October 31, 2024 • 41 mins
What happens when a passion for fitness collides with a life-changing back injury? Jared, an aircraft engineer from Louisville, Kentucky, knows all too well. Join us as he opens up about the unexpected turn of events that began with a routine weightlifting mishap and led to a debilitating journey through back pain and sciatica. As Jared navigates the challenges of his demanding job while managing chronic pain, he shares the critical turning point when a sisterly suggestion to try physical therapy shifted his perspective on healing.
We hear firsthand accounts of individuals dealing with the harsh realities of recurring back pain post-surgery, unpeeling the layers of frustration and isolation that often accompany such conditions. These narratives offer a stark look at the emotional toll of chronic pain, the battle with medical systems, and the impact on personal relationships. Our conversations highlight the resilience and tenacity required to face these invisible yet life-altering conditions and emphasize the importance of finding the right treatment path amidst a maze of options.
Throughout the episode, the recurring theme is one of resilience and the slow, sometimes imperceptible, journey toward recovery. We discuss the role of physical therapy, the emotional challenges of balancing career aspirations with health constraints, and the invaluable support of understanding employers and family. By sharing these stories, our aim is to offer hope and encouragement, underscoring the power of patience, perseverance, and community in overcoming back injuries and more.
Was this episode helpful to you? If you would like to support my work on the show, you can buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/bedbackandbeyond
Have a positive story of recovery to tell? Head over to https://bedbackbeyond.com/share-your-story/ to apply.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I was doing back and I was dead lifting and did my
exercise, it was fun, left thegym, was fun, and then Thursday
was completely fun, and thenFriday I was completely fine.
And then Saturday I went flyingand for some reason, my back,
the muscles in my back, justtightened up.
My lower back, they justcompletely tightened up and just
(00:21):
kept getting tighter andtighter as I was flying and I
got home and I was like emptyingthe dishwasher and I bent over
and I was like oh, oh, my gosh,what is happening?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Welcome to Bed Back and Beyond, sharing positive
stories of recovery from seriousback or neck injury.
Your host is CK, a fellowchampion who draws on her own
experience with herniated discsurgery.
Join her as she talks withothers who have overcome the
physical and emotional trauma ofa painful injury and discover
(00:52):
for yourself how you can findhope and encouragement in
recovery.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Hi Jarrett, Thank you so much for joining me on this
episode of Bed, Back and Beyond.
Before we dive into your injury, how about you tell us a little
bit about yourself?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, thank you for having me.
My name is Jared.
I'm from Louisville, kentucky.
I currently work as an aircraftpowerpoint engineer.
In my free time I have a dogand before my injury I used to
like to fly.
I was getting my instrument andcommercial pilot's license
whenever I got hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Wow.
So living in Kentucky does thatmean you're a bourbon fan?
I actually don't drink at all.
It is bourbon, it is bourbon,okay.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
But I don't drink.
I have enough health issueswith the back and everything
else, so I decided to stay awayfrom it.
I went to Kentucky forsomething a couple of years ago
and just the signs everywherefor Angel, I think, was one
anytime I travel anywhere,people are like bring like a
bottle, except I'm going up tochicago in a few weeks and my
buddy's up there and he's likego get me this bottle and it's
(01:55):
like 40 bucks here, but up inchicago it's over 200.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
So wow yeah, there are perks and you said, you're
sorry, an aircraft engineer.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, so jet engines.
I'm a jet engine engineer.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Okay, hands on, or a lot of spreadsheets.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Mine is more project management.
I run two engine shops, one inMinneapolis and one in Hanover,
germany.
So I'm in charge of when theengines come off, the aircraft
for heavy maintenance, I buildthe entire work scopes, I answer
any questions that the shop has, I run the finances.
I'm just a manager.
I own everything that happenson our engines and I'm actually.
(02:35):
I've been over to Germany twicethis year since I've gotten
clear for my back injury InMinneapolis twice and I have
another visit up there in thecoming weeks.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Wow, how long have you been doing that?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
About two years now.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Okay, great, that's great.
So then, when did you starthaving some back?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
issues.
Well, so I was lifting.
I had a weightlifting injury.
It was January of 2023.
It was January 5th to be exact.
I was at 10% body fat, wasdoing a lot of heavy lifting,
had a trainer, was wearing aweightlifting belt.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Oh, were you a competitor.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
No.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
I just wanted to look good.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It wasn't even about heavy weight.
Really, for me it was just Iwanted to look good, okay, and I
went to the gym it was aWednesday night, I believe, and
I was doing back and I wasdeadlifting and did my exercise.
It was fun.
Left the gym it was fun.
And then Thursday wascompletely fun or no, it was a
Thursday and then Friday I wascompletely fine.
(03:36):
And then Saturday I went flyingand for some reason my back,
the muscles in my back, justtightened up my lower back
(04:19):
no-transcript around the entiretime.
She's like don't hurt your back.
And I did some exercises and Igot it manageable.
I had a little bit of sciaticadown my right leg, mainly into
my glute and hip area.
That's really it.
And I took 20 days off from thegym and on on January 25th this
(04:45):
one was a Wednesday I was doinglegs and I was squatting.
I didn't put much weight onthere because I wanted to go
really easy.
So I think I was doing like 135and I left the gym.
I was fine.
And Thursday I was fine.
Friday I was sitting in theoffice and my back just
tightened up again and it didn'tget better, unfortunately,
(05:05):
because I at that point I hadherniated it and I just had that
shooting pain down my right leg, really in my glute, only at
this point.
It changed so much throughoutthe entire process, but it was
only in my glute and hip area Iwas having that pain.
I had no back pain at all and Icould just barely sit at all.
(05:26):
I couldn't sit much.
Standing was fine, walking wasfine, laying down didn't cause
me any issues, but sitting Ijust couldn't do it and I have a
desk job, so that was an issue.
And I tried doing some at-homeexercises and all that and it
didn't really help.
And I go to my doctor and theyput me on just like a steroid.
Didn't help.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Didn't help.
Now you said with the firsttime, you said it was just
bulging the first time.
Did you get an MRI with thatfirst time?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
I just assumed it was bulging, because it's just how
it felt, based on everything Iknow.
And then it got better, somaybe it was just protruding or
something out.
A little bit I fixed it andthen I ended up completely
rupturing it, and I didn't findthat out though, until, like I
did the steroids to try to getthe inflammation down Didn't
help.
Got another steroid pack Didn'thelp.
(06:19):
And then he tried to refer meto just a neurosurgeon.
And my sister she's a doctorshe's like you need to go to
physical therapy, don't go to aneurosurgeon, go to a PT, go get
that knocked out.
So I started that and it helpeda little bit, but it really
wasn't doing too much.
And then I went and I got anMRI and found out that I had
(06:39):
herniated my L4, l5.
And it was compressing my L4,l5.
It was compressing my L5 nerverunning down my right leg.
So then I was like, doing PT,it helped a little bit, it
wasn't doing too much for me,and the pain ended up starting
to move down into my knee towhere it was like you have a
pressure on both sides of yourknee, and it was not getting
better.
So then I went to theneurosurgeon and they were just
(07:02):
like okay, well, let's get youan epidural.
And I was like, sure, this isgoing to cure my issues.
It has to.
And I got the epidural and itfelt good for about 30 minutes
and then it just did nothing.
It did not help me at all.
So then it was like June at thistime and my surgeon's just like
okay, well, you've donephysical therapy for about six
(07:23):
months and you've gotten anepidural, you've tried these
steroid packs.
I would recommend you getting amicro disc activate.
And I was just like well, crap,I'm 23, now I need a back
surgery, a lower back surgery,which I mean I'm not sure if
you've had the same issues, butwhen you're in that much pain
because there's no way todescribe it it's like I'll do
(07:45):
anything to make it stop.
And I went with him and I waslike I'm gonna get a second
opinion because I just wanted tomake sure I was doing the right
thing.
And I went to a second backsurgeon.
He reviewed and he's like yep,I mean, with this surgery it's
pretty easy, it's pretty routine.
If you're gonna get a back,this is one of the ones you want
(08:05):
to get.
And he actually was like I wouldrecommend getting an open
discectomy though, because withthe tube and with you being so
young, want to go in.
With the tube they go throughthe muscle and they have to
grind down a little bit more ofthe joint.
And I was like, now I wantedyou just to agree with him and
be like, okay, go do that.
But no, now he gave me moreinformation, me being an
(08:27):
engineer.
I was like, okay, well, now Ineed to look into this more.
So then my sister and I kind ofsat down and we reviewed a lot
of the studies and it said thatthey pretty much had similar
outcomes.
I mean, it might be a littleharder in the beginning with the
open discectomy because it's alarger incision and it made
sense to me to get less of thejoint removed.
So I was like, okay, and theyjust pulled the muscle to the
(08:48):
side instead of going through it.
I'll do that.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Did they have to do a laminectomy as well?
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah, it was a lumbar decompression consisting of a
laminectomy and discectomy.
Okay, and so I got the opendiscectomy with the second
surgeon on July 12th of 2023.
And I come out of the surgery.
I had a little pain in the ballright in my foot and they gave
(09:15):
me a pain medicine Gone, no painanymore which they did say
which surgery was the rightoption for me.
