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Mr Daylight
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Jan 23, 2021
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West Coast
· Joined Nov 2020
· Points: 20
Long story short, I had an accident 10 weeks ago which resulted in a lot of injuries. Most of my broken bones will heal over time but some of them required emergency surgery, namely my thoracic vertebrae. My T3 to T7 are now fused with 2 titanium rods and ten screws. I’m almost 50yrs of age and have been climbing off and on for 25yrs. Not ready to give it up yet, lots of climbs still on the todo list and a few routes to finish scrubbing... Trying to get stoked about the future and looking for some inspiration from any climbers who may have been in a similar situation. Thanks! Mr D
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Mr Daylight
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Jan 24, 2021
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West Coast
· Joined Nov 2020
· Points: 20
^ Thank you for the links! (and the empathy) Kyra Condie’s story is definitely inspiring, I needed that!
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Jim Garrett
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Jan 24, 2021
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jul 2007
· Points: 0
I had spinal fusion of the lumbar region several years ago with the titanium rods and screws. Not exactly the same as thoracic vertebrae, but it went pretty well for me. I was back top-roping 11a/b in the gym about 4 weeks post surgery, wearing a back brace and being very careful. If you do that make sure your belayer is very careful and doesn't slam you into the ground on the lower. When I started leading I was terrified of falling, but gradually got more comfortable with it. Now I will take falls, but try not to take long falls or multiple falls on a project like I would before the fusion. My back will hurt after taking a hard fall, but with a lumbar fusion the waist belt of the harness is right where the fused vertebrae are. My understanding is that a thoracic fusion may impact arm movement and upper body movement, but I know a woman climber who had extensive thoracic fusion after any accident many years ago, and she says it doesn't really bother her now. I see Kyra Condie in gym all the time and it doesn't seem to have affected her climbing. I am 65 and got back to where I can climb hard 11's/easy 12's. You should be hopeful that you will have a good recovery; I know what it is like to be wondering if you will ever get back to doing the things you love. Try to stay positive and be consistent in your physical therapy. On a side note, have you looked at your hospital bills and seen what they charge for the titanium rods and screws? Holy shit!
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Top Roper
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Jan 27, 2021
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jan 2021
· Points: 5
Consider using a chest harness as you ease back into climbing especially when lead climbing
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normajean
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Feb 2, 2021
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Reading, PA
· Joined Jun 2015
· Points: 110
I had a T12 to L3 fusion twenty years ago. I wasn’t a climber then. Got hit by a car biking. I still feel it, but it does not bother me when I climb. Mostly everything heals, but it takes longer the older you are. Give it time and you’ll be back at it.
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SteveZ
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Feb 3, 2021
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Excelsior, MN
· Joined Sep 2007
· Points: 547
Sorry to hear about your accident and hope you're healing up! I'll echo what others have said... no reason to quit climbing if you don't want to in my experience. I had a T3-T9 after an accident in 2017, I was 32 at the time. I felt like 8-10 weeks where you are was the hardest for me when it was hard to imagine feeling normal again. But one day I woke up and my back wasn't the first thing I thought about. Climbing wise, I started at 12 weeks when I got cleared for PT and it felt horrible as all the scar tissue loosened up and the broken ribs were still there nagging. But after a few months of that it felt mostly okay. Within a year of the accident I was back to pre injury level or so. The thing that surprised me was after being so excited to climb again while healing I really had to stop and decide if I for sure wanted to again. Climbing was my passion mind you for many years so it was a strange feeling, but also it nearly killed me and would have left my family without a husband/dad. In the end it's worth the risk to me and my family but that took some months to figure out for us. Good luck with the recovery and don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Sleep a lot, eat well, do PT and you'll give yourself the best possible outcome.
