A Good Golf Year Ruined

[Clambake]

Last year, I worked hard on my ball striking with a goal to get to single digits at the start of '09, and in January I hit 9.6 index. This year I had two goals: take 3 strokes off by the end of the year, and play Pebble and Spyglass for the first time. Goals achieved - I had a fantastic time at Pebble in July, breaking 80 on a beautiful Monterey summer day, and am now at a 6.0 index. I was really looking forward to next year, and set the goal to do a lot of short game practice this winter to shore up the now-weakest part of my game. At age 51, I'm planning to retire in 1-2 years, and having the golf game come together was part of the plan. Then came the pain.

Over the last 3-4 months, I've had a mild tingling pain in the lower right leg, but it seemed if I backed off activity a little it went away fine, and golf didn't bother it at all. Then a couple weeks ago, it turned severe and frequent, with excruciating pain attacks hitting several times a day. After a couple MRI's and doctor appointments later, I'm pumped full of Vicodin and am having surgery next week to remove a lesion on my thorasic spine that is pinching the spinal cord. The prognosis is unknown, but even in the best case I'm looking at a few months of recovery to get back proper leg function, and will not likely be back on the golf course until next summer. It suddenly makes missing a few putts seem pretty trivial.

One amusing irony - my last round of golf was on Torrey Pines South, and while in my neurosurgeon's office yesterday I realized his window overlooks the 9th fairway at Torrey. I told him the goal was to get me out of his office and out there before the San Diego Open (as a spectator at least!)

So in the meantime I'll be watching a lot of Golf Channel and living golf vicariously through the Sand Trap - I'm very thankful for broadband and HDTV!

[McGolf-Doggie]

I feel for you, that's very rough.

You have company. I'd been playing 9 holes (to anywhere between 42 and 50) all year except one tourney and goal was to play and 18 before December and break 100. But 2 herniated discs in my neck have flared up and it's pain from neck to wrist along my left arm. Doubt I'll need surgery, but the last time it took months of acupuncture and rest to get it back to about 90%.

I may follow you and add the Golf Channel.

[RIduffer]

I'm sorry to hear you're on the DL for a while, but you sound like a very determined person and I'm sure you will recover quickly. Definitely has to be frustrating when you are obviously on such a roll with your game.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[PiustheDrGolf]

Well.
My dad had a surgery for lung cancer few years ago and couldn't play for 6 months since his few ribs had to be removed. While his recovery time (probably after 3 or 4 months later), he did a lot of stretching like yoga. Now he is at 70 yrs old and his hcp got down to 4, 3 less than before his surgery.

You will do just fine. Maybe next time when I go to my parent's home (San Diego), would you care for a round at TP South?

[flopdarock]

youre a goal setter and achiever... you'll get there... hope you get well soon!
ill tee a few up for you in the mean time

[montru]

I know your pain man, I got my game down to around 15 and was probably going lower, then back in Feb i blew my knee and had to have surgery on a torn meniscus.
After about three months off and then a lot of family stuff going on whick took care of most of the summer, and that why I have'nt been on here for a while, I finally picked up my sticks in September and have been playing 2-3 times a week and am now back to 15.8 and on the odd occasion playing below that.

You sound like a very driven and determined guy so I'm sure you will back out there soon but the trick is don't rush it, especially after surgery, start off chipping a few balls around the house etc, but I'm sure you already know that lol

Good luck

[Doctorfro]

I'm having some hip pain and I'm worried what I'll find when I visit the dr.

[bogeyhitter25]

I'm sorry to hear about this. Hope the surgery goes well, and you can hit the links soon.

[Clambake]

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts, and sorry to hear about other's troubles as well. This "getting old" thing kind of sucks, but it beats the alternative!!!

[ZEUS]

Stay mentally strong. I wish you the best in health

[Clambake]

Thanks again to all for the kind words of encouragement. I had my surgery on Friday, and am finding that back surgery is very painful - it's going to take a while to get back to swinging! But thought you all might enjoy a little irony: I was hospitalized at Scripps at Torrey Pines, and from what the doctors and nurses said I got lucky and had one of the best rooms in the hospital - 4th floor large private room with a wonderful view out over the Torrey Pines South course (right above the ninth hole), able to watch the golfers on at least 4-5 holes, plus the hang gliders and lovely ocean view. Following the rains we've just had in San Diego, the course was a brilliant green, the sky was really clear, and the ocean was a dark stunning blue. I was almost sorry I had to check out yesterday! It was clearly a good motivator, and I cannot wait to get back out on Torrey again soon.