Ultimately, for the first oneBecause whenever they got in
there, they said that the dischad kind me.
Ultimately, for the first onebecause whenever they got in
there, they said that the dischad like kind of started to
calcify over.
It wasn't going in the veins,it started like wrapping around
my nerve.
So he was like it was.
I think it was supposed to belike a 45 minute surgery and it
(09:36):
took about an hour and 15minutes.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
So yeah, so I was under for three hours Cause my
um I don't know if they neverused the word calcified, but my,
my disc was glued to the?
Um spinal cord with scar tissue.
Oh.
So they um, they tore the dora,so then I had to stay in the
hospital for three nights but,they couldn't remove it off.
(10:00):
So I still have like a chunk ofdisc like on my on my my spinal
cord.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Just hanging out.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Just hanging out, yeah, and then.
So they made the hole in thelaminectomy bigger.
So that the nerve, still hasfreedom of movement.
But Well, that's nice, at least.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Have you seen any kind of relief at all through
your surgery?
Oh?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
mostly, I am probably like 95% pain-free, and then
every once in a while when Ioverdo it, like I was doing some
painting this summer you know,rolling the paint and stuff, and
then that will cause a flareand the numbness in my leg never
went away.
So it's and this is.
This is five years now, so,yeah, so I still have the
(10:40):
numbness.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Okay, but I'm pain.
I'm mostly pain.
That's better than.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Okay, like you said, I was like just just give me the
surgery.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, and so I.
I got the surgery and it wentgreat and I had no issues.
For 10 days I had no pain atall.
I was off the painkillers in afew days.
I honestly didn't like thepainkillers or the muscle
relaxers.
They don't do anything for thenerve pain and I was finding
with the muscle relaxers itwasn't.
(11:11):
I wasn't able to support myspine as much, so it kind of
caused me a little sensitivity.
So I just went off of thatpretty much from the beginning.
And then, 10 days post-op, Iwas walking, doing my walks.
I was just walking laps aroundthe house.
I got this weird buzzing like avibrating where my foot
(11:32):
transitions to my leg on theinside of it.
It just started buzzing.
I was like that's weird, butthey said there was going to be
inflammation around two weeks.
I guess that's normal.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Did you hear that on the Reddit community?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I was.
I was looking for so manyanswers and I was just like
please, it's fine, everything'sfine, I haven't had pain, it's
fine, I'm fine.
There's no way I'm part of likethe 10% that hasn't re-herniate
.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
And it just continued to get worse and worse and
worse, to the point where itwasn't in my glute and knee, it
was wrapping all the way aroundmy leg, into my foot, into my
big toe and it became thisconstricting constant, like I
couldn't sit, I couldn't laydown and I couldn't stand
without a constant pain.
Walking wouldn't help and theyput me on.
(12:20):
At my three week post-op visitthey put me on a steroid pack
and they're like this shouldknock out the inflammation,
it'll be good.
Didn't help.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Didn't help.
So was that pain worse than thepain you were experiencing
prior to surgery?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
They're very similar.
But yeah, I would say it wasworse and I was.
I was just like I couldn't bendor twist, they told me.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah, so you were following those rules.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
I didn't bend, I didn't twist, I didn't have
anything, I didn't fall, Ididn't have anything happen.
I wasn't lifting more than 10pounds and I was still in this
crippling pain.
And it was about six weeks.
I was like I started to demandI have to get another MRI.
Something is not right.
And my, my mom, actually hershad re-herniated as well, but
(13:09):
she like fell like four weeksafter her surgery.
But I demanded an MRI after awhile, cause I was just like
we've been on steroid packs.
Nothing is helping.
I'm in crippling, I can't sit,I can barely work.
Helping, I'm in crippling, Ican't sit, I can barely work, I
would like sit at my desk and Iwould just like get on my knees,
cause I was like I don't wantto stand anymore, my feet are
hurting.
I was just trying to doanything and I finally got an
(13:34):
MRI and an x-ray and it was sixweeks post op on the day and it
popped up.
I was working at the time.
I was working from home becausemy company was great.
They were like do whatever yougot to do and it recurrent disc
and it was now pushing on thescar tissue which was then
compressing my L5 nerve againand I messaged my manager I'm
(13:58):
done for the day.
I'll call you later, and it wasterrible.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
What did you think and feel when they said it's a
reherniation?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I mean, I can't lie to you.
I was just like I don't knowwhat I'm going to do.
I'm 23.
I'm in constant pain.
I'm pretty much crippled.
At the time I was living withmy parents just because I needed
so much help and I was justdevastated.
I was just like this pain isnever going to stop.
I was pretty much crying everyhour for like a month.
(14:30):
You had everyone's worstnightmare come true.
I was like why has thishappened?
Speaker 3 (14:37):
And.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I had to completely stop flying too whenever I got
hurt, and it honestly wasterrible.
A lot of people don't reallyknow, like the pain is one thing
, and a lot of no one knows whatthat pain is like, unless you
experience the actual pain.
And then you, I, got a taste ofwhat it was like to have it go
away with the surgery and I waslike, finally, I'm going to be
(14:58):
able to get my life back.
And then it popped right backout and it was terrible.
I was in so much pain.
I was, yeah, pretty muchdepressed about it.
I was just like, why is thishappening?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
yeah, and I can't believe you had to wait six
weeks just for another mri yeah,yeah, I mean it's.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yeah, I'm sure you're aware of how it goes with the
surgeons.
They, they're hard to get incontact with and I was just like
I was trying to tell him, likeI'm trying not to be dramatic
here I've tried every steroidpack you've given me.
It's not getting better.
And at this point I was sittingthere and I was like I'm in as
much pain, if not more pain,than I was before surgery.
And now I'm more limited.
(15:43):
I can't bend, I can't twist, Ican't lift anything.
I can't.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I can't do anything.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
So now I'm in a worse spot than I was after the first
surgery and one thing that I'veactually seen in like the micro
discectomy communities is likehow that has an impact on, like
your relationships time.
(16:08):
I was in a five-yearrelationship and about one or
two weeks after it had herniated, my girlfriend at the time had
moved away from medical schooland she was like I don't have
time to really deal with thisand asked for like a three-month
break.
Yeah, it's funny.
It's funny, that's terrible,that's terrible.
It is, and I was just likeliving in my parents' house,
completely disabled, and she'son a college campus for med
school.
I was like like living in myparents' house, completely
disabled, and she's on a collegecampus for med school.
(16:29):
I was like this is not going tohappen, I'm sorry.
And I was actually readingthrough like the community and I
saw someone else be like, yeah,my wife left me and I was like,
damn, this is how it goes.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I miss that post.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Oh my goodness, and they were like I talked to my
surgeon and my surgeon's likeyeah, that happens sometimes.
But I mean, in all honesty,it's good to figure that kind of
stuff out if someone's going tobe there for you.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, now you know.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
It's a funny story thinking back on it now, but
yeah, I had that happen and thenI was going to my surgeon and
he was like, hey, we're going tosend you to pain management.
And he was like, hey, we'regoing to send you to pain
management, we're going to getyou this new steroid injection.
It's not going to be anepidural, that's not going to
help you.
I think it was like a transfermortal block, so they go in from
the side and go directly on thearea.
It was great because it justnumbed my leg for about six
(17:19):
hours and I was walking aroundall like wobbly but it did not
help and I ended up writing downlike 15 different questions
because I was researching likeartificial disc, because I
didn't want to get a fusion.
I was like I'm 23 years old, ifI get a fusion now, I'm then
going to get another level doneand then another level done.
It's just going to be chasingup my spine and I went into my
(17:42):
surgeon and I was just like Ipretty much held them hostage
there for about 30 to 45 minutes, which it's hard to get them
for that long and I was justlike I am completely disabled
right now.
Number one what do you think ofthis?
Like artificial disc?
And he's like I wouldn'trecommend it with where it's at
right now.
Shift, you're young, you'regoing to have to get it replaced
a bunch.
(18:03):
I was like OK, and I was likewhen could I ever see any?
Like when would the scar tissuestart to go away?
He's like at a minimum forabout two years.
And I was like so I could waittwo years and see if it's the
scar tissue that's the problemor if it's the new herniation.
He's like yeah, and I was likewhat would you do?
(18:23):
And he goes if you were in somuch pain where you cannot live,
do you have another option?
And I was like probably not.
So my surgeon told me he's likeI don't think you, if you are
in so much pain where you'rejust you don't have any other
options.
I think we could do another uh,discectomy.
And I was like okay, but if Iget the second one, is that just
(18:45):
like it?
Like, is that that doesn't work?
I'm just getting confused.
At I get the second one, isthat just like it?
Like is that that doesn't work?
I'm just getting confused atthat point.
Is that what?
And he was just like well,depending on how much we remove
this time, we might be able todo a third one.
And I was like, if this onedoesn't work, something's messed
up with my disc, something elseis going on and we're not
solving the actual problem Ihave.
So Did they problem I have?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
So did they tell you how many millimeters, like the
first herniation or second?
Okay, some people know that.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Yeah, so yeah, I know , and the crazy thing about it
was the my primary care doctoris the one who in the beginning,
referred me to get the MRI.
So insurance denied it.
So then I went and paid out ofpocket to get it done.
