[martyusa]

I haven't been around in a while and have been focused on rehabing myself to make this transition a lot easier when the day comes. As of right now the fusion is scheduled for July 18th.

I have been working my tail off building the core areas as well as the rest of my body. Unfortunately I still need my opiates to get through the day especially with the training I have been doing. Some days I almost feel like just giving up and just telling him to get it over with. I have had great support from my wife in staying focused to my goals. After a good 5 weeks of doing my own thing (under Doc's supervision), I have noticed some changes. My back still hurts like hell and still getting some burning in my glutes, but I am standing upright rather well. Squatting and bending is not as bad as it was and is tolerable while on the meds. Sitting too long seems to be the kicker as well as making movements too fast.

The pain down the legs has seemed to subside quite a bit, but the toes are still getting numb. The best part is, it's not every day. Some days are of course better than others. Just being able to move around the front yard with my son is a great mental boost.

I'll continue this regiment for another 5 weeks while adding some other things to the mix to aid in some recovery and possibly healing. I'm still optimistic that things can be reversed with the right combo of things. I am keeping a log of everything I am doing in the hopes that it can help others if I can keep the knife away for as long as possible.

some things that I have been looking into and being very proactive in doing:

Increasing collagen synthesis to the point of attempting to heal some things up. I'm not saying I am trying to seal up the rupture, but if I stop the degenerative process and those enzymes that eat away at things, maybe the body can do it's thing.

Some mild HRT to help muscles heal and recover at a faster pace.

I have increased my Glutamine intake to 20 grams per day. This is also for muscle recovery as well as Natural Growth hormone release to also aid in recovery and growth of new tissue. Not to mention the awareness and mental stability to help keep the depression away.

I will be doing some super glucosamine intake over the next 5 weeks to see if it helps.

As of right now I am having surgery to fix it. But if I can keep making progress, I will hold this off as long as I can.

I'll keep everyone posted and thanks for all of the support.