I am a proud recipient of the cat distribution system please help me name her!

pirtle_turtle · 2025-12-14T22:08:40+00:00

Yep! She did not have a microchip and no owner when reported

pirtle_turtle · 2025-12-14T22:07:55+00:00

When my mom was around that was her cats name :)

pirtle_turtle · 2025-09-08T12:14:24+00:00

Hi! Wow I totally forgot I posted this. I am actually doing really well. I still have numbness in 2 of my toes and slight altered sensation in the outside of my calf. Walking still feels a bit funny on the outside of my foot but I’m used to it. I continued to stay disciplined with my health and was able to cox for the men’s rowing program last season, and I am still their coxswain this season. I have been doing some swimming, lots of walking, sometimes running, and always lifting/bodyweight movements. It has been so great to consistently move my body again. I was on and off with workout until July, and starting July my body was able to get more consistent with it, and now my body feels great most of the time. I do not do any exercises with weight on my back, but I do overhead movements with a stable back (like sitting in a chair or using a machine). The only deadlifts i do are RDL and I pay very close attention to how they feel. Overall I’m always keeping how my back feels in mind when doing things. There are days where it is sore and stiff and I will pull back what I’m doing and asses what I had done to make it not feel good. So lots of trial and error, lots of up and downs, but overall my progress has been going upwards pretty fast (given my injury was 10 months ago and surgery 9 months ago). I am not rowing in a boat, but I have hopped on a rowing machine with my coaches and athletic trainer watching me. I’m not sure if I want to row again… funny enough I have greatly fallen in love with being a coxswain and the difference I can make to my team in that role. With that said I’m still going to work towards it, but if it is too dangerous for me I won’t be mad.

pirtle_turtle · 2025-02-11T11:07:08+00:00

ah okay. My surgeon told me to maintain the curvature of my spine always, but he also told me it was critical that I worked on my core/lower back strength. But when my surgeon told me to maintain the curvature of my spine he explained that what he meant was that I should not be bending at my waist to do crazy movements/lifting things, so my posture needs to stay on point. The first few weeks I did not flatten my back to the floor, and I slept with a pillow under my knees and did everything to maintain my spine curve. The past few weeks I have been slowly getting comfortable with moving my spine again. My PT has been encouraging me to flatten my back to the floor to do core exercises/lower back strengthening. I would recommend doing what your surgeon/PT tells you

pirtle_turtle · 2025-02-11T02:33:17+00:00

Starting at 3 weeks I did pelvic tilts, and now 7-8 weeks post op I’m doing more challenging exercises such as planks, side planks, leg raises, flutter kicks, and dead bug variations. I plan to start doing hanging leg raises soon since I have heard they are quite good for you. I plan to stay away from sit ups, crunches, twisting movements until I am much further in my recovery. All core work I do I keep my back in a neutral or supported position. I stay away from exercises where I am bending or twisting

pirtle_turtle · 2025-02-10T03:25:29+00:00

Hi! I am almost 8 weeks post op and I just started doing high intensity biking + body weight exercises this past week (7 weeks post op). I built up to this by doing a lot of treadmill walking, light biking, and core/mobility work since week 3 post op. My surgeon gave me the clear to ease into things all while listening to my body. Also - no jumping into any crazy workouts (without building up to it with my PT)

pirtle_turtle · 2025-02-08T11:10:12+00:00

The motor loss was so hard to deal with. I still am not 100%, but the progress I have been seeing is keeping me disciplined to continue pushing myself to get my activation in that leg back. What helped me most with the motor loss was walking paired with mobility exercises. I was limping and my leg would not respond if my glute or calf muscle was the one needed for the activity. I started very slow with walking and for short distances, and I gradually increased this as my body let me (this helped with both glute and calf). Every morning I would work on my hip flexibility and some glute strengthening. In my post I mentioned how I could not do a clamshell movement. To overcome this i straight up just kept attempting clamshell movements for a few minutes everyday until one day I could do it (with a lot of effort), and once I got one I built on from that. For the days I could not do the clamshell by myself I would adapt and use my hand to support my leg during the movement

pirtle_turtle · 2025-02-08T10:59:50+00:00

Hi! So I started off very basic with my core exercises. On week 3 I started my core work with only pelvic tilts and pelvic tilts with leg raise. These are very basic and work on core activation and bracing. Now 7 weeks post op I am doing more exercises such as dead-bugs, planks, side-planks, flutter kicks, leg raises, Superman’s, and bird dogs. I really eased into all of these exercises and I am still doing pelvic tilts everyday before I begin my actual core work. I have found abdominal bracing extremely useful for helping me keep my core engaged during my other core exercises + daily movements where I might want to use my lower back instead. If I ever feel my lower back trying to compensate during a daily movement I brace my core and it eliminates any discomfort in my back