So I don't think they reallygave me as much details on it,
but I was able to actually pullit up on my laptop and see my
(19:30):
herniation, which was nice, uh.
But now the second one I didn'tknow either, but it just it was
a lot smaller, but it was nowjust pushing on that scar tissue
.
So yeah, and of course I waslike asking can you clean up the
scar tissue in there?
And he's just like no, becauseif you do that you can run into,
like if it's up against bone,yes, we can clean that up, but
(19:50):
if it's up against anything else, we don't want to like make
your like spinal cord, like youwere talking about, or well, it
doesn't really run that low butlike hit your nerve and damage
it.
So we typically just let it beand I was like okay, well, I
guess we'll get the secondsurgery.
And that was like a Wednesdayand their surgery scheduling
(20:15):
calls me on Thursday and they'relike okay, we can get you in in
about a month.
And I was like when is thesoonest you can get me?
Can you get me in tomorrow?
And they're like we can get youin on Wednesday of next or like
Tuesday of next week.
And I'm like deal.
So I called my manager.
I'm like sorry, I'm going to beout for another month and a
half, two months.
And I got my second surgeryOctober 18th of 2023.
So it'll be a year in four days.
(20:36):
And I got that surgery.
It was quick, it was easy.
I came out of it and I was in alot more pain after because
they'd cut through that scartissue, so my back was just
killing me.
I had a ton of back pain,especially on the left side, and
I remember they I rented thepost-op nurse.
It was the same lady and shewas like what are you doing back
(20:58):
?
I'm like I don't want to behere anymore.
And they gave me like some painpills didn't touch the pain.
I had a little bit of nerve.
Well, I didn't.
No, I only had back pain.
I didn't have any nerve painwhen I came out which was
surprising and I they gave mepain pills didn't help.
And they gave me like a lot ofdidn't help.
They gave me more didn't helpand I was like, all right, just
(21:19):
let me go home, I'll hurt there,nothing unusual, I'll take back
pain.
It's a different type of pain.
It's muscular.
I'll take that pain.
It's a different type of pain.
It's muscular.
I'll take that all day.
And I went home and I didn'thave any pain for like two to
three days in my nerve and thenit came back a little buzzing
and whatnot.
And I went in for my three weekpost-op visit and I was still
(21:39):
hurting like I was before thesurgery and my surgeon just like
, dude, your nerve was on firebecause it was compressed for so
long.
Then whenever we did the firstsurgery, you have to go and
stretch it out, to get under thenerve, to clear out the whole
area, and then we had to do itagain.
He's like I put a steroid on itwhen I was in there Cause it
was red, it was red hot, it wason fire.
(21:59):
He goes you are going to hurtfor about six months.
There is no way getting aroundit.
You're going to be, you'regoing to be in a lot of pain,
but he's like take these.
We're going to give you a bunchof steroids.
We want you to take them.
I understand you've been onNSAIDs for almost a year now.
Take them, and I promise youhere you have to have a pen.
(22:20):
Do what you got to do.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah.
At least it gave you someexpectation.
It was nice to know ahead oftime.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Because they always tell you after the first surgery
.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
They're like oh you're going to be magically
three months.
You go run a full marathon.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
It's not like that I think it's also important to add
.
I had one physical therapistbefore my first surgery and I
ended up getting a second onewhen I got told that I was going
to need surgery, just in case,like, see if I get a second
opinion on physical therapy.
It didn't help.
Then, between my two surgeriesI was going to physical therapy
from the time that I started,when I originally got like, hey,
(22:59):
go to PT Whenever I found outit reherniated and then
preparing my body to give asecond surgery and I think that
helped me a lot is trying tobuild that strength back up
before I had that second surgeryand so I had the second surgery
.
They tell me I'm going to hurtforever pretty much.
And I they're like, okay, youcan start PT at eight weeks.
(23:22):
I call them like just toconfirm eight weeks and they're
like, actually, because this isyour second time, wait 10 weeks.
So then I wait 10 weeks tostart PT again.
I started physical therapy and Iwas still hurting and I think
it was like January or February.
I was like, please, just giveme another MRI.
I even if it's just me beingcrazy and I'm just cause I was
(23:44):
like I had been going throughthis for so long.
If it's just to tell me thatit's not herniated, please let
me do it.
And the only place I could getin quickly was at like 5 AM, an
hour away.
So I was like I'm doing it, Idon't care, I want it done now
and I get the MRI.
And a lady was taking out my IVand all that I was like did my
(24:05):
diagnosis, being a big wimp, andshe's like I can't tell you,
but probably.
And I got it back and the discwas still in place and all good,
and I was like finally, andthen at that point it was kind
of just like a weight off myshoulders, shoulders.
I was like I finally havegotten to a point where it's
probably like two months post-op, maybe three months post-op.
(24:25):
At this point I was likefinally, I know it's not hernia.
I still got to be careful,because you never can stop not
being careful.
And I started getting back intothings.
I started going to the gymagain and it was only doing
machines and I'm still onlydoing machines and, as I told
you earlier, like I've dropped27 pounds now since then and
(24:49):
I've gotten into, if not better,shape than I was whenever I got
hurt and every now and again myright leg I'll have like a
buzzing and I'll just take a gabpen and it's kind of takes it
away and I can live with that.
But then in about April I wasdoing a bunch of traveling.
So like right, when I got fullycleared I was like hell, I've
(25:11):
had a year of doing nothing.
I was canceling vacations andstuff and I wanted to be a pilot
at the time, so I love totravel.
So I was like in Germany, I wasin Minneapolis, I was in Chicago
twice and on my second Chicagotrip I was walking and I was
like you know what?
I don't need to wear Brooks, Idon't need to wear Asics, I
(25:31):
don't need my old man shoes.
My back is good.
Now I'm going to wear my nicelooking shoes.
And I walked like 10 miles oneday.
That was fine.
I got home and, oh my gosh, myback was killing me and I
started to get nerve pain in myleft leg, shooting, radiating
all the way down my left leg andI was like, oh, this is the
(25:55):
worst.
I I was like this is it, this isI'm done, I've just put a metal
rod in my back and I can't dothis anymore.
And I ended up.
It was like that for about aweek and I was.
I was not doing well with thatCause, that pain.
It was just like it waswhenever I originally herniated
(26:15):
on my right side and I was likecrap.
I started doing physical therapy.
I went to a third physicaltherapist.
I went specifically to a spinespecialist at this point that
one of my buddies who is aphysical therapist now.
He recommended me to go to himand I started going to him and
they were able to get it workedout and I think it's just bulged
(26:35):
.
I haven't gotten an MRI becauseI'm like what's the point
anymore?
I'm not getting another discectomy at this point.
So, and I can manage it and itis difficult because I do have
to, with it being kind of whereit's at right now, I do like 15
minutes exercises and stretchesevery single morning just so I
can go on with my day.
But even with it being bulged,I just got back from Germany and
(26:59):
had to sit on a plane for nineand a half hours and had no
nerfing.
And I drove to, I think, hiltonHead this summer and I think
that's about 10 hours.
Of course I stopped once ortwice and no nerfing.
So I've gotten it to a pointwhere it is managed, but it
certainly isn't the most fun.
But I would definitely say,even though it has kind of
(27:22):
bulged out on the left side,which is completely separate
from my other ones.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Yeah, same disc, or you didn't get an MRI.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
I didn't get an MRI, but the symptoms are.
It's portraying as the L5 nerve.
So but no, and one thing Ifound by going to the third
physical therapist was that myright leg is slightly smaller
than my left leg and my hipshave, and my pelvis has really
been out of alignment forprobably about 10 years now and
(27:51):
they're like that's honestlyprobably what could have really
caused your original issue.
Was it being out of alignmentand it was putting extra force
forcing that disc out, becauseever since I got that notice and
I just put like a little like alift on my right foot in my
shoes, I don't I'm not in asmuch pain.
(28:11):
It really helped my pain out,even on my left side and it's
kind of helped me live a normallife.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Right yeah.
For you to to herniate the discso many times, well you know,
right after surgery made mewonder like is there some kind
of bodily issue with your spine?
Speaker 1 (28:30):
In all honesty, and I'm convinced that the disc is
just faulty.
I mean, I'm 24 now.
I've had two back surgeries.
It's bulged out again.
I think my goal is to probablymake it till I'm at least in my
30s and then possibly look ateither an artificial disc or
something.
At that point I just hope I makeit that far, because it I mean,
(28:51):
there are still days where I'lltweak my back.
It'll be muscular, which isnice, but it's a constant battle
.
But I can confidently say thatit was the right decision to get
both of the back surgeries Likeit was.
I did not have a life at allbefore the first one and it was
even worse after the first oneand it's I don't know.
(29:13):
There's no real way to describeit unless you're going through
it, cause I've had people reachout to me who have had the their
first one fail in the only real, like YouTube videos, you see,
are like this one lady who hadhers fail and she decided not to
get the second surgery and shewas like I can do stretches and
it goes away and it's fine,whatever.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
That wasn't an an option for me so it's
devastating that you have to getthe second surgery, but it's
not the end of the world thatyou have.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
It's not I mean, it's hell.
You know what to expect, atleast going into it.
