Checking In

[Jim P]

Hi everyone,

It has now been 18 months since my AVR surgery. I started being active again at the 3-4 month point and have felt fully back-to-normal since about the 10-month point. Recently my life has been very busy, almost hectic. For that reason, I do not check in as often as I did earlier when I was somewhat housebound.

As you may remember, I was quite healthy before surgery, leading walking tours all over the world about 10 months out of the year. Since surgery I have cut out the worldwide travel but have stayed in the tour business, mostly in the local Orlando area. I continue to walk a lot but do not lead struggling groups of people on ?death marches? anymore (probably bad choice of word).

My only lingering problem has been a very sore back, just below the shoulder blades. I visited an orthopaedist who did an MRI and found a spinal fracture between T6-T7 (thoracic region). As this is a new phenomenon, I assume that it was related somehow to the OHS. The pain is only there if/when I am active. I have stopped carrying backpacks and do not try jogging or aerobic exercise anymore, as that makes the back worse. I keep hoping it will get better, but it doesn?t. Surgery apparently is not an option at that level of the back, so I am learning to live with it.

Other than that, life is great!! Best wishes to all.

 

[Mary]

Glad to hear the update, Jim, and I also want to say that it was great meeting you in Orlando.

 

[Freddie]

Thanks for the up date Jim.......been thinking about you. Glad to hear that almost everything is going great.
There's nothing they can do for your back? These two bones will heal won't they, like fuse together? But I guess after 18 months they should have already fused. Thats sad.
Take care and be good to yourself

 

[Susan BAV]

Sorry to hear about the spinal fracture!

Glad all is going well otherwise. Your posts are always so cheery and upbeat . Best wishes.

 

[WayneGM]

Hi Jim. Thanks for checking in. Sorry to hear about your spinal fracture but glad to hear that life is otherwise great. Don't be a stranger...and happy 18 month anniversary.

 

[DebbyA]

Jim,

It's good to hear from you, though sorry about the spinal problem. You were a frequent poster when I started reading here, and I've wondered how you were doing.

Do you mind if I ask whether cutting out worldwide travel was a direct consequence of your surgery and what was your reasoning? Or was it the back pain? (At six months, I'm start to daydream of travel again, and wonder what I'm not considering.)

 

[Cooker]

Jim....thanks for the update...I'm sorry that you are having the back problems...that can get old fast....I hope it will resolve itself soon....

 

[Jim P]

Hi Debby,

Ref your question about "whether cutting out worldwide travel was a direct consequence of your surgery and what was your reasoning? Or was it the back pain?"

There were many factors involved in my decision to cut out leading so many international tours.

1. Leading these tours is a grueling occupation. I was gone from home about 180 days per year over the previous 2 years, and it takes about as long to prepare for the 2- to 3-week tours as it does to lead the tour (i.e., the leader must be somewhat of an expert in the tour area -- in my case that was almost the entire world). This included expertise in the history and culture of the area, as well as navigational directions while driving or walking -- to say nothing of needing to know the location of almost every public toilet wherever visiting.

2. Leading so many walking tours was physically demanding and some of it was in remote areas. I was concerned about having a health problem -- whether or not heart-related -- and having a tour group stranded in a foreign territory. This may be a good reason for a 65-year old person to not be leading tours that could result in this situation.

3. Air travel is not as much fun as it used to be. On the last tour I led (one month in Italy and Malta), I took 11 flights in that one month, including JFK, Paris, and Rome -- three of my least favorite airports in the world.

4. My mother is 92 years old, and I feel a need to be close by her now more than ever.

I feel great healthwise (except for my back), stay active -- I am an officer in a local walking club -- and still lead groups around Orlando, including high school groups, corporate events, and conventions. That is keeping me plenty busy.

My wife and I are also traveling frequently -- just not internationally or trips involving a lot of air travel.

 

[Guest]

Hi Jim, you've been away from here for quite a while. Sorry to read about your back. Can they give you injections around the site? Have you gone to a pain clinic? You sound positive overall, I hope you can find some relief for your back.

 

[hensylee]

good to see you. I think they put stuff under us during surgery and we don't know about it until we find the pain somewhere down the road. I went to every dr I could find to discover what had happened to me. Never did get a good answer, but it was something that lingers still and it's been lots of years. Wishing you a good recovery from whatever happened.

You sound happy. Wonderful Orlando and its weather. Hoping for no big storms this summer - tho one is out there just now looking our way - west side of the state.

Blessins.........

 

[Superbob]

Sorry about the back problem, Jim. Glad everything is going well otherwise. I hope you can find relief for the back problem -- maybe a pain management clinic could help, as someone suggested.