watergirl
Forum Replies Created
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I will not ship. Sorry. No boxes, heavy, too much effort to take to a shipper. You would easily be looking at $150 or more- I just had a large duffel bag shipped ground( as cheap as I could get it) from Florida and that was over $100 and about 1/3 the total weight.
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I had lumbar surgery in December 2012. As you will learn every body has a different story. I was in the best shape of my life, active in pole and dance( I liked the dance/chair work better) and stepped out of bad an BAM! blew my disc big time. I fought it for 14 months, but gradually had to stop doing anything. My biggest difficulty was being patient in rebuilding my strength . I wanted to go back to where I was before I got injured. Too Fast. It took me about 6-7 months to not feel vulnerable, and another 6 months to feel strong. I walked, did my PT, light yoga, and it took a while to get the right combination of things to feel like I was going in the right direction. One step forward, two steps back at times. I have not gone back to pole, one reason is I still feel vulnerable and doing the sexy moves and hip sways is still out of my comfort zone. But another reason is my local studio closed. I am back at 98% or normal activities, I do Pilates, yoga, strength training, skied last year and thrilled to be able to do most things. Sitting for long periods is still tough, getting in and out of low automobiles , little things but its minor compared to where I was pre surgery- at that point I could not walk.
There is a great website http://www.spine-health.com I encourage you to look through it. It is very well written with many good MD’S participating. Also, be sure you have had multiple opinions before you do any surgery. Even if your insurance dos not cover it, let the doctor office know this and you will get a reduced fee. I went to 4 before I chose mine and was glad I did my homework.
Feel free to PM me if you have questions. I could go on and on here. Best of luck to you. -
I recently posted on a thread about walking. I had a back injury and a slow decline to where I could not walk. Had surgery and it was/is a long and slow process to get back to where I was. I may never be able to do pole again. But getting back into an exercise routine is all about patience, taking baby steps and mixing it up. Walking, biking, yoga, stretching- all things like this are good. Get some hand weights or fill water bottles with sand and do things on your own – 10 minutes- 20 minutes here and there all add up. I speak from experience- in my mind I want to be in the same shape I was in when I had my injury – but I have to keep reminding myself it is all baby steps and the body takes time to heal as well as it takes time to get strong and rebuild even if there was no injury and you just took a break. I want to erase all the dark days and down time and be where I was. I will get there and am doing great. For those that are going to have surgery- keep your diet clean, try to be in good physical shape prior to surgery and post surgery – be patient. You will get through it. We all have a different healing process. Also, don’t be a stranger to your studio. It really helped my mental spirits to just drop in to see some of my studio friends and hang out and appreciate what they are learning.
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Walking is one of the best things you can do. If you took a break from pole, or were injured, this is the best thing to get you going again. I speak from experience had/still have a back injury. I had a long slow downhill decline and it was the same to get back in shape again, a long and slow process. I am still not on a pole, and may never be again but I walk regularly, take strength and conditioning classes now and have had to keep reminding myself of where I was( I could not walk at all)and where I am now. I walk at my local mall , meet a friend so there is accountability. But, nearly every mall has a walking program, they open early and are often tied into a wellness program at a local hospital. I see the regulars there , I am a regular now and its great, see the same people at 7-8:00 three times a week. And when it is cold and nasty or hot and steamy you are in a climate controlled and safe setting. I’d encourage you to do that if yu need motivation, it helps to know others are there doing the same thing.
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I have made and helped several girls with costumes. There are great swimsuits with boy short bottoms and sports bras have a lot of styles too. Basic pole wear can also be embellished. In addition ro the big craft store chains i always check estate and yard sales for sewing supplies. I often find vintage trims. Kelly Maglia has beautiful and extremely well made costumes, they are pricey but as a seamstress I will attest to the superior quality and the garments are investment pieces.
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Please be careful, patient and remember baby steps. I had spine surgery and although I was cleared to do anything at 12 weeks it took a lot longer . I know it’s hard but listen to your body and do other things like walking, cycling etc. simple things can really make a difference as you heal.
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57 here. On a break due to a back injury and I miss it. Like many not as flexible as I’d like but I stretch daily and hope to be back at the studio soon.
