attach a titanium plate to the two vertebrae to support the bone graph.
• Surgery take 1.5 hrs and then overnight stay at the hospital for observation.
• There are lots of good to gruesome videos out there (just Google the Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Recovery:

• Initially, things won't be fun with 4 or 5 days of local pain (at the surgical site and throat).
• The Nerve pain should be gone but this will be replaced with the surgical pain.
• The doctor suggests getting up and moving around in the first few days anything out of bed will require a C-Collar for neck suport.
  
• For the first 2 weeks - picking up nothing heavier than a cup of coffee.
• For 6 weeks nothing heavier than a milk jug (try this on for size when both of your toddlers are much heavier than a milk jug)
• After the first couple of weeks, I should be able to get back to the gym and sit in the recline (granny) bike and peddle to keep my heart rate up.
• After the first couple of weeks, I will be engaged in controlled physical therapy.
• I should be back in business by 12 weeks (3 months) able to train for all of my endurance sports.
  

I am awaiting the actual surgical scheduling but should know more on Monday.  I will keep you all posted!