Take Nothing for Granted

About 3 years ago I found out I had a chronic back problem. It was not hard to figure out. I had been playing tennis 6 days a week and I hit the ball very hard. The pain got to the point where I could barely walk. After trying and abandoning acupuncture, seeing the chiropractor, and getting pain injections (which did no good), I finally ended up with the new chiropractor and also gave up tennis and golf. I was determined to strengthen my back and doubled my workouts to build up my core to help repair the three messed up discs that my lifestyle had caused major damage to. With the help of traction and twice a week treatments over the last 2 years I thought that everything was fine and I was feeling really good. In fact, five weeks ago I was even talking about starting to fly fish again when suddenly I started having trouble. The next day the medium pain level went through the roof and for the first time I could not find any position where it did not feel like an ice pick was being thrust through my lower back. Finally I gave in and my wonderful wife and daughter took me to the hospital emergency room. After two injections of incredibly strong pain medication, they would not give me more although I asked for it, they determined it was not a kidney stone but something in my back. They sent me home with a prescription for strong pain meds and I was actually out of work for a few days, very rare for me, stuck in my bed barley able to move. I went to see my chiropractor, the one who nursed me back to health the last time, and he said I needed to get an MRI. I agreed and went through the process to find out that I had wrecked a new disk in my lower back. It was herniated and leaning on a nerve that was sending the pain across my back. I say this not for sympathy or pity because that is the last thing I want from anyone. I tell you because if it happens to you, expect it is going to take a while to get 'fixed." It has been a tough 4 weeks and the improvement has been slow but steady and yesterday I was outside on my bicycle for the first time in a while. I have already been in touch with a physical therapist. As soon as I can lie flat easily for more than 30 minutes then he and I can totally revamp my exercise workout to include all of my back. Obviously I was not strengthening the whole thing or this would not have happened. I won't even tell you what it was like trying to get my teeth cleaned last week when I could not lie flat on the dental chair but huge kudos to my hygienist who was able to do it while I was on my side. 

However, I am under a time constraint because I am due to go back on the road to Asia the 10th of next month with Kayla and I don't want to have to be worried about being in pain the whole time. Why am I telling you this? The answer is simple, don't take anything for granted. Not being able to lay flat and trying to sleep is a challenge I never want to face again. Not being able to pick something up is really annoying and the worst part is having people look at me with sympathy like I am an invalid. My independence means everything to me and the potential loss of part of it was infuriating at best and potentially career ending at worst. I never take my life for granted but sometimes you forget about the ability to do the simple things that seem like nothing. Like bending over to pick something up, which becomes a major deal when it causes excruciating pain. I have no problem taking the time to workout to build up the lower part of my back like I did the upper. I am adaptable and will do what is necessary to continue to have the life I love. But I don't think I will ever forget the pain I went through and will never take lying flat on my back for granted ever again.