My Spinal Fusion Story – Ages 25 – 40

So, ages 25 through 40 or sort of the heart of adulthood. This is a time when people traditionally start families, establish careers and are at the height of their vitality. Some people call it their prime.

Well, during my prime until the age of 32…I’ve got to be honest here…I was raising hell and living an unhealthy lifestyle. Cigarettes, alcohol, some other stuff too.

So, I can’t lie here: daily drinking and a pack of Camel Filters a day didn’t help my cause. I mean, that’s not the blueprint for optimal bone health! I’m just telling the truth here.

As mentioned earlier, the surgeon said my back/spine misery was both congenital and degenerative. And, let’s face it: the daily drinking and general neglect and stupidity sure didn’t help the degenerative aspect!

And, it was also during this time that I worked as a barback for a few years. If you’ve never had the pleasure, you’re basically lugging cases of beer and kegs around. I mean, the job’s called barback…it’s got BACK in the job title!

And, after that I was a bartender. Tending bar also involves a lot of picking things up, stooping down, twisting and turning, etc. I used to get off shift, and I’d sit down on the other side of the bar with a martini…and, man I’d be groaning…and, the drinking was partially motivated by the painkiller aspect.

Continue reading from Age 41 onward: when I reached a point where I couldn’t go on any further and thus opted for spinal fusion surgery