You're like, well, I know whatto expect, but it is, it's
difficult and I I think onething that a lot of people don't
talk about and that yoursurgeon is not going to talk
about, is it's really lonelygoing through all this because
(29:58):
you can't go out with yourfriends and you can't really go
out and do much, especiallywhenever you do the open.
And I couldn't, I reallycouldn't leave the house for
three weeks pretty much becausethat's your danger period.
You don't want to reherniauntil it scars over.
So I was like it was just very,very lonely, I was just alone.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Well, that's why I started the podcast, because it
was the most it was lonely.
And then you feel like no oneknows what you're going through
and I would spend hours onYouTube way back then like just
looking for someone who had thesame story as me.
So I was like let me just putthem all on one channel.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, it is.
It's honestly terrible.
I talk to people who havegotten fusions All the old
co-workers I have that are intheir 60s.
They'll be like, oh, I got thisfused, I got this fused.
And I'm just like, yeah, I gottwo back surgeries as well,
because I'm 24, going on 70 now.
So it's a pain.
(30:58):
But I think I kind of in thebeginning I wish that if there
were more like if I would havehad a physical therapist that
addressed the original issue tocome on here once.
I got everything kind ofsimmered down and figured out to
be like, hey, look at this,because that can screw you up.
(31:20):
And it's helped me a lot.
And it's not something that mysurgeon brought up or the first
two physical therapists broughtup and I had to ask about it.
I went to the physicaltherapist, I'm like, could you
look at this?
Because something doesn't feelright.
Something has to be there, hasto, and maybe it's an engineer
in me, something has to becausing this issue.
If it's a faulty disc, it's afaulty disc.
(31:41):
But I want to knock out everyother option before I get to the
point of just being like well,that was just born that way.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Yeah, yeah.
I interviewed a chiropractor acouple months ago for uh, for
the podcast it's called a secretto a healthy spine or something
like that, and he and he talkeda lot about um, symmetry in the
body and how important it isand people just don't realize,
just he's.
I think he related it to a car,like if you have your tires
(32:07):
that are out of alignment,they're gonna start, gonna start
ruining other things.
And with your body's the sameway.
If your spine's out ofalignment, you know it's going
to cause other issues.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Certainly and I honestly think there might be a
genetic part to it because, as Isaid, like my mom's had her
neck fused, she had two levelsin her neck fused.
She had the same level done asa microdiscectomy and my sister
herniated a disc in her neckwhen she was in college studying
.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
This should have been a family show.
You should have invited yourmom and your sister.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
It honestly should have been.
My sister could have given youall the science behind it.
Now that she's a doctor, but no, that was the funny thing about
it my mom the entire timebecause she grew up rough, so
she's just like.
Anytime my sister and I weresick, she's like suck it up, Rub
(32:58):
some dirt in.
Whenever I was going through myback stuff, she's like ah,
it'll be fine, you don't?
Want that other surgery.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Ah, you're fine and I'm like I am dying.
I don't know how to cut my legoff.
I don't care.
I was getting back surgery.
I was 41.
And I was saying there's 20year olds that need the surgery.
It's not my age saying there's20 year olds that need the
surgery.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
It's not my age.
It's terrible there's no otherway to really describe it the
pain that you like feel duringthis experience.
And no one understands it,cause I would be like my friends
would invite me out and I'd belike I'm sorry, I can't drive 20
minutes to be there.
I can't do it and I like it'sfunny I have this one coworker
who's invited me out twice, andboth times it was once was right
(33:37):
after I hurt my back and I justcouldn't go, and then I flared
up my back like two or threeweeks ago, and I was like I need
to rest, I can.
I'm like I'm not using this asan excuse to not go out with you
.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
I cannot do it right now.
Never going to ask you again.
Yeah do it right now, nevergoing to ask you again.
Yeah, so are you able to goback to?
Speaker 1 (34:01):
flying, or does that still have to be on hold?
I got a letter from my surgeonsaying that I should be cleared.
I would have to go through thewhole medical process again.
I have kind of personally takena step back since it's refolded
out on the other side, becausesitting does, over time, just
kind of aggravate it.
If I sit all day at work it'sgonna flare it up a little bit
(34:22):
and I have a good, really agreat job right now, so it's
gonna be hard for me.
It'll be hard for me to stepaway from what I'm doing right
now and I would have to spendevery second of every day trying
to become an airline pilot,which would, I think, the reward
of it there isn't there for meanymore.
It's unfortunate because I wasright there at my test for my
(34:42):
instrument, commercial.
Whenever I got hurt and I meanI talked to pilots because my
current role I can get on any ofmy company's planes and fly
with them for free and I'vetalked to pilots who have had
two discectomies done andthey're like, yep, I got them
done and then I had a rupturelike three, four years later and
I got done again.
But now I got it and I'm doingit now and I'm fine.
(35:03):
I mean, it hurts sometimes, butfor me I have a career already,
so I kind of just taking a stepback.
And it's expensive, it's reallyexpensive.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
How much work did you miss, do you think, with all
this?
Speaker 1 (35:15):
The first one was about four and a half weeks.
The second one was about thesame.
So I would say I missedprobably about a combined three
months of last year, which I waslucky because I had a full 100%
pay for the time that I was outon short-term disability and my
(35:36):
manager was great.
My company is really good atlike if you show like that
you're going to work, you takeownership of your work, they
will do whatever it takes tomake sure that you're
accommodated.
So my manager was like you workfrom home, Don't come in, Do
not push yourself.
You get healthy.
We want you healthy and theyended up putting me on our most
challenging engine type,actually between my two
surgeries.
I was like, is this apunishment?
(35:57):
And he's like no, I know, itseems like a punishment right
now but no, it's not.
And I mean it was reallynecessary.
I don't think I could havegotten through it if my
management team hadn't been asaccommodating to me as possible,
because there were days where Iwould just turn off my computer
and just crawl to my bed andcry because I was in so much
pain and I'm not afraid to admitit, I cried more at that point
(36:21):
in my life than I did onanything.
Because I was 23 and I thoughteverything was going well, I was
flying, I had my test scheduled, I was making good money on my
job, I was in great shape.
And then it all was gone.
I gained a bunch of weightbecause I couldn't do anything
besides walk.
I was in crippling pain all day.
I couldn't even sit at my deskto do my job.
(36:42):
So I was like it was justterrible there's no other way to
describe it but terrible.
And then between the twosurgeries that was probably the
hardest part of it is trying tofind that solution and you're,
you're pretty much bedridden,only to walk around.
So all you're doing is likeresearching back stuff, back
(37:02):
stuff, back stuff.
And I'm like I have everydifferent path I could take, but
what happens if I choose thewrong path again and get this
other surgery and end up in aworse spot than I am now.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah, it's a lot of stress, worried about reheating
or worried about the rightdecision to make and even now,
like there'll be times whereI'll be like oh, oh, no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
And you're always just like oh no.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
Yeah, I think it took me a year to recover
emotionally.
Oh no, yeah, I think it took mea year to recover emotionally.
There was definitely some ptsdinvolved.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Every little sharp pain or tingle was like oh god,
yeah, here we go again which Iknow I'm so excited to get to
the year post-op mark, so fourdays from now yeah I'm so
excited to get there, eventhough I have the issues like
right now.
My leg is just like kind ofaching on my left side.
I can live with that, it's notan everything.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
It's just a little ache.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
But one thing this is important to mention I guess,
since I try to lift a lot, Ididn't understand how much your
muscles get messed up in yourlegs, so like my right leg is so
much tighter than my left leg.
So if I try to like do legs atthe gym, it's almost impossible
because I'll end up withterrible cramps in my right leg
(38:18):
and all sorts of stuff and itthrows everything out of whack.
And that's one thing I thinkI'm going to continue to go to
PT for is just trying to get mymuscles and my legs not just my
back strengthened, but just tryto get them to where they're
balanced, Because right now,like my right calf, it can't do
much yeah, no spinal cordinjuries, man it affects so much
(38:41):
yeah but it does sound likeyou're turning a corner that's a
hopeor have turned your corner, yeah
yeah, that's, that's the funnything about I've gotten to
travel the world since then,because I was like I'm not
letting this up.
So I've been to germany a fewtimes Minneapolis, san Juan,
puerto Rico, and I mean the nextmonth I'm going to seven
different states and a fewdifferent countries, and I think
(39:03):
I've been on 33 flights thisyear since I've gotten fully
cleared.
So I mean I'm making the mostof it.
There you go.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
And I probably need to get myself hurt again.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Wait so the important question is have you gotten a
new girlfriend?
Yeah, she was actually therewhenever I bulged it out on my
left side and I was like, layingon the couch.
She's like are you OK?
I'm like put me down, just putme down, is there?
Anything I can do to help you.
No, I'm just going to lay hereand just contemplate my entire
life for the next week.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
And hopefully it'll get better at that.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
But it took me about a month and a half to work over,
work through that and get itback into where it was
manageable.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Yeah, yeah, oh, that's great.
You know, jared, I reallyappreciate you being willing to
come on here and share yourstory.
I'm sure the people in theReddit community will appreciate
hearing you say it's not theend of the world, that I needed
a second surgery.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
It feels like it, but it's not.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
It's not no.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
And you just want to get to that point each day
because you're just like younever think it's going to end
and you'd never like.
