Discectomy

My junior season of college lacrosse, I slowly came to the decision that I would never be able to play again. I had began the season with a disc herniation that I had managed to get under control through aggressive physical therapy, but as the season wore on, the nerve pain, combined with the accompanying back spasms and pins and needles left me confident that this would be my last time playing competitive sports again.

I was caught in a tough cycle. I was in excruciating pain but didn't take days or games off. With each practice, my back seizures became more intense and the nerve pain seared a little more. I found myself on a steady diet of muscle relaxers, pain killers and steroids, none of which helped alleviate my pain or discomfort. 

During the last few weeks of the season, I was averaging 30 minutes of sleep a night, an hour if I was lucky. No movement was comfortable and my spine and hips had shifted in an attempt to find a body position that wasn't in constant distress. I had only a short term view of things at the time, to get through the season and go as far as possible, but in the back of my mind I was unsure how I would live a normal life again. Looking back now, I am really not sure how I played those last few games. I think this just sheds light on the amazing compensatory capabilities that our bodies truly have.