"... had I known then what I know now, I would not have gone the epidural route.
I would have just had the surgery. It went great."

 spine athlete ::: Chris

---

Diagnosis: Disc degeneration and herniation. L5-S1

Treatment: Epidural steroid injections, followed by surgery to shave off disc material that was pressing on the sciatic nerve.

Neurosurgeon: Chris McPherson, MD

Initial injury: It was a sudden pain. I was out shoveling snow in my driveway and fell. After that, any time I picked up something, it hurt. It became this constant pain that wouldn't go away. Nothing brought relief.

Turning point: I saw Dr. McPherson first, and we discussed the pros and cons of surgery and versus epidural steroid injections. You hear these stories – "once you have back surgery you're never the same." So I opted for the epidurals. I had five of them. They helped for a while. They brought relief for anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks to 3 to 4 months. But it was like a band-aid. I'd work out and my back would go out again. This went on for a year and a half. The pain would go away and I'd feel great. I'd get back into my routine and then I'd throw it out again.

In December 2008 I had spine surgery. And had I known then what I know now, I would not have gone the epidural route. I would have just had the surgery. It went great. My recovery was a little long, but once I got through that I was able to slowly begin exercising.

Being a spine athlete: I've always been athletic. I did a few Flying Pig marathons. During the time I was struggling with my back, my weight started to creep up. Around the time of my surgery I started eating right and doing back exercises. Losing the weight relieved a lot of pressure on my back. In addition to exercising, I do a lot of yoga and try to keep my lower back strong and flexible. Exercise makes a world of difference. It's a stress reliever. I do something physical every day. I now weigh 206 pounds, down from a high of around 240.

I just completed the Orlando Half Ironman on May 16, 2010 with absolutely no pain. The Half Ironman was a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run in 93-degree weather. I finished with a time of 6:07:25. In my age division I placed 186th out of 427 and, overall, 925th out of 2,444. Coming out of the swim I was in the top third, but my quads cramped up in the first quarter-mile of the run. Of course, I'm still pretty pleased with how I did. I never thought I would be able to compete physically after the surgery. Once again, I say "thank you" to Dr. McPherson and his staff. I am now training for a full Ironman.

If you are a current or former Mayfield Spine Athlete yourself, and if you'd like to share your story, please contact us.