I never felt like through theentire process I was like I'm
getting better.
It was just like one day I wasjust like okay, yeah, yeah, it's
like hey, wait a second, I'mnot dying, yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Yeah, it really is like that.
Hey, wait a second.
I can say I feel kind of normalnow.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
And it's so slow and that's the worst part about it
is it just takes time.
Yeah, it just takes so muchtime and you don't want it to.
You want it to be now, right,right.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Well, thank you again , and if you are a listener and
you have a positive story ofrecovery from a serious neck or
back injury, head over tobedbackbeyondcom and click share
your story.
I would love to include yourvoice on the show.
Jarrett, it was a pleasuremeeting you and I'm so glad to
hear things are improving foryou.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Thank you for having me on.
I was doing back and I was dead lifting and did my
exercise, it was fun, left thegym, was fun, and then Thursday
was completely fun, and thenFriday I was completely fine.
And then Saturday I went flyingand for some reason, my back,
the muscles in my back, justtightened up.
My lower back, they justcompletely tightened up and just
(00:21):
kept getting tighter andtighter as I was flying and I
got home and I was like emptyingthe dishwasher and I bent over
and I was like oh, oh, my gosh,what is happening?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Welcome to Bed Back and Beyond, sharing positive
stories of recovery from seriousback or neck injury.
Your host is CK, a fellowchampion who draws on her own
experience with herniated discsurgery.
Join her as she talks withothers who have overcome the
physical and emotional trauma ofa painful injury and discover
(00:52):
for yourself how you can findhope and encouragement in
recovery.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Hi Jarrett, Thank you so much for joining me on this
episode of Bed, Back and Beyond.
Before we dive into your injury, how about you tell us a little
bit about yourself?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, thank you for having me.
My name is Jared.
I'm from Louisville, kentucky.
I currently work as an aircraftpowerpoint engineer.
In my free time I have a dogand before my injury I used to
like to fly.
I was getting my instrument andcommercial pilot's license
whenever I got hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Wow.
So living in Kentucky does thatmean you're a bourbon fan?
I actually don't drink at all.
It is bourbon, it is bourbon,okay.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
But I don't drink.
I have enough health issueswith the back and everything
else, so I decided to stay awayfrom it.
I went to Kentucky forsomething a couple of years ago
and just the signs everywherefor Angel, I think, was one
anytime I travel anywhere,people are like bring like a
bottle, except I'm going up tochicago in a few weeks and my
buddy's up there and he's likego get me this bottle and it's
(01:55):
like 40 bucks here, but up inchicago it's over 200.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
So wow yeah, there are perks and you said, you're
sorry, an aircraft engineer.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, so jet engines.
I'm a jet engine engineer.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Okay, hands on, or a lot of spreadsheets.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Mine is more project management.
I run two engine shops, one inMinneapolis and one in Hanover,
germany.
So I'm in charge of when theengines come off, the aircraft
for heavy maintenance, I buildthe entire work scopes, I answer
any questions that the shop has, I run the finances.
I'm just a manager.
I own everything that happenson our engines and I'm actually.
(02:35):
I've been over to Germany twicethis year since I've gotten
clear for my back injury InMinneapolis twice and I have
another visit up there in thecoming weeks.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Wow, how long have you been doing that?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
About two years now.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Okay, great, that's great.
So then, when did you starthaving some back?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
issues.
Well, so I was lifting.
I had a weightlifting injury.
It was January of 2023.
It was January 5th to be exact.
I was at 10% body fat, wasdoing a lot of heavy lifting,
had a trainer, was wearing aweightlifting belt.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Oh, were you a competitor.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
No.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
I just wanted to look good.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It wasn't even about heavy weight.
Really, for me it was just Iwanted to look good, okay, and I
went to the gym it was aWednesday night, I believe, and
I was doing back and I wasdeadlifting and did my exercise.
It was fun.
Left the gym it was fun.
And then Thursday wascompletely fun or no, it was a
Thursday and then Friday I wascompletely fine.
(03:36):
And then Saturday I went flyingand for some reason my back,
the muscles in my back, justtightened up my lower back
(04:19):
no-transcript around the entiretime.
She's like don't hurt your back.
And I did some exercises and Igot it manageable.
I had a little bit of sciaticadown my right leg, mainly into
my glute and hip area.
That's really it.
And I took 20 days off from thegym and on on January 25th this
(04:45):
one was a Wednesday I was doinglegs and I was squatting.
I didn't put much weight onthere because I wanted to go
really easy.
So I think I was doing like 135and I left the gym.
I was fine.
And Thursday I was fine.
Friday I was sitting in theoffice and my back just
tightened up again and it didn'tget better, unfortunately,
(05:05):
because I at that point I hadherniated it and I just had that
shooting pain down my right leg, really in my glute, only at
this point.
It changed so much throughoutthe entire process, but it was
only in my glute and hip area Iwas having that pain.
I had no back pain at all and Icould just barely sit at all.
(05:26):
I couldn't sit much.
Standing was fine, walking wasfine, laying down didn't cause
me any issues, but sitting Ijust couldn't do it and I have a
desk job, so that was an issue.
And I tried doing some at-homeexercises and all that and it
didn't really help.
And I go to my doctor and theyput me on just like a steroid.
Didn't help.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Didn't help.
Now you said with the firsttime, you said it was just
bulging the first time.
Did you get an MRI with thatfirst time?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
I just assumed it was bulging, because it's just how
it felt, based on everything Iknow.
And then it got better, somaybe it was just protruding or
something out.
A little bit I fixed it andthen I ended up completely
rupturing it, and I didn't findthat out though, until, like I
did the steroids to try to getthe inflammation down Didn't
help.
Got another steroid pack Didn'thelp.
(06:19):
And then he tried to refer meto just a neurosurgeon.
And my sister she's a doctorshe's like you need to go to
physical therapy, don't go to aneurosurgeon, go to a PT, go get
that knocked out.
So I started that and it helpeda little bit, but it really
wasn't doing too much.
And then I went and I got anMRI and found out that I had
(06:39):
herniated my L4, l5.
And it was compressing my L4,l5.
It was compressing my L5 nerverunning down my right leg.
So then I was like, doing PT,it helped a little bit, it
wasn't doing too much for me,and the pain ended up starting
to move down into my knee towhere it was like you have a
pressure on both sides of yourknee, and it was not getting
better.
So then I went to theneurosurgeon and they were just
(07:02):
like okay, well, let's get youan epidural.
And I was like, sure, this isgoing to cure my issues.
It has to.
And I got the epidural and itfelt good for about 30 minutes
and then it just did nothing.
It did not help me at all.
So then it was like June at thistime and my surgeon's just like
okay, well, you've donephysical therapy for about six
(07:23):
months and you've gotten anepidural, you've tried these
steroid packs.
I would recommend you getting amicro disc activate.
And I was just like well, crap,I'm 23, now I need a back
surgery, a lower back surgery,which I mean I'm not sure if
you've had the same issues, butwhen you're in that much pain
because there's no way todescribe it it's like I'll do
(07:45):
anything to make it stop.
And I went with him and I waslike I'm gonna get a second
opinion because I just wanted tomake sure I was doing the right
thing.
And I went to a second backsurgeon.
He reviewed and he's like yep,I mean, with this surgery it's
pretty easy, it's pretty routine.
If you're gonna get a back,this is one of the ones you want
(08:05):
to get.
And he actually was like I wouldrecommend getting an open
discectomy though, because withthe tube and with you being so
young, want to go in.
With the tube they go throughthe muscle and they have to
grind down a little bit more ofthe joint.
And I was like, now I wantedyou just to agree with him and
be like, okay, go do that.
But no, now he gave me moreinformation, me being an
(08:27):
engineer.
I was like, okay, well, now Ineed to look into this more.
So then my sister and I kind ofsat down and we reviewed a lot
of the studies and it said thatthey pretty much had similar
outcomes.
I mean, it might be a littleharder in the beginning with the
open discectomy because it's alarger incision and it made
sense to me to get less of thejoint removed.
So I was like, okay, and theyjust pulled the muscle to the
(08:48):
side instead of going through it.
I'll do that.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Did they have to do a laminectomy as well?
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah, it was a lumbar decompression consisting of a
laminectomy and discectomy.
Okay, and so I got the opendiscectomy with the second
surgeon on July 12th of 2023.
And I come out of the surgery.
I had a little pain in the ballright in my foot and they gave
(09:15):
me a pain medicine Gone, no painanymore which they did say
which surgery was the rightoption for me.
Ultimately, for the first oneBecause whenever they got in
there, they said that the dischad kind me.
Ultimately, for the first onebecause whenever they got in
there, they said that the dischad like kind of started to
calcify over.
It wasn't going in the veins,it started like wrapping around
my nerve.
So he was like it was.
I think it was supposed to belike a 45 minute surgery and it
(09:36):
took about an hour and 15minutes.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
So yeah, so I was under for three hours Cause my
um I don't know if they neverused the word calcified, but my,
my disc was glued to the?
Um spinal cord with scar tissue.
Oh.
So they um, they tore the dora,so then I had to stay in the
hospital for three nights but,they couldn't remove it off.
(10:00):
So I still have like a chunk ofdisc like on my on my my spinal
cord.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Just hanging out.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Just hanging out, yeah, and then.
