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Post by Shan Decker on Oct 5, 2012 15:26:54 GMT -5
It is with much sadness that I have to announce that I am officially retired. I hurt myself at work a couple months ago and had to have an MRI. They said I have 2 discs that are disentegrated badly and 2 bulging discs. They said it looks like an 80 year olds back. I have some numbness in my feet and legs. I have had a wonderful time and met some great people over the years in this sport. Although I usually lost more than I won I always tried to give it 110% And if I cant do that anymore then it is time to step down.I will be at local tournaments and maybe I can do a little reffing if wanted or needed. Thanks again everyone,Shan. P.S. Im sorry that Engin will have to take the time to redo the World standings now LOL.
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Post by Pete & Tim on Oct 5, 2012 15:41:47 GMT -5
Tim B again Dont throw it in yet, both myself and Ron K have broken our backs. I have 1 broken vertbra 1 fractured and 1 crushed compresed. Ron K is evan worse he destroyed his back in car crash, lost 3 inches in hight,so there is hope so keep on going!!!
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Post by Casey Szparaga on Oct 5, 2012 15:45:11 GMT -5
Shan,
Hang in there buddy, who knows.
Stay in touch.
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Post by John Wilson on Oct 5, 2012 15:47:01 GMT -5
Wow, Shan. That's hard to hear. Hopefully you will stay a part of the sport. I'm always happy when I see you at events. Maybe the two of us will go on reffing for a long time to come.
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Post by Jacob Hale on Oct 5, 2012 15:51:12 GMT -5
Shan!!! Keep your head up buddy. As Tim B said, you never know how you may heal. Get well soon man. On a selfish note: I want my training partner back!!!!
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Post by Shawn Lattimer on Oct 5, 2012 19:37:48 GMT -5
Disc problems don't mean the end. I have 9 damaged disks altogether. All of my lumbar disks are herniated. I've had to change a lot of things over the years in my training, and re-learn how to manage a lot of day to day things. Plus I'm keeping my chiropractor wealthy.
But I keep on going, because otherwise I'd be bored a lot and wind up even fatter than I already am.
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Josh McEllrath
Gold Member
National Champion
PNW Armwreckers
Posts: 508
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Post by Josh McEllrath on Oct 5, 2012 20:02:30 GMT -5
Shan, a doctor is always going to say your back is totally jacked. They have BMW's, vacations, and fake boobs to buy for their old ladies. I bet you if you walk into a barber shop an ask if you need a haircut, they will always say yes. I have had back surgery, I still don't have 100% feeling in my legs. The point that changed the way I look at my back was when realized that surgery and modern medicine are actually creating their own separate set of problems on top of the problems that brought me into their office in the first place. I quit allowing doctors to dictate a plan to me and found a doctor who allowed me to help make informed decisions about my own care. Start reading up on your specific conditions, and what methods of treatment are available to you other than surgery. I recommend you start reading a few books written by Dr John Sarno, and Robin McKenzie. Educate yourself and you can treat your condition slowly but surely with a doctors help. Sounds crazy, but without these books I wouldn't be where I am today. I was literally minutes away from putting a pistol in my mouth, I have never felt pain like this before...and it never quit. I ate pain pills like M&M's to no avail, the only thing that clicked in my head was changing how I viewed my position on this injury. Sounds crazy but it worked!!
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Post by John Wilson on Oct 5, 2012 20:35:27 GMT -5
^ That's pretty much awesome.
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Post by Brent Norris on Oct 5, 2012 21:39:51 GMT -5
Retirement is temporary. Before I even started training 10 years ago I hurt my back with a bull rider chick I met at a dance club one night. Yeah, it was a chick.. Next morning I couldn't move. I couldn't rollover in bed for 2 weeks! Had x-rays done and my spine looked like an S. They hadn't seen one much like it before. Took a few months but, no surgery and I was back to normal. At get a couple of opinions. Not saying you don't need surgery but, some doctors/hospitals are too quick to cut someone.
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Post by John Wilson on Oct 5, 2012 22:14:08 GMT -5
Shan, I haven't a clue what your diagnosis is. But for what it's worth, a used inversion table that cost me fifty bucks has been HUGE for me. Call it "poor man's spinal decompression."
Speaking of which, if this is a work related injury you should be able to get actual spinal decompression treatments paid for. Look into it. The results can be near magical- if you are a candidate for it. Ask a Chiro who does decompression for an evaluation. Your MD will usually want to cut on you, as Brent just said. As long as I could walk on my own, I would personally not cut on my back or neck. But that's me.
Josh's story is worth a million bucks. If I were you I'd be talking to him a lot.
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Post by Shan Decker on Oct 6, 2012 8:31:12 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for your posts. I dont want to quit at all. I will try and work through it . How can I not after what everyone has shared. I will take it slow and see what happens. Ya'll are all awesome. Thats what makes armwrestling the best sport in the world.
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Post by Michael Connors Sr on Oct 9, 2012 8:46:26 GMT -5
Shan, Hang in there, I have had 4 back surgery's, total fusion of my lower lumbar and it didn't hurt my ranking a bit. I am still ranked about 300th in the 242 lb class in Maryland.
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Post by Glenn Brooks on Oct 9, 2012 16:14:09 GMT -5
Hey Shan, for what it's worth my back is outa whack to. No one knows your pain/problem like you do, but I like others have said, manage to keep on pulling. My Dr. told me I'll just have to get used to the pain. I did want to go up side his head and tell him the same tho.
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Post by Sammie Hattabaugh Jr on Oct 13, 2012 4:04:27 GMT -5
Shan My dentist had your problem and he miss 4 months work. It's a good thing that he had a good friend to keep his practice going while he was recovering. He went to doctors and to the chiropractor and the all said surgery. The chiropractor couldn't help him either. He used the inversion table and it took time but he is back at the practice doing fine. All of that bending over and no pain.All of his bulging disc are gone. It just takes time. That same chiropractor that he went to with no results has kept my spine and My body in great shape. Go figure what works for some may not works for others. I would try the inversion table if I had back problems well before I would do surgery.
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Post by Shan Decker on Oct 13, 2012 12:17:43 GMT -5
Thanks for everybodies reply. I exercised for the first time the other day. Just doing some push ups against a counter and light things like that. Gonna pull today with John Rose and see how it feels. Im gonna work through it. Thanks for all the good advice everyone. Yall are the best.
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