Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Terrible flight experience caused major swelling

On Monday, I flew back home to the states. The one thing I regret is not flying back First Class which is what other ADR patients recommended...I now understand why. Sitting in the aircraft for about 9 hours and trying to maintain a proper sitting position was virtually impossible. I was lucky enough to have an additional blanket and pillow supplied to me by the gentleman sitting next to me, but with the two blankets and two pillows I was extremely uncomfortable. I took pain medication prior to my flight as well as two more pills during the flight, but it was not enough. After the flight, my legs and feet were ridiculously swollen and I knew the inflammation of the nerves had returned. I was a little concerned I might have damaged the placement of the implants, but won't know for sure till I see my orthopedic surgeon. I am still somewhat jet lagged and have not settled in to a routine here yet. I have been slacking on my exercises and this morning I decided I need to be more cautious and more vigilant about taking care of my body. So, I finally went for a two-mile walk around the lake and it was exactly what my body needed. I noticed the swelling had gone down immensely in my lower extremities. My legs feel better, but my feet are still noticeable swollen. I just need to remember to drink lots of water and to keep exercising.

Oh and here are the links I mentioned in an earlier post:

This video shows how the M6-L is implanted into the spine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=867iiQDQhfI

This clip shows you the mechanics of the M6-L (of the material used and how it operates). Oddly enough, the M6-L was devised by Spinal Kinetics, a California-based company, but the FDA has not approved the use of this implant here in the states

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzSyvxdA-Oc

This is the hospital where my surgery was performed; I absolutely loved everything about this place :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TCOFN6AA1g

No comments:

Post a Comment