So they made the hole in thelaminectomy bigger.
So that the nerve, still hasfreedom of movement.
But Well, that's nice, at least.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Have you seen any kind of relief at all through
your surgery?
Oh?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
mostly, I am probably like 95% pain-free, and then
every once in a while when Ioverdo it, like I was doing some
painting this summer you know,rolling the paint and stuff, and
then that will cause a flareand the numbness in my leg never
went away.
So it's and this is.
This is five years now, so,yeah, so I still have the
(10:40):
numbness.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Okay, but I'm pain.
I'm mostly pain.
That's better than.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Okay, like you said, I was like just just give me the
surgery.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, and so I.
I got the surgery and it wentgreat and I had no issues.
For 10 days I had no pain atall.
I was off the painkillers in afew days.
I honestly didn't like thepainkillers or the muscle
relaxers.
They don't do anything for thenerve pain and I was finding
with the muscle relaxers itwasn't.
(11:11):
I wasn't able to support myspine as much, so it kind of
caused me a little sensitivity.
So I just went off of thatpretty much from the beginning.
And then, 10 days post-op, Iwas walking, doing my walks.
I was just walking laps aroundthe house.
I got this weird buzzing like avibrating where my foot
(11:32):
transitions to my leg on theinside of it.
It just started buzzing.
I was like that's weird, butthey said there was going to be
inflammation around two weeks.
I guess that's normal.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Did you hear that on the Reddit community?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I was.
I was looking for so manyanswers and I was just like
please, it's fine, everything'sfine, I haven't had pain, it's
fine, I'm fine.
There's no way I'm part of likethe 10% that hasn't re-herniate
.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
And it just continued to get worse and worse and
worse, to the point where itwasn't in my glute and knee, it
was wrapping all the way aroundmy leg, into my foot, into my
big toe and it became thisconstricting constant, like I
couldn't sit, I couldn't laydown and I couldn't stand
without a constant pain.
Walking wouldn't help and theyput me on.
(12:20):
At my three week post-op visitthey put me on a steroid pack
and they're like this shouldknock out the inflammation,
it'll be good.
Didn't help.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Didn't help.
So was that pain worse than thepain you were experiencing
prior to surgery?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
They're very similar.
But yeah, I would say it wasworse and I was.
I was just like I couldn't bendor twist, they told me.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah, so you were following those rules.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
I didn't bend, I didn't twist, I didn't have
anything, I didn't fall, Ididn't have anything happen.
I wasn't lifting more than 10pounds and I was still in this
crippling pain.
And it was about six weeks.
I was like I started to demandI have to get another MRI.
Something is not right.
And my, my mom, actually hershad re-herniated as well, but
(13:09):
she like fell like four weeksafter her surgery.
But I demanded an MRI after awhile, cause I was just like
we've been on steroid packs.
Nothing is helping.
I'm in crippling, I can't sit,I can barely work.
Helping, I'm in crippling, Ican't sit, I can barely work, I
would like sit at my desk and Iwould just like get on my knees,
cause I was like I don't wantto stand anymore, my feet are
hurting.
I was just trying to doanything and I finally got an
(13:34):
MRI and an x-ray and it was sixweeks post op on the day and it
popped up.
I was working at the time.
I was working from home becausemy company was great.
They were like do whatever yougot to do and it recurrent disc
and it was now pushing on thescar tissue which was then
compressing my L5 nerve againand I messaged my manager I'm
(13:58):
done for the day.
I'll call you later, and it wasterrible.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
What did you think and feel when they said it's a
reherniation?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I mean, I can't lie to you.
I was just like I don't knowwhat I'm going to do.
I'm 23.
I'm in constant pain.
I'm pretty much crippled.
At the time I was living withmy parents just because I needed
so much help and I was justdevastated.
I was just like this pain isnever going to stop.
I was pretty much crying everyhour for like a month.
(14:30):
You had everyone's worstnightmare come true.
I was like why has thishappened?
Speaker 3 (14:37):
And.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I had to completely stop flying too whenever I got
hurt, and it honestly wasterrible.
A lot of people don't reallyknow, like the pain is one thing
, and a lot of no one knows whatthat pain is like, unless you
experience the actual pain.
And then you, I, got a taste ofwhat it was like to have it go
away with the surgery and I waslike, finally, I'm going to be
(14:58):
able to get my life back.
And then it popped right backout and it was terrible.
I was in so much pain.
I was, yeah, pretty muchdepressed about it.
I was just like, why is thishappening?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
yeah, and I can't believe you had to wait six
weeks just for another mri yeah,yeah, I mean it's.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yeah, I'm sure you're aware of how it goes with the
surgeons.
They, they're hard to get incontact with and I was just like
I was trying to tell him, likeI'm trying not to be dramatic
here I've tried every steroidpack you've given me.
It's not getting better.
And at this point I was sittingthere and I was like I'm in as
much pain, if not more pain,than I was before surgery.
And now I'm more limited.
(15:43):
I can't bend, I can't twist, Ican't lift anything.
I can't.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I can't do anything.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
So now I'm in a worse spot than I was after the first
surgery and one thing that I'veactually seen in like the micro
discectomy communities is likehow that has an impact on, like
your relationships time.
(16:08):
I was in a five-yearrelationship and about one or
two weeks after it had herniated, my girlfriend at the time had
moved away from medical schooland she was like I don't have
time to really deal with thisand asked for like a three-month
break.
Yeah, it's funny.
It's funny, that's terrible,that's terrible.
It is, and I was just likeliving in my parents' house,
completely disabled, and she'son a college campus for med
school.
I was like like living in myparents' house, completely
disabled, and she's on a collegecampus for med school.
(16:29):
I was like this is not going tohappen, I'm sorry.
And I was actually readingthrough like the community and I
saw someone else be like, yeah,my wife left me and I was like,
damn, this is how it goes.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I miss that post.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Oh my goodness, and they were like I talked to my
surgeon and my surgeon's likeyeah, that happens sometimes.
But I mean, in all honesty,it's good to figure that kind of
stuff out if someone's going tobe there for you.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, now you know.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
It's a funny story thinking back on it now, but
yeah, I had that happen and thenI was going to my surgeon and
he was like, hey, we're going tosend you to pain management.
And he was like, hey, we'regoing to send you to pain
management, we're going to getyou this new steroid injection.
It's not going to be anepidural, that's not going to
help you.
I think it was like a transfermortal block, so they go in from
the side and go directly on thearea.
It was great because it justnumbed my leg for about six
(17:19):
hours and I was walking aroundall like wobbly but it did not
help and I ended up writing downlike 15 different questions
because I was researching likeartificial disc, because I
didn't want to get a fusion.
I was like I'm 23 years old, ifI get a fusion now, I'm then
going to get another level doneand then another level done.
It's just going to be chasingup my spine and I went into my
(17:42):
surgeon and I was just like Ipretty much held them hostage
there for about 30 to 45 minutes, which it's hard to get them
for that long and I was justlike I am completely disabled
right now.
Number one what do you think ofthis?
Like artificial disc?
And he's like I wouldn'trecommend it with where it's at
right now.
Shift, you're young, you'regoing to have to get it replaced
a bunch.
(18:03):
I was like OK, and I was likewhen could I ever see any?
Like when would the scar tissuestart to go away?
He's like at a minimum forabout two years.
And I was like so I could waittwo years and see if it's the
scar tissue that's the problemor if it's the new herniation.
He's like yeah, and I was likewhat would you do?
(18:23):
And he goes if you were in somuch pain where you cannot live,
do you have another option?
And I was like probably not.
So my surgeon told me he's likeI don't think you, if you are
in so much pain where you'rejust you don't have any other
options.
I think we could do another uh,discectomy.
And I was like okay, but if Iget the second one, is that just
(18:45):
like it?
Like, is that that doesn't work?
I'm just getting confused.
At I get the second one, isthat just like it?
Like is that that doesn't work?
I'm just getting confused atthat point.
Is that what?
And he was just like well,depending on how much we remove
this time, we might be able todo a third one.
And I was like, if this onedoesn't work, something's messed
up with my disc, something elseis going on and we're not
solving the actual problem Ihave.
So Did they problem I have?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
So did they tell you how many millimeters, like the
first herniation or second?
Okay, some people know that.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Yeah, so yeah, I know , and the crazy thing about it
was the my primary care doctoris the one who in the beginning,
referred me to get the MRI.
So insurance denied it.
So then I went and paid out ofpocket to get it done.
So I don't think they reallygave me as much details on it,
but I was able to actually pullit up on my laptop and see my
(19:30):
herniation, which was nice, uh.
But now the second one I didn'tknow either, but it just it was
a lot smaller, but it was nowjust pushing on that scar tissue
.
So yeah, and of course I waslike asking can you clean up the
scar tissue in there?
And he's just like no, becauseif you do that you can run into,
like if it's up against bone,yes, we can clean that up, but
(19:50):
if it's up against anything else, we don't want to like make
your like spinal cord, like youwere talking about, or well, it
doesn't really run that low butlike hit your nerve and damage
it.
So we typically just let it beand I was like okay, well, I
guess we'll get the secondsurgery.