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Please do your homework! As others have posted this is not a forever fix. The pain management business is rampant with doctors that are needle happy and can bill major fees to insurance. I know there is a time and place for this, I am not totally anti this process but do the research. I had surgery, could not avoid it for lumbar disc issues. I had considered a steroid knowing it was a temporary fix, but at that very time the tainted steroid injections were appearing across the country and I decided not to do it. I am doing great after surgery. But, it took me several PT’s( found one that specializes in sports and dynamic movement) and lots of patience. Try to find a good network of PT,massage therapists, acupuncturists- it takes a team approach for this stuff.. good luck.
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Check out http://www.crowdspring.com také a few minute to go through the site. I used this for a project and was thrilled with the results.
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Where to begin…..just know that you will be able to pole again. I just took my first class in 9 months just last week after December spine surgery for a huge L4 disc rupture. . I was so bad I could not walk. This was after a 14 month valiant fight doing everything possible to avoid surgery. I had many dark days and was scared and frustrated. In class was a student I had not known before my time off, she had spine surgery in March and was back in 6 weeks. Everybody is different. I highly recommend a website http://www.spine-health.com and do your homework there. It is an incredible site , run my MD's of every type with an amazing amount of information. There are forums there too – be careful because some people are really hurt bad from accidents and it can drag you down, but 95% of the posts are filled with positive and valuable information.
Unfortunately we do not live in a "Marcus Welby MD" world and doctors do not have time to have close patient relationships any longer. You need to do your own due diligence on the spine and spine injuries and become an informed patient. The more you know, the better. Keep a journal. A small notebook and write down everything. Every time you move one way and it hurts, when it does not hurt how you feel when you wake up, after standing or sitting etc. . Grade it on a 1-10 scale. This will help you with body mechanics and will also give the doctor and any physical therapists a guide to help you on your healing.
I don't want to use this forum to tell you my journey, but you can message me and I will give you my personal contacts and be happy to talk to you about my experience. My best advice here is rest, physical therapy may be prescribed and can do wonders, so will massage, and I am a huge fan of acupuncture. And do your homework. And, do not be afraid to go to more than one doctor. Even if your insurance does not cover every specialist out there- you can make arrangements to self pay for a consultation at a reduced fee. Ask a lot of questions, ask everybody you know if they know people with back problems and who is their doctor. You would be surprised at how many people have or had back issues. I was lucky- I was having a bad day, ran into a friend, he pulled out his phone and said "call this guy- tell him I referred you". Turns out he was one of the top neurosurgeons in in the country, had operated on my friend – BUT even better- I knew the guy from doing Bikram Yoga pre injury! I had no idea he was a top doc, and he did end up doing my surgery.
Again, feel free to message me and reach out. You will get through this.
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I took Discoveries Dance . I have no intention of teaching, I took it so that I could be sure I was protecting myself. It is a great program. I have some injuries and learned how to modify and more important to be safe. And, she does have an international program. I have taken class in various studios in my work travels . Many of those classes were taught by instructors that clearly had zero anatomy or safety training. now if I am in a situation like that I know what to do so I am not getting hurt.
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Sadly I am out with a back injury, not from pole, but I started at 53 and am soon to be 57. I love that there are no age barriers in this sport. Such a supportive group and so evident at the shows, expos and at my studio. Even though I am sidelined for a while I still like to stop in and hang out at the studio to hang with the great friends I have made through pole. I will be back, may be limited in what I can do, but I welcome the chance to get back in class again.
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There are several members at Xpose Annapolis that live in South County and Calvert County too. Xpose is a great studiio and although it may be a bit of a drive they have a good weekend class schedule and their pricing is really affordable. IGreat comraderie and excellent instructors. there are a lot of studios in this region.
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tore my hammie and it took about 8-9 months and still says "hello " every now and then. RE; the KT tape- you may want to spend the $ to see a PT.. I posted here about piriformis issues and the KT tape has helped me quite a bit with that and the related muscles that spazz out. I went to a PT, looked simple enough but she explained the mechanics. While I had it on, I went to a freind that happens to be a massage therapist and has started basic training in the tape application and she has taped me a few times. Many personal trainers are taking classes in this too- ask around to get some references and you may just be able to find a trainer that will show you how to do it before you just try it on your own.
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Ask aroud your studio and see if anybody sews. I sew and take a lot of basic swimwear and workout gear and help the girls in my studio with alterations, bling, embellishing etc. I do it for fun . Those of us that sew are always looking for a creative project. Kellie Maglia's creations are simply breathtaking. I saw them at PoleCon. But as noted they are investment pieces. You can consider a good base piece or two and invest in that , and build variations from there. Swimwear is on sale now, you should be able to find some really cute things you can build from .