just wanna cry....and punch someone!

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Ok so I have decided this is my year, I have been fat and depressed my whole life and the real kicker was my ex telling me I would always be fat cause I am hopeless...well I'll show you! So I am in the recovery week of the first phase of p90x and I have been killin it! ( down 20 pounds and just feeling great!!) 2 days a go I wake up and can't walk...my back is in soooo much pain!! So I go to the ER and what to my wondering eyes should appear...3 buldging discs quite close to my rear!! So I have spent 2 days sad and feeling like a failure but I just CAN'T give up!! I can't look in that damn mirror and listen to it mock me one more time and I can't spend one more day begging my pants to stretch just a little more cause I already have to biggest size they sell at that store!! I don't know what to do...the doctors says I am to young for surgery and there is nothing he can really do...so what should I do...I am gonna keep pushin play and I pray to God it helps!! But boy I am just really down tonight...thanks for readin.

Replies

  • Skinnyme87
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    Congrats on your recent weight loss!! Hang in there! I know how you feel.. If you stick to your goals and try to keep your motivation you can do this! Hopefully your back will get better soon! You can do this!
  • szieres
    szieres Posts: 97 Member
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    Please take care of yourself first. It will do you no good to "be skinny" now, if you can't enjoy it later. Rest and relax while your back heals, and in the mean time just pay super close attention to your intake. You don't have to excercise like a maniac to get in shape. Also, talk to your dr about low impact excercises that you might be able to do until you are back to 100%.
    Take care and Stay Healthy
  • lindainak
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    I had a similar thing happen to me after a marathon of snow shoveling. All I can say is keep ice on it as much as possible.

    And never tell a lady she can't cause she "will" just to show you!
  • cbreen90
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    Don't give up, never give up! This is just a bump in the road on your weight loss journey. Sometimes things happen in life that trip us up, you just have to get back on your feet and know that you can't and won't be kept down forever. I would think about seeing another doctor if your's said he couldn't do anything, and just try to think positively. Best of luck and try not to let yourself get down - I kow it's easy to get upset when things go wrong, but don't let it break you. Just believe in yourself...as cheesy as that sounds. Kind thoughts and best wishes to you!!!!
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
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    Sorry you're going through a hard time. I understand your pain. I was very active as a young teenager. I played, basketball, baseball, tennis and volleyball.I began having knee pains so bad that I couldn't walk when I was 13. For a full year, I wasn't allowed to walk, and it took another year before I was allowed to run. It's been almost 20 years now and I still have occasional knee pain (I will for the rest of my life) but it's no longer something that keeps me from doing the things I want to do like I thought it would. I know it seems like your life is over now but things will get better. Find out what exercises/stretches you can do, or what supplements you can take to help it and do those things. Just be careful in the meantime...but it will get better!
  • nursemom27
    nursemom27 Posts: 36 Member
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    20 lbs so far- that is an awesome start! Don't give up. Honestly, if you were to do diagnostic imaging on random people, you would be surprised how many people have bulging discs. Yours have likely been that way for a while. Were you active before starting the P90X? It's a pretty intense work out to start with, and may have aggravated your back. Try starting back a little slower, light calesthenics, elliptical (easy on your joints), brisk walking, light weight lifting. If you are able, meeting with a physical therapist might be helpful also.
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
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    Hey, your health is most important, if you have a little temporary set back that is ok. Just get back in the game as soon as you are ok. I will keep you in my prayers, I have had back pain before and it sucks. :smile:
  • catniss
    catniss Posts: 326 Member
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    go see a chiropractor!! ask for a recommendation and if no one has anything, try someplace and if you don't like them ('cause not all chiropractors are equal), try somewhere else.
    in the meanwhile, DON'T GIVE UP!! be proud of how far you've already come and see this as a rest stop--you know you'll be moving eventually.
    Good luck and I hope your back feels better soon.
  • MaryBachert
    MaryBachert Posts: 66 Member
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    I have been there and had the bulging discs as well. Just go slow and it will get better, but it is going to take time. Please don't be hard on yourself. It is a new day tomorrow ! Each day has its bumps and i hit one today, but I will work at overcoming it and it will get better.
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
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    I'm going to try to offer advice from personal experience. I too have a slipped/bulging disc in my lower spine (due to a car accident 25 yrs ago). If I have the poor timing to sneeze while reaching for my shoes, I'm going to be laid up for a couple of weeks.

    First thing you MUST do... let your back heal. Let the swelling go down. Do NOT work out -- it's going to be a little bit of a set-back, but you must let your back heal. If the doctors gave you anti-inflammatories and anti-spasmodics, TAKE THEM. Back pain is nothing to shrug off. I know that it's utterly debilitating. It's going to take at least 2 weeks for your back to start to be better. And that's just starting to heal.

    Once your back is cooperating with you again, you need to reevaluate your exercise routine. P90X may not be the proper course of exercise that will work with your back condition. I don't know what P90X puts you through, since I don't do it. I'm just not in the shape to handle that kind of extreme training (yet).

