re the recumbent trike
I too had one when I was living in Florida and while I found the position better for my low back or tailbone I should say I also found that pedaling up an incline was much more difficult because my quads were really put to work and thus also there would be more strain on my lumbosacral area so in turn I had to ride on pretty flat terrain in order to have a pain free ride or one that didn't create pain.
When I moved back to CA while I would have had a great bike path to ride my trike on down by the beach I had no where to store it and I could not even carry my 2 wheel bike upstairs to my apt.
I was also going to mention that while living in Florida was great during good weather when the humidity got full blast there my everything hurt so bad like my hands, my fingers, thumbs, my neck, my back... I mean I could hardly stand it! It also rained there every day at some point during the summer and I would feel intense pressure in my low back until the rain started then it the pain would lessen. Of course that was when my back was much worse and I had all kinds of pain. Fortunately I was getting ESIs at the time as well as being on the same dose of opioid medicine that I remain on to date.
I too have gained weight in the last 2 years but not because of my back as I actually started to walk quite a bit back in 2004 but a bilateral case of posterior tibial tendonitis in both feet has slowed me down quite a bit so I too have gained about 15 lbs and was weighing just what you were as well! Can't even pedal my bike as that exacerbates the condition so am thinking of getting an electric bike and hoping that I could pedal it and stop when my feet start to hurt as the aggravation of pain comes on so suddenly (just like my back pain flare ups used to and occasionally still do)!
Will you be able to return to law school as some point perhaps? I hope so. I would not want to have to live anywhere with extreme temperatures myself (extreme cold/snow and such). I doubt I'd be getting out of bed either due to DDD thru out my spine and osteoarthritis thru out my whole body.
Anyway wishing you the best and hope all is well with your family. Maria
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