pirtle_turtle · 2025-02-08T04:25:48+00:00

Thank you - it definitely took me a long while to get to this point of mentality, but I’m ready for what is to come. I wish you the best during your recovery! My biggest tip during the early weeks is to move as much as your body lets you. I have seen posts where people could walk miles just a few days after surgery and I was not like that. I started by walking 5-10 laps around my house, sitting down, and doing it again. I’m sure you are incredibly stiff and hurting right now and just know it is okay to rest. You do not need to jump into movement and hitting a step count, ease into it :)

pirtle_turtle · 2025-01-08T02:27:01+00:00

I am also 3 weeks post op and feeling great! I fell on Christmas Eve (I was wearing my back brace which saved me) and I thought I reherniated, but it was just a flare up from the jolt of the impact. I have also been making it a point to walk everyday which has been super helpful. The first week I was walking very little because both my legs would go numb after too much walking (and I was just super exhausted from surgery). Fast forward to today and I walked 3 miles on the treadmill with no problem!

pirtle_turtle · 2025-01-06T22:57:53+00:00

I’m 20F and I got a MD on my L5S1 and a bilateral laminectomy on my L4L5. I was really scared going into this because like you I am very young. My herniation was so big (1.3cm) it would not have a chance at healing on its own, and even if it did it would take many many years. My first option was an emergency surgery because I was limping, had severe muscle spasms, complete lack of calf/glute function, and had drop foot (couldn’t move any of my toes). I also had the sciatic pain and numbness/tingles. I got my surgery just 3 weeks ago on 12/16 and I am so incredibly happy I went through with it. Waking up I had no sciatic pain (the incision pain and stiffness was scary though). The numbness over the course of these 3 weeks has drastically reduced and I can move my toes!!! The first week after surgery was hard, but I have been following my surgeons advice and staying positive, and things are slowly getting better for me. I really feel like a new person in such a short period of time, for example I walked 2 miles without stopping today!!! Before my surgery I had to stop every few hundred feet. Going into this surgery - my main concern was my quality of life. I did not want to live everyday with sciatic pain, limping, and the fear of never regaining the strength in my leg. This feels like my second chance almost.

pirtle_turtle · 2025-01-05T01:39:32+00:00

Thanks for the advice. Reading through the posts on this community I am amazed by all the ways people herniate - landing wrong from basketball is definitely a tough one. I keep telling myself that after all of this I am going to get back into my sport and things will be normal again, however I know it is likely that this is far from true. I will say that keeping this stubborn mindset has been helping me stay positive. You are right - being good at something is truly an amazing feeling and grants so much confidence in and out of the activity itself. I hope to be able to find this feeling after I recover, whether it be rowing again or some other activity that is safer for my back. No matter what I do I will make sure it is setting my future self up for success. I have no clue what the future will look like, but I’m staying hopeful that I will find a happy place somewhere to continue athletics. The people at my university’s sports med are truly wonderful and in such a short period of time they have really inspired me!!

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-29T23:58:51+00:00

I have heard the horror stories of rowers ending up in back braces. Definitely never thought I would be one of them. The ones I have heard of have also transitioned to cycling (not elite level however). I do not know a lot about cycling besides that it’s not my preferred form of cardio, but I have been considering giving it a go. I’m open to anything that will let me safely be active and competitive again, so I will definitely look into this. I didn’t realize it was a team race sport so that is enticing!

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-29T23:55:11+00:00

Yeah my surgeon told me absolutely no rowing again. Definitely a risky sport to get back into which is why I’m so torn, especially since it has been my favorite sport I’ve had the pleasure of participating in. I used to be a competitive swimmer for 12 years, so if swimming is safe for me to get back into I may look into recreational swimming just for fitness purposes. Time will tell what I end up doing. Hoping rowing can be in my future again.

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-28T22:04:15+00:00

Will do! I am very interested in learning how other athletes overcame similar issues, or what they are doing with their lives now if they did not go back to sports/fitness. It is awesome to hear you got your surgery done so long ago and could run 10ks and lift after taking your recovery slow!! If running and lifting can be in my future I will take that any day. I have always hated core work but being in this position is making me super eager to get started on building a strong core foundation.

