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Just some of my own experience

Posted , 2 users are following.

cody714
cody714

Hi everyone, Im Cody and I'm 26. I'm not usually someone who posts on the internet, but I feel like it is my service to do so. When I was a teenager I went to a chiropractor that informed me that I had an extra vertebra in my back. I ignorantly followed this diagnoses as my excuse for back pain until Febuary 2016. I did a three and a half year term in the Army, and after i was out i finally decided to get a back x ray and figure out why I was is pain, and i always knew in the back of my mind that it wasnt normal to be feeling like this.

When i went in for the diagnoses the dr was undeniably convincing that i had scheurmanns kyphosis, but i wasn't given therapy because the dr said that i didnt really need it because my spine was finished growing and that my curvature was not too bad. I'm no doctor, but I've been playing sports every year of my life since i was 4 years old. When i was 14 years old (start of puberty), I started playing football(wouldn't recommend, but would do it again if i could go back). Football introduced me to lifting weights at that time and I have been doing it ever since. Because i was aware of the back injury i made sure to do slow and controlled reps over the years. My main focus in the gym has always been my back and being strong enough despite the pain. I truly believe that if it wasnt for my love of bodybuilding that my condition would be much worse today.

I will never submit to this disability because my mind is in control, I command my back to be strong, and when im in the gym moving weights, there is no pain. This goes to anyone out there, while it may not be bodybuilding specifically, through proper exercise techniques and a strong state of mind your quality of life will improve. My personal philosophy on this disorder is that although it may make me weaker structurally, it has made me superior mentally. Because when i walk around seeing people going about their days, i know that I'm doing more than them all while being in chronic pain, but they have no idea that I'm in any pain, all they see is an athletic guy waking around, and I'm sure some of them even envy me. Sometimes we get unlucky and are born with diseases, but the power of an optimistic and competative mind truly has an effect on how your body functions. Deal with the pain, because when you are experiencing the pleasures in life it will all be gone, and all the pain and self doubt will mean nothing, all that is left is happiness. Thank you.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • isy9512
    isy9512 cody714

    Posted

    Hi Cody, I get where you're coming from. But I think that 'dealing with the pain' is not the only option when it comes to treating kyphosis/scoliosis. I'm 20 years old now and I was diagnosised with scoliosis when I was 6 years old. By the time I was 15 years old, my 'S' curve had progressed to around 100degrees each...to put this into perspective, the middle of my spine was horizontal, that's just how bad the curves were. The reason why I had surgery when I was 15 years old is because I was in excrutiating pain every single day. I could barely walk around school, and when the pain was particularly bad I couldn't even get out of bed and go to school. I couldn't do any exercise, even walking for 5 minutes left me in unbearable pain, which meant that I became slightly overweight. Surgery was the only option for me as my surgeon told me that if I didn't have the surgery then my spine would progress even more and either paralyse me or crush my interal organs. I'm sure your spine wasn't as bad as mine so therefore you we're able to choose not to have the surgery and to manage it in other, less invasive ways. But for some people, this is just not an option and the only way to improve their quality of life is to have the surgery. I am now 20 years old and almost 5 years post-op and I couldn't be better! After fully recovering from the surgery I was able to start exercising again. I lost weight, became fit and healthy and most importantly of all, I was and still am free of the excrutiating pain that I experienced on a daily basis. This only happened because I had the surgery. If I chose not to have the surgery then my spine would've progressed further, I would've been in even more pain and I would possibly even be bed ridden. I completely acknowledge your experiences with having this condition, the choices that you made and how well you've been able to cope with it. But I just wanted to share my experience with you and show you how the severity of the condition can vary considerably. Dealing with the pain can be an option if the condition is stable and not too severe, but opting for surgery is an option that people should consider if the pain is affecting their lives substantially. I'd be happy to talk to you about this more if you want to smile

    Isobel

    • cody714
      cody714 isy9512

      Posted

      I know that this is a very broad subject, and that some people just absolutely need surgery. My post was the product of months of reading hopelessness and pessimism by teens who had just discovered the condition and over time it just broke my heart. While the physical aspect of exercise isn't the answer for alot of people, I believe an optimistic outlook towards the condition is just as important. But as far as the extreme cases such as your own go, I truly have a high level of respect. And waking up to such a positive story and outlook is the best way to start my day. Feel free to contact me.
    • isy9512
      isy9512 cody714

      Posted

      I too have been shocked and moved by the amount of people who have talked about being diagnosed and don't know what to do or how to move forward. I consider myself to be quite lucky in some respect as my parents and older sister also suffered from scoliosis so I've had their help and support ever since being diagnosed. I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel when people are diagnosed and they know absolutely nothing about this condition that they now have. Because I've had a positive, albeit interesting experience of living with scoliosis, I try to help as many people as I can by advising them on their options and also helping them to weigh up the pros and cons of the choices that they have. Many of the people who I've talked to have told me that surgery was the only option for them, and so I helped them by talking about my experience of surgery and what's involved etc and they've found this very useful and reassuring to know what's going to happen. May I suggest that you do the same as I've done and talk to the people who don't know what to do about this condition, especially the ones whose condition isn't severe and therefore exercise could be really beneficial for them. As I'm sure by now you're an expert of what exercise is best for managing this condition. 

      I completely agree with you that a positive mind set is key to living with this condition. My sister had a terrible time throughout her surgery and recovery as she had a negative mind set and she didn't believe in herself. My experience could not have been more different to hers and I think this is because I had such a positive frame of mind and I knew that I could do it and overcome it. Because I believed in myself, I was able to do it. So I completely agree that an optimistic outlook is crucial. I think what you've been through is very impressive, being in the Army and learning how to manage the pain and discomfort that you experience is pretty amazing.  

    • cody714
      cody714 isy9512

      Posted

      Thank you, and surgery for me would be out of the question according to my dr. But I'll keep that in the back of my mind if/when pain gets worse in the future. Lol the army was rough, especially on days when we had to wear full combat gear all day (I was an Abrams tanker). There were days where I was almost in tears, but at the end of the day pain is just pain, and I'm not going to let it get in the way of my life.
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