Grounded for the Summer

Three days after my flights at Blue Sky, I carried a CD of MRI images to a neurologist. In only a couple of minutes she pointed out to me a notably bulging disk in my neck, VERY close to the spinal cord:



She told me I had congenital cervical stenosis, and that she was immediately referring me to a neurosurgeon. I saw the surgeon on April 19; he was clear that corrective surgery was called for, sooner rather than later. Beginning the interview, I had told him I had a sports activity question for him. After discussing the surgery, he was open for the sports question. I asked him about my hang gliding. He got a notably surprised look on his face, and said "That's NOT what I was expecting." He also suggested I needed to stay grounded until fully recovered from the surgery.

On the last day of April, the good doctor slit my throat and replaced two disks with a bone slurry that will harden and fuse the vertebrae. He also installed a titanium plate on the front of the spine to protect all his work. This surgery earned me two weeks of no driving and no lifting, a pocket full of Percoset, and a month off from work.



At my one month check up at the end of May, the surgeon looked at the above image, and declared all was looking excellent. He also wants to see me again in another three months, at which time we'll talk about flying. So... I remain grounded into August.

Oh, and I did give a copy of Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine to his resident to share with the surgeon!.