And that was like a Wednesdayand their surgery scheduling
(20:15):
calls me on Thursday and they'relike okay, we can get you in in
about a month.
And I was like when is thesoonest you can get me?
Can you get me in tomorrow?
And they're like we can get youin on Wednesday of next or like
Tuesday of next week.
And I'm like deal.
So I called my manager.
I'm like sorry, I'm going to beout for another month and a
half, two months.
And I got my second surgeryOctober 18th of 2023.
So it'll be a year in four days.
(20:36):
And I got that surgery.
It was quick, it was easy.
I came out of it and I was in alot more pain after because
they'd cut through that scartissue, so my back was just
killing me.
I had a ton of back pain,especially on the left side, and
I remember they I rented thepost-op nurse.
It was the same lady and shewas like what are you doing back
(20:58):
?
I'm like I don't want to behere anymore.
And they gave me like some painpills didn't touch the pain.
I had a little bit of nerve.
Well, I didn't.
No, I only had back pain.
I didn't have any nerve painwhen I came out which was
surprising and I they gave mepain pills didn't help.
And they gave me like a lot ofdidn't help.
They gave me more didn't helpand I was like, all right, just
(21:19):
let me go home, I'll hurt there,nothing unusual, I'll take back
pain.
It's a different type of pain.
It's muscular.
I'll take that pain.
It's a different type of pain.
It's muscular.
I'll take that all day.
And I went home and I didn'thave any pain for like two to
three days in my nerve and thenit came back a little buzzing
and whatnot.
And I went in for my three weekpost-op visit and I was still
(21:39):
hurting like I was before thesurgery and my surgeon just like
, dude, your nerve was on firebecause it was compressed for so
long.
Then whenever we did the firstsurgery, you have to go and
stretch it out, to get under thenerve, to clear out the whole
area, and then we had to do itagain.
He's like I put a steroid on itwhen I was in there Cause it
was red, it was red hot, it wason fire.
(21:59):
He goes you are going to hurtfor about six months.
There is no way getting aroundit.
You're going to be, you'regoing to be in a lot of pain,
but he's like take these.
We're going to give you a bunchof steroids.
We want you to take them.
I understand you've been onNSAIDs for almost a year now.
Take them, and I promise youhere you have to have a pen.
(22:20):
Do what you got to do.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah.
At least it gave you someexpectation.
It was nice to know ahead oftime.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Because they always tell you after the first surgery
.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
They're like oh you're going to be magically
three months.
You go run a full marathon.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
It's not like that I think it's also important to add
.
I had one physical therapistbefore my first surgery and I
ended up getting a second onewhen I got told that I was going
to need surgery, just in case,like, see if I get a second
opinion on physical therapy.
It didn't help.
Then, between my two surgeriesI was going to physical therapy
from the time that I started,when I originally got like, hey,
(22:59):
go to PT Whenever I found outit reherniated and then
preparing my body to give asecond surgery and I think that
helped me a lot is trying tobuild that strength back up
before I had that second surgeryand so I had the second surgery
.
They tell me I'm going to hurtforever pretty much.
And I they're like, okay, youcan start PT at eight weeks.
(23:22):
I call them like just toconfirm eight weeks and they're
like, actually, because this isyour second time, wait 10 weeks.
So then I wait 10 weeks tostart PT again.
I started physical therapy and Iwas still hurting and I think
it was like January or February.
I was like, please, just giveme another MRI.
I even if it's just me beingcrazy and I'm just cause I was
(23:44):
like I had been going throughthis for so long.
If it's just to tell me thatit's not herniated, please let
me do it.
And the only place I could getin quickly was at like 5 AM, an
hour away.
So I was like I'm doing it, Idon't care, I want it done now
and I get the MRI.
And a lady was taking out my IVand all that I was like did my
(24:05):
diagnosis, being a big wimp, andshe's like I can't tell you,
but probably.
And I got it back and the discwas still in place and all good,
and I was like finally, andthen at that point it was kind
of just like a weight off myshoulders, shoulders.
I was like I finally havegotten to a point where it's
probably like two months post-op, maybe three months post-op.
(24:25):
At this point I was likefinally, I know it's not hernia.
I still got to be careful,because you never can stop not
being careful.
And I started getting back intothings.
I started going to the gymagain and it was only doing
machines and I'm still onlydoing machines and, as I told
you earlier, like I've dropped27 pounds now since then and
(24:49):
I've gotten into, if not better,shape than I was whenever I got
hurt and every now and again myright leg I'll have like a
buzzing and I'll just take a gabpen and it's kind of takes it
away and I can live with that.
But then in about April I wasdoing a bunch of traveling.
So like right, when I got fullycleared I was like hell, I've
(25:11):
had a year of doing nothing.
I was canceling vacations andstuff and I wanted to be a pilot
at the time, so I love totravel.
So I was like in Germany, I wasin Minneapolis, I was in Chicago
twice and on my second Chicagotrip I was walking and I was
like you know what?
I don't need to wear Brooks, Idon't need to wear Asics, I
(25:31):
don't need my old man shoes.
My back is good.
Now I'm going to wear my nicelooking shoes.
And I walked like 10 miles oneday.
That was fine.
I got home and, oh my gosh, myback was killing me and I
started to get nerve pain in myleft leg, shooting, radiating
all the way down my left leg andI was like, oh, this is the
(25:55):
worst.
I I was like this is it, this isI'm done, I've just put a metal
rod in my back and I can't dothis anymore.
And I ended up.
It was like that for about aweek and I was.
I was not doing well with thatCause, that pain.
It was just like it waswhenever I originally herniated
(26:15):
on my right side and I was likecrap.
I started doing physical therapy.
I went to a third physicaltherapist.
I went specifically to a spinespecialist at this point that
one of my buddies who is aphysical therapist now.
He recommended me to go to himand I started going to him and
they were able to get it workedout and I think it's just bulged
(26:35):
.
I haven't gotten an MRI becauseI'm like what's the point
anymore?
I'm not getting another discectomy at this point.
So, and I can manage it and itis difficult because I do have
to, with it being kind of whereit's at right now, I do like 15
minutes exercises and stretchesevery single morning just so I
can go on with my day.
But even with it being bulged,I just got back from Germany and
(26:59):
had to sit on a plane for nineand a half hours and had no
nerfing.
And I drove to, I think, hiltonHead this summer and I think
that's about 10 hours.
Of course I stopped once ortwice and no nerfing.
So I've gotten it to a pointwhere it is managed, but it
certainly isn't the most fun.
But I would definitely say,even though it has kind of
(27:22):
bulged out on the left side,which is completely separate
from my other ones.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Yeah, same disc, or you didn't get an MRI.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
I didn't get an MRI, but the symptoms are.
It's portraying as the L5 nerve.
So but no, and one thing Ifound by going to the third
physical therapist was that myright leg is slightly smaller
than my left leg and my hipshave, and my pelvis has really
been out of alignment forprobably about 10 years now and
(27:51):
they're like that's honestlyprobably what could have really
caused your original issue.
Was it being out of alignmentand it was putting extra force
forcing that disc out, becauseever since I got that notice and
I just put like a little like alift on my right foot in my
shoes, I don't I'm not in asmuch pain.
(28:11):
It really helped my pain out,even on my left side and it's
kind of helped me live a normallife.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Right yeah.
For you to to herniate the discso many times, well you know,
right after surgery made mewonder like is there some kind
of bodily issue with your spine?
Speaker 1 (28:30):
In all honesty, and I'm convinced that the disc is
just faulty.
I mean, I'm 24 now.
I've had two back surgeries.
It's bulged out again.
I think my goal is to probablymake it till I'm at least in my
30s and then possibly look ateither an artificial disc or
something.
At that point I just hope I makeit that far, because it I mean,
(28:51):
there are still days where I'lltweak my back.
It'll be muscular, which isnice, but it's a constant battle
.
But I can confidently say thatit was the right decision to get
both of the back surgeries Likeit was.
I did not have a life at allbefore the first one and it was
even worse after the first oneand it's I don't know.
(29:13):
There's no real way to describeit unless you're going through
it, cause I've had people reachout to me who have had the their
first one fail in the only real, like YouTube videos, you see,
are like this one lady who hadhers fail and she decided not to
get the second surgery and shewas like I can do stretches and
it goes away and it's fine,whatever.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
That wasn't an an option for me so it's
devastating that you have to getthe second surgery, but it's
not the end of the world thatyou have.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
It's not I mean, it's hell.
You know what to expect, atleast going into it.
You're like, well, I know whatto expect, but it is, it's
difficult and I I think onething that a lot of people don't
talk about and that yoursurgeon is not going to talk
about, is it's really lonelygoing through all this because
(29:58):
you can't go out with yourfriends and you can't really go
out and do much, especiallywhenever you do the open.
And I couldn't, I reallycouldn't leave the house for
three weeks pretty much becausethat's your danger period.
You don't want to reherniauntil it scars over.
So I was like it was just very,very lonely, I was just alone.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Well, that's why I started the podcast, because it
was the most it was lonely.
And then you feel like no oneknows what you're going through
and I would spend hours onYouTube way back then like just
looking for someone who had thesame story as me.
So I was like let me just putthem all on one channel.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, it is.
It's honestly terrible.