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Mr Daylight
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Feb 3, 2021
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West Coast
· Joined Nov 2020
· Points: 20
Thank you Jim, NormaJean and Steve for taking the time to type your stories! It’s good to hear some positive outcomes and it definitely helps my attitude towards recovery during the trying times. I’ve started weekly Physiotherapy (4th session coming up this Friday) and this week I’m going to try seeing an RMT for an hour 2 days before my physio appointment - looking forward to massage therapy this afternoon! Overall, I have less pain and better range of motion as each week goes by but there are times when the pain makes it hard to stay positive about the future. I have been a very active person for all of my adult life and the last 11.6 weeks have been my most sedentary of the past 30+ years. This Friday will be 12 weeks since the accident. Steve, it sounds like you had more than just thoracic injuries to recover from so your story is particularly inspiring. It gives me hope that I can eventually get back to doing the things I love at the levels I used to enjoy. While I am most concerned about the injuries to my thoracic vertebrae (burst fracture of T5 with multiple cracks and chips to surrounding vertebrae) I am also recovering from a C7 right transverse process fracture, cracked upper maxillary near my right ear, cracked sternum, 5 broken ribs, fractured right medial malleolus (now with 2 screws and plate). My pneumothorax (left lung) seems to have healed. Thanks again for the positive stories - they have been helpful! Mr D.
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SteveZ
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Feb 3, 2021
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Excelsior, MN
· Joined Sep 2007
· Points: 547
Glad the replies bring some positivity, I know they were huge for me as well. One guy I talked to urged me not to read about fusion outcomes on the internet because they're all terrible... and that an active guy/traumatic experience such as yours is much different than the sedentary/chronic pain fusions which are most common. I think it's good advice. Since you mentioned pain and range of motion, I'll say that dry needling helped my pain and motion significantly for breaking scar tissue. Much more than massage or estim but YMMV. It sounds like we had eerily similar injuries. I had bursts at T6 and T7, a bunch of spinous/transverse process fx and did 7 ribs with a right hemopneumothorax. I vividly remember my first sneeze *shudders*. Twenty something fx in all, and some surgically repaired calf but I was very fortunate I didn't injure my legs significantly so I could walk a ton for recovery. I had relative youth on my side but you sound just as active if not more than I was. You'll be back to all sorts of activity before you know it, I can tell because it seems that's how you're wired :-). In my opinion, even an injury as substantial as yours doesn't change that a bit.
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Mitch Monty
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Feb 8, 2021
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Raleigh, NC
· Joined Oct 2019
· Points: 0
I actually work in the spine hardware sales side of things (in the the OR with you when the instrumentation is being placed), and worked as a neurophysiologist prior to that. Obviously not an MD and this is not medical advice in any way etc etc, BUT: A fusion in the thoracic spine is arguably the best segment to have one done (though obviously none is best) from a climbing perspective. Without delving too deep, if you didn't have any significant cord compression from the fractured vertebrae or other neurologic injury, you're not losing all that much. The thoracic spine is the stiffest segment with all of the other bony fixation involved and tighter, shingled anatomy. Sounds like a poly trauma, so I imagine you're hurting quite a bit- but much of that should subside with the ribs and sternal healing. Definitely take PT seriously, and be frank with your doc about what your activity goals are for the future. I would likely imagine a chest harness is not going to be recommended if you're potentially concerned about thoracic instrumentation failing. You'd want the force distributed further away from the hardware me thinks, but again not a doc or lawyer!
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Caleb Sawyer
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Aug 5, 2021
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Aug 2021
· Points: 0
Hi brand new gear and just beginning to start climbing, I’m 30 and has a fusion at L2 L3 after a fifteen fat fall snowboarding ,I just wanted to say thank you for your stories I’ve been paranoid about reinzustürzende even though my doctor has clear me for everything. Gives me a lot of hope that I don’t need to give up on some of my dreams
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Claudine Safar
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Oct 18, 2021
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Williston, VT
· Joined Aug 2018
· Points: 0
I just had L2/3 done a few weeks ago. This is all super helpful. I am hopeful this will be OK. Mitch... do you know of cases where the hardware became loose? I want to get back to climbing early so as not to compromise too much strength, but I am concerned about that. Any insights? Thanks.
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