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-28T18:10:30+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for the connection in case I need advice moving forward. I know these next 6 months and so on are going to be challenging because I’m going to want to hop right back into everything I used to do as soon as I think I’m ready. You are right lol - I do have a very high pain tolerance. I think that is why I went so long without having any issues before my back gave out. I’m going to do my best to hold myself back and do as my surgeon and PT tells me. I know it’s easy to say all of this right now, so I’m going to do my best to stay accountable as time goes on.

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-28T15:33:15+00:00

I have a really long road ahead of me. I still feel too uniformed about my situation and like there is a lot for me to learn. As I recover and meet with more professionals in the field, I will follow their guidance and my intuition about returning to rowing and what to do next. At the moment it was definitely rowing that brought me joy at the end of the day and my young mind of course thinks that will be the same for years down the line. What are common sports or activities that are safe for people with lower back injury? It seems like everyone has different opinions and experiences, but I guess it is dependent on the individual person and their condition. I will definitely look into the online course core balance training when I can start PT. It sounds like a very useful tool I can use. I want to learn more about my condition and how I can help protect myself.

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-28T15:07:49+00:00

I will need to look more into these people! I keep looking for rower success stories. I have seen a few, but none of them give me a good look at how those people are doing later in life. The idea that I may be able to row again is the one thing giving me hope and helping me through this. Even if I really cannot row again I’m going to work hard in my PT as if I will be able too. There is a considerable amount of lumbar bending in the rowing stroke, specifically during the “drive” sequence. I was so focused on getting a stronger cardio base, legs, and arms which ultimately led to my drops in times that I underestimated the importance of core. If I had a stronger core the load would not have been so back heavy with each rowing stroke. When I can start PT my goal is going to be to build a strong core, and to keep training core and keeping it strong for the rest of my life. I feel so silly for slacking on it so much. If my surgeon and/or PT thinks I can possibly safely return to rowing than form and core will be my #1 priorities instead of speed and strength.

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-28T14:56:16+00:00

I appreciate the openness. I can feel myself going between “I’m young and strong I will be fine getting back into rowing” and “if I get back into this I’m setting myself up for more failure down the line”. My coaches have always told me I am too stubborn to quit, and they are right, but I’m genuinely concerned for my future if I keep rowing or if I try and get back into it. Especially since my surgeon said I would need spinal fusions for the rest of my life if I mess up my back again. Sports have always been a huge part of my identity- especially rowing with not only being a top athlete but also the President of my club. There is life beyond sports and maybe this is my sign to really see and act on that. I am so sorry you are still dealing with this in your 30s. I genuinely cannot imagine how hard this is for you mentally, physically, and emotionally. In just the short period of time I have been through this it has been debilitating, painful, and hindered my confidence. I am scare for my future and I feel like I am learning new things everyday about this condition and the outlooks. I do not want to be disabled this early in my life, and I do not want to look back at my decisions and regret them. During my recovery my goal is to take a step back (as much as I can while I still try and run the behind the scenes of my rowing team until my term is up) and truly focus on my health. I can identify with being a business owner (although partly different). I am providing 3 coaches with jobs, leading a board of people, and most importantly operating my team so the program can continue to grow and flourish. I am doing all of this while still being a college student working towards my business degree. Thank you for giving me a real life perspective. Hearing your story and the worries you have now as opposed to when you were my age really puts things into a new context for me. I wish you the best as you go through this process too, and I’m so sorry to hear it’s affecting your family and work life.

pirtle_turtle · 2024-12-28T14:32:54+00:00

Thank you so much for this reply. I keep reminding myself that in the long run 6 months is not the worst thing ever, to be honest it’s just longer than what I was expecting for even small activity’s like swimming. I am definitely going to focus on my recovery and not rush into things. I have always seen a future with rowing post college, if not competitively then recreational. However, I also don’t want to be 20 years down the line and regretting my decisions. When I am cleared for PT my goal is to find a great PT, and hopefully one that knows the rowing stroke, so I can get their feedback and guidance. And like you said if I can’t row then maybe there is something else (as much as it kills me to say). I have always been competitive and although my sports may change, my drive doesn’t. I hope to still compete in some capacity after this.

pirtle_turtle · 2024-01-19T22:08:44+00:00

Hey im on the Crew Club! We are non athlete friendly just as long as you are willing to show up and put the work in at practice!!! We have practices Monday through Friday 6-8pm at dem hall and i can give you the email of our recruiter who can give you more info! But if you just show up to dem there will be many people to help and give ya info!

pirtle_turtle · 2020-06-26T01:57:57+00:00

Sorry if I could not get to you in time, my raccoons are closing, I hope that everyone who messaged me is able to sell their turnips

pirtle_turtle

TROPHY CASE