new member

[acheinaz]

HI all, I am a new subscriber to this forum and I would like to introduce myself.. My name is Brent and I had a tumor removed from my back 6 years ago. It started with numbness in my fingers and my toes. Kept being told it was a pinched nerve. Alas, 3 opinions later it was discovered a golf ball size tumor on my spine. After removal, no more hockey, running, standing on tip toes and my balance is off which is what I struggle with more now then ever. I fall, have a hard time walking long distances altho I guess I should be thankful I walk at all. I am finding my legs to be getting thinner and thinner as I grow older and I am forced to push myself with any kind of exercise I can do to maintain muscle tone that I have left. I have been looking for others that are going through the same type of issues that I face everyday to gain support. I look forward to hearing from others.

[ScrapHeap]

Hi Brent and welcome aboard!

I and others share many of the same issues as you. I am almost 2 years post surgery. Though I've come a long way baby, I am far less than half what I was before. I may never walk or even stand on my tip toes again. I may never bowl in three invitational only scratch leagues a week again, much less carry a 215 average. I may never again dawn the goalie pads and flash my deadly glove. I may never again pitch a baseball at 80+ mph. And I may never again be able to juke a CB to the turf on a quick slant route, making the suicidal catches over the middle. All that said, I still have my mind, or what's left of it. And I have a life yet to live. It's up to me to make the very most of it.

Don't be fooled. All of the above is far easier to type and say than it is to do. I struggle with it almost every single day. A lot of times in multiples each day. Hobbies work well for me. I had and have quite a few. And now it seems I have more quality time to devote to them. Now if I can just find enough patience! I need serious help w/that.

Again, Welcome Aboard.

[Joel]

I second what Scrappy says. What you describe is so very common to most of us. And for the most part, we are all trying to "maintain" what capabilities we've got. The only way to do that I figure, is to keep exercising religiously. Some people see improvements with time, even at 6 years out. And the other thing is to keep active mentally too--it is the ONE thing we can all still do well. I like to keep trying new things--to push myself. It makes me feel more human, more alive. Please stay in touch, OK? And read the older posts too.
Joel

[grandmasarah]

Sorry about the "golf ball". Not a good image to have in your spine.

I struggle with doing exercise all the time. There seems to be a "disconnect" between what I KNOW and what I can make myself DO!

If you can find your exercise "trigger"...you know, the thing that you like to do that makes you feel good, and "inspires" you!!! Then they say...just DO IT, and you will get inspired because you FEEL better.

I'm wishing for YOU, to have better luck with exercise than I have

Grandma Sarah

[acheinaz]

Thank you for the support . I thankfully have the most amazing wife who helps me cope with the difficulties . I find the one exercise that I love to still do is bike ride. may not be fast , but I can still do it. When it comes to weights etc.... well the brain knows what to do , just does not get the message to do !!
Question..... Did anyone find they had feet problems after ? My heels ache all the time , even with orthotics . It is not heel spurs , according to the Doctors . it is because of my back and nerve damage.

[Joel]

Naz:
Achy feet, back, sides, neck, back, ankles, knees, hips...Let's see, what have I left out...I think you will find that achy things, especially feet, are extremely common. What sorts of meds are you taking? Lyrica or neurontin is what we all take for nerve pain. Do all you can with what capabilities you have, and take medications/etc. to helpo with the rest. That is great with the bike riding. Going slow allows you to notice more stuff, right?
Have a great weekend!

[acheinaz]

oh yeah achy in most places now.... As for meds, have been on Lyrica for just over a year now. It really does help tons. I guess if I did not have such crazy high arched feet it might be better .
Have yourself a great weekend.

[ScrapHeap]

Of all the pains I began with and still have, the feet are the most painful and worrisome. That is where my very first symptom began back somewhere between late 2003 to early 2004 (can't recall exactly). It started w/my feet feeling as though I had been running barefoot on stones all day. Felt like the bottoms were bruised. I thought I was just getting older, maybe needed new shoes or my arches were falling (i have very high arches too).

Today it's my painful feet that I can't really feel (oxymoron, i know) that bother me to no end. Lyrica helps tone it down some. I also take vitamin B complex in liquid form. I put a dropper full under my tongue and let it sit for a minute, then swallow. Before I was diagnosed, I had the horrible foot pains and massive migraines. The only thing that helped (sometimes a lot) was taking B12 shots once a week. Once I built up my B12, the shots decreased to every two weeks. Then once a month. Eventually none. Best alternatives to quickly get vitamin B into your system aside from a shot is 1) under the tongue and 2) spray mist.

Liquid B12 Complex is available over the counter at some pharmacies. Use it in conjunction w/the Lyrica. After a while I forget to take it. Once I get into about 5 days or so it tells me I forgot to take it. I don't have to remember. It does still work fairly well for me. Maybe it can offer you a little more relief too. Might be worth a try.