With my own spine issues, CG's brush with death and Jim550's recent spine surgery, it got me thinking about those in the community that have had to overcome adversity and still find their way back to the gym because it's a lifestyle that's ingrained in us.
My issues have been mainly spine problems since I was 17...it was Ankylosing Spondylitis which runs in my family but wasn't diagnosed until a couple of years ago. A cancer diagnosis got me in 2013 as well.
- L4-5, L5-s1 Laminectomy - 1998
- Diagnosed with Carcinoid Syndrome June 2013
- Surgery for Carcinoid Syndrome April 2014
- L4-5, L5-s1 Fusion - Dec 2014
- C5-6, C6-7 Fusion - Aug 2015
- Fractured T6 Vertebrae Late Oct/Early Nov 2015
- C7-T1 Fusion - June 2018
- C4-5 Foraminotomy & Laminectomy - Oct 2018
- C4-5 Noticed It Had Fused From Ankylosing Spondylitis with Follow Up Imaging
- L2-3 Microdiscectomy - Dec 2018
- As I listed above, I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. It's an auto immune disease that is an arthritis/inflammatory disease. It causes arthritis and fusions of the spine and and arthritis in other joints of the body. I take Humira for it.
What things have happened in your life that you've overcome and found your way back to the gym?
**EDIT** - Somehow I forgot about the fractured T6 vertebrae in late Oct/Early Nov in 2015. I added it in there. The doctor said to injure the thoracic it's usually a motorcycle accident, car accident, bad fall, something along those lines. The only thing they could think of would be a stress fracture. Not sure how. I was just getting ready to start PT for the cervical fusion and wasn't doing anything else. Now that I've been diagnosed with AS, that can cause fractures as well. I have a feeling that played a roll.
My issues have been mainly spine problems since I was 17...it was Ankylosing Spondylitis which runs in my family but wasn't diagnosed until a couple of years ago. A cancer diagnosis got me in 2013 as well.
- L4-5, L5-s1 Laminectomy - 1998
- Diagnosed with Carcinoid Syndrome June 2013
- Surgery for Carcinoid Syndrome April 2014
- L4-5, L5-s1 Fusion - Dec 2014
- C5-6, C6-7 Fusion - Aug 2015
- Fractured T6 Vertebrae Late Oct/Early Nov 2015
- C7-T1 Fusion - June 2018
- C4-5 Foraminotomy & Laminectomy - Oct 2018
- C4-5 Noticed It Had Fused From Ankylosing Spondylitis with Follow Up Imaging
- L2-3 Microdiscectomy - Dec 2018
- As I listed above, I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. It's an auto immune disease that is an arthritis/inflammatory disease. It causes arthritis and fusions of the spine and and arthritis in other joints of the body. I take Humira for it.
What things have happened in your life that you've overcome and found your way back to the gym?
**EDIT** - Somehow I forgot about the fractured T6 vertebrae in late Oct/Early Nov in 2015. I added it in there. The doctor said to injure the thoracic it's usually a motorcycle accident, car accident, bad fall, something along those lines. The only thing they could think of would be a stress fracture. Not sure how. I was just getting ready to start PT for the cervical fusion and wasn't doing anything else. Now that I've been diagnosed with AS, that can cause fractures as well. I have a feeling that played a roll.
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