Literally.
I will “try” to make this quick because I know we all need to get to bed. Friday morning at 9 o’clock I will begin 6 weeks of physical therapy (baring problems with my insurance), “attending” 3 times a week.
Why?
Well, you see… I’ve got this problem with my spine. Dating back to a motor vehicle accident I was in while visiting my family in Colorado on a break from touring. I was headed back to my parents abode after, ironically, seeing ‘Talladega Nights’ with a few friends. I was traveling alone close to midnight on I-70 when traffic suddenly merged from three highway lanes into one, for construction, the road crews were setting up the cones as we all approached.
Smart play on a Friday night in downtown Denver.
A young portly fellow in his mid-twenties was returning from the airport where he had, obviously, been flying on a plane. [According to my friend, Johnnie G, who stood close to the dude post-wreck swore that he had swallowed a few too many cocktails on the plane.] The highway took an incline over an underpass and a drastic drop down on the other side, which is where I met my new friend. Traffic bottled up on the other side of this hill. Being in plenty of other motor-vehicle accidents, none ever my fault, I knew to leave two car lengths plus at all times. Which is why I was able to stop with enough room to keep from hitting my friend Johnnie who was driving in front of me.
The same could not be said for speed racer, who was in an awful hurry to get home.
He crested the hill at what I believe he said was near 55 MPH and laid into my backside without hitting the brakes. He was in a smaller vehicle and slid up under my car, which was at a dead stop at the time. His vehicle took mine almost completely sideways and up near the concrete embankment.
According to post medical reports, and my state of blackness and fog recollecting the event, I lodged my forehead into the steering wheel and said goodnight.
The only thing I recall is foggy images of people banging on my windows and yelling.
Fast-forward to May of 2009.
Due to this case still being open, and my lawyer being in Colorado, it has been difficult to get things progressing. Also, I was in another accident in September of last year (visit previous post here). Two cases, both open, one lawyer – in another state.
Dumb luck, I know.
I went through 6 months of rehabilitation post the wreck in 2006, having little affect on the pain level I live with. In 2007, just after this rehab, I couldn’t take being holed up anymore and I went down to Phoenix to work on my full-length album. I sought treatment while in Arizona, again not much help.
In July of 2007 I moved to Nashville, TN and have had a difficult time finding a place that I could get treatment without losing my shirt in medical bills.
So I continued on with life, praying for a miracle and ignoring the affliction.
Something I do well.
I never let on to how much pain I live with, and I can’t stand the affect that pain pills have on my mind (for an example CLICK HERE, I wrote this after the second wreck while on pain killers & muscle relaxants) I knew it had to be something horribly wrong for my pain level to be at a constant 6 or 7, which isn’t counting the times my back “goes-out” and leaves me laid up for about three weeks.
Which brings us to Monday of this week, we thought it best to find a specialist and get a complete evaluation before proceeding to close the cases. I have had several MRIs and X-rays, none resolving the matter and no one being able to come up with a solid answer for what the problem was. I went early in the morning and visited with a Doctor who was well versed in the Spinal field. They took new X-rays, of course, and he reviewed my MRI’s. He then did a full evaluation having me perform various bends and stretches pointing out the pained areas.
We sat down and he began to tell me precisely what my problem is, physically. 
Which is something that was brand new to me, as I said prior, no one has been able to pinpoint the problem. I will save you all the medical details. Bottom line is I have a disc at the base of my neck that has been herniated/bulging and has now gone into deterioration stages. Which, to my understanding, means bone on bone action is taking place. And is only getting worse.
His very next words were, “You need to have surgery to repair this problem.” He went on to begin paperwork to set me up with one of their spinal surgeons, but my mind froze at that sentence and I had a hard time comprehending much more.
The thought of actually having to have surgery on my spine kind of freaks me out a bit. All I’ve heard are horror stories.
As he was talking I was trying to get out the words to say, “What about a second opinion?” and, “Aren’t there any other options?” Finally I was able to make a complete sentence. His response was listing all of the things that I’ve tried over the years and saying, “Well, did they work?” and, “Did they subsidize the pain any?”
To which I answered honestly, “No.”
After conversing further I was able to convince my new Doctor that I’d like to try one last option before the floodgates of discussing slicing away at my spine proceeded.
Which brings us full-circle to Friday morning.
Where within I will be undergoing “traction” and other forms of Physical Therapy. From what I understand traction is some form of medieval torture device.
That should be fun.
“Sure my spine hurts like hell, why don’t you pull the @#$% out of it, that’ll work.”
At any rate, I’m biding my time and praying for a miracle.
Due to past surgical experiences I have come to know that the miracle which we pray for very well may be at the hands of a well-practiced surgeon.
Miracles come in all forms.
If it be slicing my spine open to enjoy life more abundantly…
I believe I am prepared for it.
My next post will be MUCH more entertaining and include photos and videos, and yes… the one you’ve been waiting for.
My controversial “Bio” run in after my last concert.
Til then.
Peace and Love.
cB
