[Oldman]

I ruptured a disc not long ago and pinched the siatic nerve. L5 disc. I could not stand on my leg for 60 seconds without collapsing or having to sit down even if I was in the middle of the street. Believe me I had no choice. It felt as if my leg was swelling with a constant throb to the point of where it felt as if it would explode from the center out to the bottom of my toes. The only relief was to sit down. The doc treated it with Prednisone. Heavy dosage and sent me for an MRI. That was when I found out it was a ruptured disc. The doc says something is not right with the radiologist reading. In a round about way he said it was really F**ked up. He never saw anything like it. So he sends to me to a neuro-surgeon.

Now I get the best doc in the city. My friend who plays golf and made the cut in the US open 13 consecutive times and made the finals twice, tells me I need to execise this thing. I am thinking you are wacked. I cannot even stand on it let alone exercise. Prednisone kicks in and my friend pushes me to exercise. I figure he has been around so he has to know something. Meanwhile I am waiting to see the neuro doc. I my left leg is really weak. Man I am doing leg curls and extensions with 10 lbs. Its getting stronger though. I keep it going. Finally I get to the Neuro doc. He tells me you are the protege of what we preach. The doc had scheduled for surgery w/o even seeing me based on the severity of the rupture and the pinching of nerves in both sides. (MRI) He said the execises during the anti-imflamatory usage and the lifting of weights is what kept me from being cut. No surgery needed.

The moral of my story is -- I ruptured my disc with very little effort. But all the years of working out even with a recent long layoff has reaped its reward. There is a heck of a lot more to being in shape than looking good.

Posted at BSS also

[ July 18, 2001: Message edited by: Oldman ]