    However, there are MANY other ways to work out successfully. The movements that you need to avoid are squats and lunges with any weights, military press, and anything where you have weight sitting on your shoulder. It will cause you to unintentionally shift your hips to accommodate the weights and to balance, thereby letting the discs shift, slip and bulge. You definitely need to do abs work and back work though to strengthen and support those discs.

    Once your back heals start doing cardio. I find that extensive walking makes my back ache, so I stay off the treadmill, and instead hit the stationary bikes and recumbent elliptical for 30-40 mins. You can definitely work out with weights, just no compressive pressure.
  • tacmedic2209
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    First it's nice to see you still have the will to keep going. As far as the discs, once they are bulging they don't go back. You might have already had them though. Who knows. I'm sure the ED told you to follow up with your PCP and put you on some NSAIDS and pain meds. You should follow up. Don't blow it off. You only have one back. People live and work out everyday with the same injury. It's just learning and understanding how to function with it. Maybe slowing it down to an easier pace or even switching cardio exercises. Stretching really good before working out is important also. I'm the type of person that believes pain just let's us know were still alive. If your alive you can accomplish anything. Take care of your back, you only have one. Take your time and don't push it.

    I wish you the best of luck. You will make it happen.
  • rbcool
    rbcool Posts: 20
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    Congratulations on your 20 lb. loss. Sorry about your back injury. The year is still young ! Give yourself time to heal
    ( nobody has a gun on you)ie; there's no rush if you have a made up mind , and it sounds like you do . You can't overdo it no
    matter how tempting it may seem . It takes time to see real results . Don't give up !:flowerforyou:
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
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    Ok so I have decided this is my year, I have been fat and depressed my whole life and the real kicker was my ex telling me I would always be fat cause I am hopeless...well I'll show you! So I am in the recovery week of the first phase of p90x and I have been killin it! ( down 20 pounds and just feeling great!!) 2 days a go I wake up and can't walk...my back is in soooo much pain!! So I go to the ER and what to my wondering eyes should appear...3 buldging discs quite close to my rear!! So I have spent 2 days sad and feeling like a failure but I just CAN'T give up!! I can't look in that damn mirror and listen to it mock me one more time and I can't spend one more day begging my pants to stretch just a little more cause I already have to biggest size they sell at that store!! I don't know what to do...the doctors says I am to young for surgery and there is nothing he can really do...so what should I do...I am gonna keep pushin play and I pray to God it helps!! But boy I am just really down tonight...thanks for readin.

    First of all - good riddence to bad rubbish with the EX! If he's that kind of partner, you don't need him anyway (although I'm sure it still hurts in the heart). Just make sure you're "I'll show you!" revenge isn't based on the hopes of getting him back when you prove him wrong.

    Secondly, rest your back before you end up with herniations or worse - much much worse than bulges. I now have degenerative disc disease from the base of my skull down through my tailbone, which all started 24 years ago with 1 herniated disc. Go easy on the exercise (I'm not familiar with the diet) while you're sore and don't over do it when you're not. Keep as flexible as you can and keep your core strong -that's the best advise for anyone with a back problem. My hamstrings are sooooooo tight I can't sit with my legs out and put my knees to the floor (think L) and when they're even tighter is usually when my back acts up. Those leg muscles connect to your butt which connects to your spine so it's all related.

    While your physically recovering, keep an eye on your diet - maybe even cut back a few extra calories to compensate for the lack of activity. You will have to modify your activities too - maybe (if you can tolerate it) do some upper body work (depending on which disc is bulging) or leg work until you're stronger. Walking is good exercise for the back too and not all that strenuous (I'm not talking power walking, just strolling along 2-3 miles per hour to keep you loose).

    Seriously though, you have to let your back rest or you WILL regret it. I too am not nor ever have been a candidate for surgery. When I first herniated my discs I was out of commission for 18 months and was never the same after. Those 18 months only got me on my feet, they never really did anything to keep me healthy going forward. If you can handle it when your back is less painful, you might consider yoga and or modified pilates to strengthen your core and keep you limber. Going forward you will want to watch your impact activities too as that shock is carried up your legs into your spine.

    You will NEVER be cured - and surgery 90% of the time will make things worse not better. Be careful too when you're in the midst of an episode of pain that you don't overcompensate and throw off the rest of your discs. That's what did me in, bearing more weight on one side or the other depending on which side was hurting more, sitting off balance, etc. Lie flat whenever you can rather than sitting upright and if you can't lie flat try to be reclined to get the pressure off your back and tailbone. If you work in an office (like I do) make sure you don't strap yourself to your chair all day. Get up and at least walk to the bathroom every hour and/or stand and stretch at your desk. I will often squat down with my head on my chair, arms stretched out over my head (think diving pose) and stretch/arch my spine. You need to be cautious of your posture too - we tend to slouch without even realizing it. You might need to request a high back chair or even a more ergonomic one to accommodate and support you where you need it.

    Don't let this get you down, just figure out how you can keep going safely.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    If you rest and take it easy you should be just fine. Make sure you stick to your calorie goal and once you can start exercising you'll need to take it slow. You should even go to physical therapy to strengthen your back muscles before you try to do something like P90X. You'll probably have to start with walking and increase it from there.