Never had it done thank god but i'd think it depends on which vertebrae. Seems like you could maybe get by if it was lower in your back somewhere and you were on a longboard.
i'm not getting it done any time soon, that's for sure. but i am sure once I hit 50-something i will need something drastic done. by then, surfing will be too painful anyway. i'll take-up full time ganja smoking as a hobby.
If you have not been on percoset for at least one year for spinal pain, do not let any cowboy neurosurgeon near your spinal chord with a razor blade.
Modern medicine is the bomb. I bet in 5 years, there will likely be even better solutions for your back available to allow you to surf into your dotage like Barry. Or age gracefully like Betty. YMMV.
I just deal with pain. It runs my life, but I refuse to become dependent on pills. Yeah man, no knife yet. F that.
There is a fantastic 72 year old lifelong surfer at my home beach who has bad hips, bad back and bad heart. He rides a very long board on his stomache. He said he loves it, would never go back to standing up and said he gets barrels every wave. You can find a way around most , but not all, medical problems. Trust me. So far I have.
I know exactly of whom you speak but didn't know his story until now. I love seeing him out there. He always seems so happy and content. Where there's a will there's a way.
Taylor Knox had it done as a teen after a car wreck. A friend had a couple done in his neck in his early 40s and surfs like nothing ever happened.
It's not the end...I know of one guy that had it done and is as active as he was, but it took a long while.
all depends on the surgeon and how well the surgery goes, I need it but am doing everything I can to prolong the inevitable.
Im in my mid 30's. I was told by multiple surgeons that I will eventually need fusion in my neck. If I think about it too much it starts to freak me out and I get anxiety from it. So I just kind of go with the flow for now. At this point, I can still surf well and pretty much do whatever I want without any issues.
Only do it as a last resort, research the surgeon, and do rehab religiously. If done improperly, it can be debilitating.
I had it done to L4\L5 about 6 years ago and wish I had gotten it done years earlier instead of just trying to tough it out and deal with it and take meds. There are a lot of variables to be considered. Post your deets or send me a PM if you like. It was certainly not the end for me...it made things MUCH better. But like I said there's a lot to consider and results may vary.