[Saig55]

Clambake, good luck on your recovery. I am having shoulder surgery on Jan 8 and will be out of commision for about a month. I hope less.

I too am over 50 and feel the pain.

[Clambake]

Siag55, I wish you all the luck on your surgery as well. While it will no doubt be a bit tough to recovery and the rehab won't be enjoyable, having the goals to get back on the course are a wonderful motivator! Hope it goes great!

[Lefty-Golfer]

Thanks again to all for the kind words of encouragement. I had my surgery on Friday, and am finding that back surgery is very painful - it's going to take a while to get back to swinging! But thought you all might enjoy a little irony: I was hospitalized at Scripps at Torrey Pines, and from what the doctors and nurses said I got lucky and had one of the best rooms in the hospital - 4th floor large private room with a wonderful view out over the Torrey Pines South course (right above the ninth hole), able to watch the golfers on at least 4-5 holes, plus the hang gliders and lovely ocean view. Following the rains we've just had in San Diego, the course was a brilliant green, the sky was really clear, and the ocean was a dark stunning blue. I was almost sorry I had to check out yesterday! It was clearly a good motivator, and I cannot wait to get back out on Torrey again soon.

Atta boy glad to hear you checked out!!!

[Gerardv]

I have been through this exact situation - well, actually my tumor was on my cervical spine and there was one on the brachial plexus. It took almost 7 years for me to get back to playing full-time again because I also had several brain tumors dealt with as well.

Your doctors will assume that just walking and living a normal life without golf is good enough. Don't let them convince you it is. I was told all kinds of things, one being that I would never play golf to the level I did before. Well, I told them I would, and have been able to play more during the last 18 months and should be back to my pre-gimp level soon.

Your friends will tell you playing golf doesn't matter or that you should be happy to be up and around. Tell them to mind their own business, in a nice way. Getting through this won't be easy, but you can do it without a problem.

Good luck and if you ever need someone to talk to, drop me a PM. Having been through it, I will gladly help however I can.

[Clambake]

GerardV -

Thanks for the note, and what I'm going through pales with what you had to do. You're focus and drive is an inspiration for all of us, and I'm similarly going to attack this with all I can. My therapist has indicated that I might start swinging a club lightly in a couple months, and I will do just that. I'm lucky that I haven't seem to lost any other motor skills from the surgery, so it looks like mostly a matter of controlling pain and rebuilding the core muscle strength impacted from the surgery, and then killing off the little tumor.

I'm inherently a stubborn person and convinced that I can do things better and faster than anyone (often a character flaw, but in this case hopefully a benefit!). I'm going to enjoy being out on Torrey to walk the San Diego Open in February, and will certainly be out walking Pebble for the Open this June. In the meantime, my spring well be filled with short game practice and I know i will be out playing again a little this spring and hopefully pretty full time again in the summer, and I absolutely expect to not lose the progress I worked so hard on over the last couple years. I may be naive, but I figure that commitment and stubborness are the best way to counteract the doctor's natural caution (which is probably well warranted in this litgious age), and I would love nothing more than to prove any of their pessimism wrong. I'm also lucky to have the encouragement of good friends and playing partners who are more than willing to help push me and not let me settle for just being mobile again.

I truly feel deeply for all the others who have gone through golf-inhibiting injury, and am inspired by your efforts to get it back. In comparison, my problems are pretty minor and expected to be manageabe. I view that golf is such a fantastic game that can and should enhance all of of lives right up to our last breath, and I'm going to make sure I'm one of those people!

[Gerardv]

Stubborn is good.

[Chas]

Best wishes with the rehab and keep us posted. Maybe I'll see you at Torrey in February, it's going to need our support it seems (actually bookings aren't that much down - yet). Great description of the view from your room at Scripps overlooking the 9th. I drive by the Scripps on the way to work every day (heading south) - it blocks that splendid view you had but that's OK, better for patients to get the benefit.

Yes, this sort of thing does make you more understanding of the physical trials of others. Nothing like an intent-to-cure course of combination chemotherapy (at the other Scripps just down the hill) to help you understand what advanced diabetes must do to peripheral nerves (paresthesia).

I still remember your posts about your visit to Pebble. You continue to inspire. "Attack" certainly, as I did coming out of chemo+rads, but be patient with yourself as well. Some things just take time, not unlike my short game in fact.