I talk to people who havegotten fusions All the old
co-workers I have that are intheir 60s.
They'll be like, oh, I got thisfused, I got this fused.
And I'm just like, yeah, I gottwo back surgeries as well,
because I'm 24, going on 70 now.
So it's a pain.
(30:58):
But I think I kind of in thebeginning I wish that if there
were more like if I would havehad a physical therapist that
addressed the original issue tocome on here once.
I got everything kind ofsimmered down and figured out to
be like, hey, look at this,because that can screw you up.
(31:20):
And it's helped me a lot.
And it's not something that mysurgeon brought up or the first
two physical therapists broughtup and I had to ask about it.
I went to the physicaltherapist, I'm like, could you
look at this?
Because something doesn't feelright.
Something has to be there, hasto, and maybe it's an engineer
in me, something has to becausing this issue.
If it's a faulty disc, it's afaulty disc.
(31:41):
But I want to knock out everyother option before I get to the
point of just being like well,that was just born that way.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Yeah, yeah.
I interviewed a chiropractor acouple months ago for uh, for
the podcast it's called a secretto a healthy spine or something
like that, and he and he talkeda lot about um, symmetry in the
body and how important it isand people just don't realize,
just he's.
I think he related it to a car,like if you have your tires
(32:07):
that are out of alignment,they're gonna start, gonna start
ruining other things.
And with your body's the sameway.
If your spine's out ofalignment, you know it's going
to cause other issues.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Certainly and I honestly think there might be a
genetic part to it because, as Isaid, like my mom's had her
neck fused, she had two levelsin her neck fused.
She had the same level done asa microdiscectomy and my sister
herniated a disc in her neckwhen she was in college studying
.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
This should have been a family show.
You should have invited yourmom and your sister.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
It honestly should have been.
My sister could have given youall the science behind it.
Now that she's a doctor, but no, that was the funny thing about
it my mom the entire timebecause she grew up rough, so
she's just like.
Anytime my sister and I weresick, she's like suck it up, Rub
(32:58):
some dirt in.
Whenever I was going through myback stuff, she's like ah,
it'll be fine, you don't?
Want that other surgery.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Ah, you're fine and I'm like I am dying.
I don't know how to cut my legoff.
I don't care.
I was getting back surgery.
I was 41.
And I was saying there's 20year olds that need the surgery.
It's not my age saying there's20 year olds that need the
surgery.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
It's not my age.
It's terrible there's no otherway to really describe it the
pain that you like feel duringthis experience.
And no one understands it,cause I would be like my friends
would invite me out and I'd belike I'm sorry, I can't drive 20
minutes to be there.
I can't do it and I like it'sfunny I have this one coworker
who's invited me out twice, andboth times it was once was right
(33:37):
after I hurt my back and I justcouldn't go, and then I flared
up my back like two or threeweeks ago, and I was like I need
to rest, I can.
I'm like I'm not using this asan excuse to not go out with you
.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
I cannot do it right now.
Never going to ask you again.
Yeah do it right now, nevergoing to ask you again.
Yeah, so are you able to goback to?
Speaker 1 (34:01):
flying, or does that still have to be on hold?
I got a letter from my surgeonsaying that I should be cleared.
I would have to go through thewhole medical process again.
I have kind of personally takena step back since it's refolded
out on the other side, becausesitting does, over time, just
kind of aggravate it.
If I sit all day at work it'sgonna flare it up a little bit
(34:22):
and I have a good, really agreat job right now, so it's
gonna be hard for me.
It'll be hard for me to stepaway from what I'm doing right
now and I would have to spendevery second of every day trying
to become an airline pilot,which would, I think, the reward
of it there isn't there for meanymore.
It's unfortunate because I wasright there at my test for my
(34:42):
instrument, commercial.
Whenever I got hurt and I meanI talked to pilots because my
current role I can get on any ofmy company's planes and fly
with them for free and I'vetalked to pilots who have had
two discectomies done andthey're like, yep, I got them
done and then I had a rupturelike three, four years later and
I got done again.
But now I got it and I'm doingit now and I'm fine.
(35:03):
I mean, it hurts sometimes, butfor me I have a career already,
so I kind of just taking a stepback.
And it's expensive, it's reallyexpensive.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
How much work did you miss, do you think, with all
this?
Speaker 1 (35:15):
The first one was about four and a half weeks.
The second one was about thesame.
So I would say I missedprobably about a combined three
months of last year, which I waslucky because I had a full 100%
pay for the time that I was outon short-term disability and my
(35:36):
manager was great.
My company is really good atlike if you show like that
you're going to work, you takeownership of your work, they
will do whatever it takes tomake sure that you're
accommodated.
So my manager was like you workfrom home, Don't come in, Do
not push yourself.
You get healthy.
We want you healthy and theyended up putting me on our most
challenging engine type,actually between my two
surgeries.
I was like, is this apunishment?
(35:57):
And he's like no, I know, itseems like a punishment right
now but no, it's not.
And I mean it was reallynecessary.
I don't think I could havegotten through it if my
management team hadn't been asaccommodating to me as possible,
because there were days where Iwould just turn off my computer
and just crawl to my bed andcry because I was in so much
pain and I'm not afraid to admitit, I cried more at that point
(36:21):
in my life than I did onanything.
Because I was 23 and I thoughteverything was going well, I was
flying, I had my test scheduled, I was making good money on my
job, I was in great shape.
And then it all was gone.
I gained a bunch of weightbecause I couldn't do anything
besides walk.
I was in crippling pain all day.
I couldn't even sit at my deskto do my job.
(36:42):
So I was like it was justterrible there's no other way to
describe it but terrible.
And then between the twosurgeries that was probably the
hardest part of it is trying tofind that solution and you're,
you're pretty much bedridden,only to walk around.
So all you're doing is likeresearching back stuff, back
(37:02):
stuff, back stuff.
And I'm like I have everydifferent path I could take, but
what happens if I choose thewrong path again and get this
other surgery and end up in aworse spot than I am now.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah, it's a lot of stress, worried about reheating
or worried about the rightdecision to make and even now,
like there'll be times whereI'll be like oh, oh, no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
And you're always just like oh no.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
Yeah, I think it took me a year to recover
emotionally.
Oh no, yeah, I think it took mea year to recover emotionally.
There was definitely some ptsdinvolved.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Every little sharp pain or tingle was like oh god,
yeah, here we go again which Iknow I'm so excited to get to
the year post-op mark, so fourdays from now yeah I'm so
excited to get there, eventhough I have the issues like
right now.
My leg is just like kind ofaching on my left side.
I can live with that, it's notan everything.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
It's just a little ache.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
But one thing this is important to mention I guess,
since I try to lift a lot, Ididn't understand how much your
muscles get messed up in yourlegs, so like my right leg is so
much tighter than my left leg.
So if I try to like do legs atthe gym, it's almost impossible
because I'll end up withterrible cramps in my right leg
(38:18):
and all sorts of stuff and itthrows everything out of whack.
And that's one thing I thinkI'm going to continue to go to
PT for is just trying to get mymuscles and my legs not just my
back strengthened, but just tryto get them to where they're
balanced, Because right now,like my right calf, it can't do
much yeah, no spinal cordinjuries, man it affects so much
(38:41):
yeah but it does sound likeyou're turning a corner that's a
hopeor have turned your corner, yeah
yeah, that's, that's the funnything about I've gotten to
travel the world since then,because I was like I'm not
letting this up.
So I've been to germany a fewtimes Minneapolis, san Juan,
puerto Rico, and I mean the nextmonth I'm going to seven
different states and a fewdifferent countries, and I think
(39:03):
I've been on 33 flights thisyear since I've gotten fully
cleared.
So I mean I'm making the mostof it.
There you go.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
And I probably need to get myself hurt again.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Wait so the important question is have you gotten a
new girlfriend?
Yeah, she was actually therewhenever I bulged it out on my
left side and I was like, layingon the couch.
She's like are you OK?
I'm like put me down, just putme down, is there?
Anything I can do to help you.
No, I'm just going to lay hereand just contemplate my entire
life for the next week.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
And hopefully it'll get better at that.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
But it took me about a month and a half to work over,
work through that and get itback into where it was
manageable.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Yeah, yeah, oh, that's great.
You know, jared, I reallyappreciate you being willing to
come on here and share yourstory.
I'm sure the people in theReddit community will appreciate
hearing you say it's not theend of the world, that I needed
a second surgery.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
It feels like it, but it's not.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
It's not no.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
And you just want to get to that point each day
because you're just like younever think it's going to end
and you'd never like.
I never felt like through theentire process I was like I'm
getting better.
It was just like one day I wasjust like okay, yeah, yeah, it's
like hey, wait a second, I'mnot dying, yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Yeah, it really is like that.
Hey, wait a second.
I can say I feel kind of normalnow.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
And it's so slow and that's the worst part about it
is it just takes time.
Yeah, it just takes so muchtime and you don't want it to.
You want it to be now, right,right.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Well, thank you again , and if you are a listener and
you have a positive story ofrecovery from a serious neck or
back injury, head over tobedbackbeyondcom and click share
your story.
I would love to include yourvoice on the show.
Jarrett, it was a pleasuremeeting you and I'm so glad to
hear things are improving foryou.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Thank you for having me on.
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