Philip said:
:The doc I saw this week said IF i can ride again it may be at least a couple of years, and that is not what I wanted to hear. We will see what the other docs have to say. :|
Ten years ago I blew-out my L5 disc. Since I was young (at the time) my doctor prescribed intensive physical therapy for me. After many months I felt much better and was looking forward to participating in normal activities.
I asked the doctor “what activities should I avoid, and what should I do?”
He replied “Do exercise, it’s the most important thing you can do. But listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do. Use your head, but don’t expect to be able to run a marathon or anything like that.”
The next day I started training for my first marathon. It took me four years to get there, but I did it.
My point is this: the doctor is going to give you the most conservative answer possible. They want you to build a cocoon of safety around yourself. Riding motorcycles, skiing, skate boarding…these are all activities that they see people having trouble with – and they believe that “normal” people should avoid them, let alone those with known physical problems.
If you enjoy riding, and want to get back into it, you should. But be smart about it. When you are ready you can begin to participate in certain aspects of the sport. If you have trouble kick-starting the bike, get a bike with an electric start. If standing is a problem, find exercises that will help you stand while you ride. In a few years you might be able to enjoy the sport as you did before your injury. Maybe you’ll enjoy it in another way that you never even considered.
Make a realistic but flexible goal. Start slow. You will make progress and you will have setbacks. That’s what makes it challenging. That’s what makes it fun. That’s what makes it worthwhile.
To paraphrase John F. Kennedy: “We choose to do this thing, not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”