29. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Had a very scary consultation on Friday with my new Orthopaedic doctor Dr Rah. I went into the consultation knowing I had possibly multiple protrusions in my back. My meeting with Dr Rah confirmed I actually had 4 protrusions with my C6/7 disc in my back being the worst - 7mm!!! As Dr Rah put it “It’s not good, but I’ve seen worst. It is bad though. I would say on a scale of 1-10, its a 7 or 8.”

He went on to explain that based on my MRI I have a chronic back problem thats been manifesting for a while. Both fortunately and unfortunately for me he accounted my lack of symptoms to a high tolerance for pain and my body adjusting to the problem. Fortunate because it has allowed me to continue living a very active lifestyle…and unfortunate because my body wasn’t able to tell me something was wrong until it was really bad. I like to think of it like a person with a high tolerance for alcohol. They can drink and drink and drink and feel normal but when they take a breathalizer test they’re way over the limit. It’s a scary feeling.

What’s even scarier is Dr Rah explained that it could get worse and be very dangerous for me and it was only a few days ago I was contemplating getting back on the mat.

Dr Rah recommended I continue rehabilitation at Omega and to see him in 6 weeks. I asked him if I could get the cortisone shot to help with the pain. He wrote me a prescription but the doctor’s office that he referred me to was closed….so I was stuck with another weekend of pain.

I will be caling Dr Lin first thing in the morning and setting up my appointment for the shot. I’ll be in touch.

D

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18. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

I’ve been going to physical therapy at Omega in Thousand Oaks for a week now. Dr Sevak Khodabakhshian and his staff have been excellent. I leave PT in worse shape then when I got there but in an hour or so I’m feeling so much better. The pain after is entirely worth it. I’m able to actually sleep at night.

Here is the report from Omega:

Concerns: Acute onset neck and right arm pain
Diagnosis: 1.Cervical radiculitis (secondary to cervical disc bulge/protrusion). 2. Loss of cervical lordosis (Military Neck).
Prognosis: Fair to good

I will be in physical therapy 2x a week for the next 3 weeks. Hopefully I can make a quick recovery and get back to work.

Thanks for following me.

D

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13. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Well, I guess it’s been a long time coming. My poor posture (especially at work) has finally caught up to me. After going Urgent Care on Tuesday, the doctor diagnosed me with a trapezius strain and prescribed me some pain killers. I did some research on the net about the strain and, I’m no doctor but, I knew it was something more serious. The doctor referred me to Omega for physical therapy. I showed up for PT for the first time in my life on Wednesday and it went great. The doctor had me do a number of stretches so he could evaluate the severity of the injury. And, as I had thought, it is more than a strain. I have an MRI scheduled for Monday. I will let you all know the results when I find out. Hopefully I will be back in the gym soon.

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11. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

It’s a been a while since I’ve felt 100%. In fact my neck and back have been giving me problems for a while. Not due to jiu jitsu though. Between my horrible posture, work stress and personal stress…my neck, shoulders and back have been taking a beating.

Last week my neck and back were in pure agony….after this weekend, you can add my shoulder to the mix. The pain has become almost unbearable. If you know me, you know I almost NEVER go to the doctors. Well, yesterday I had to go to Urgent Care because it felt like someone shoved a marble behind my shoulder blade. Thats the only way I can describe it.

Will this injury stop me from my goal? Absolutely not. I plan to make a full recovery with the assistance of physical therapy. Dojo Fightgear will be represented. West Coast Jiu Jitsu will be represented. And everyone that has ever read or followed this blog will be represented…when I get back into the gym. Full force and more determined than ever. I have alot of catching up to do and I plan on competing as much as possible.

Thanks for taking time to read this. Shout outs to my peeps. The quest isn’t over. We’re just taking a detour.

Dojo Fightgear
West Coast Jiu Jitsu
Combat Fight League
Elite Photography

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8. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

With so many injuries, personal and professional events and work I was easily sidetracked on my quest for gold at Grapplers Quest in July. In fact, I never even got the chance to register. Between having a daughter in February and traveling to Roanoke twice to be with her and momma, to the launch of the Combat Fight League (partnering on the project with West Coast Jiu Jitsu) life has been a whirlwind. The injuries seem to be mounting up. I currently have some kind of kink in my neck and upper back that makes it painful to sleep or even cough. Plan to see Yanna, my massage therapist, tomorrow. Hopefully she can help.

Headed to West Coast tomorrow night…hopefully Yanna’s magical hands can solve my back and neck issues. Miss rolling and everyone else in class is getting so much better. Don’t want to be left behind.

Stay Tuned.

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