Leave of absence

[Guest Walter]

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Walter,

You see, what many of us are learning is that terms like degenerative disk disease and annular tears really end up being buzzwords given out by us physicians to assign a label to chronic nonspecific back pain.

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I have no love of the reactionary American medical model, but it is pretty clear that several grade 5 annulus tears are grade 5 annulus tears and that the back pain and radicular symptoms associated almost entirely with sitting or flexed postures that I experience are not the result of stress or anything of the like as that is a pain and exaccerbation pattern aligned with discogenic pain.

It's one thing to not like the dogma of our existing medical model. It's another to fall head over heels in love with a FAR less proven, not regionally specific, equally dogmatic notion. I feel you have gone far towards the later.

I have radicular pain in L4-5, L5-S1 regions, I have variable right > left myotomal weakness, I have DDD and L4-5, L5-S1 grade 5 annulus tears at those precise two levels. Disc problems generally are exaccerbated by sitting. And while it appears establishment evidence may not appeal to you, I have had SEVEN neurosurgeons indicate this was my only surgical option save fusion (which nobody will do on a 35 year old).

However, I'm thinking about coming up with my own medical acronym that somehow involves the letters BS and see how many become enamored with it.

I look it up at least for kicks when I get back.

W

[Diesel]

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John Tesh was an entertainment news anchor

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Not many here are old enough to remember the superstation!

[Johann]

[Seano]

Best of luck to you, Walter. I really hope the surgery works out for ya. I don't have nearly the degree of back problem that you do, but I'm noticing that the older I get, the more back pain I seem to have. It doesn't really help that my passion is riding BMX bikes, and I'm possibly getting a bit long in the tooth for that kind of thing (I'm 41), but ya know- I've been riding for 30+ years now, it's a huge part of my life and a major source of enjoyment, and it's also a great activity to participate in with my son. Wow did this get off-topic....

Anyway, I can relate to back pain...so good luck with this!

Cheers-

Sean