Here’s an x-ray of my neck. And Mark, just in case you’re wondering, the writing was stuck on the image afterwards, it’s not actually part of my being.
Note the curvature in a forward (left) direction. Is this good or bad, I’m sure you’re wondering. Good question, let’s find out.
Here’s the chart that shows you good and bad necks. Click on the image for a larger version.
I know you’re alarmed to see that a healthy neck has a curvature in a backwards leaning direction!
What does this mean for me? My neck is leaning in the wrong direction! It simply means yet more medical attention. Don’t worry, I’m used to it.
In my consultations with varying medical professionals, we suspect that it is the result of a head-plant I did on my dirt bike out at the sand dunes many years ago. I was riding my ancient ’81 Honda CR250 across some rolling dunes with Josh and Chip, and suddenly there was a big gully right in front of me. There was no way to see it in time and there was nothing I could do.
I went off the edge (it was maybe 6-10 deep), flew through the air maybe 15-20 feet straight into the other side. It was like riding into a wall. My neck initially hurt very bad, I was somewhat concerned for a moment or two.
But I was fine. Until years later, of course, when they x-rayed my neck.
Click here to see the whole Spinal Degeneration Chart.
12 Responses
October 11th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Ahhh! I can identify with you, Tom. I’ve been having treatments on my neck as well.
Karen
October 11th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
Looks like it’s a real pain in the…. Well, you know.
October 11th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
Yeeeowwwch !!!
MAN, That looks painful ! And I’m sure I’m reading the X-Ray wrong(ly), but that first ?vertibrae? looks to be missing a disc … a cushion, if you will. Obviously I’d be a lousy medic, however.
But I can’t help but wonder if the doc might be suggesting the possibility that you came closer to real catastrophe than you expected at the time.
Hope everything works out in the treatment(s).
…GM… Texas
October 11th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
Bummer. Buuuuuuuuumer.
October 11th, 2006 at 11:44 pm
I always wondered why you sang with your neck angled so far forward!
I mentioned it a couple of times, then gave up. I kind of started to wonder if that’s how it grew. Now I know the reason… :-)
October 11th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
Oh, by the way, as I type this, the two ads just underneath your header read “Pinched nerve in neck?” and “Herniated disc info”. Coincidence, GMartin?
October 12th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
ITF wrote: “And Mark, just in case you’re wondering, the writing was stuck on the image afterwards, it’s not actually part of my being.”
Mark replies: “Oh.”
Upon further thought, Mark adds: “What else was stuck on the image afterwards? Are you good with PhotoShop?”
TB wrote: “Oh, by the way, as I type this, the two ads just underneath your header read….”
Mark scrolls up and notes: “Oh, yeah? The ad now brazenly invites, Make Your Donation Today!”
You forgot the PayPal button, Tom!
Seriously, though, I hope they can fix your neck and the pain therein. And I hope you don’t over-self-medicate in a fashion reminiscient of your tooth fairy encounters.
And I hope your stress over this doesn’t cause your diabolic pressure to head south. I tried searching your blog for your last experience with that but your search feature seems not to function.
(I got home from MX last night.)
October 12th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Mark, I’m terrible with PhotoShop! Or any other image editing program. And I’m so sorry I forgot the button. Maybe I can rectify that.
I know that search feature isn’t working right now, haven’t had a chance to look at it. You might have been looking for this post.
I should clear this up, and I can see now how I might have been unintentionally misleading. At this point my neck isn’t really causing me any problems (besides singing with bad posture next to the Baritone!), it’s just the kinda thing that could cause grief sometime down the road if not properly treated.
October 12th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
Rush often talkes about “The Forhead”, so now can we assume that you will be “The Neck”? Reviewing past blogs I discouver that since your married you can dance without loosing you christianity, so now that your married, can you use that neck to go “neck and neck”, or “neck to neck”, or maybe just plain “neck”, or what ever it’s called these days? Or maybe your neck is too sore? I’m sorry for you my brother!
October 12th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Thanks for correcting your grievous error and getting that PayPal donation button up.
I clicked on it.
Alas, I got this message:
Siamo spiacenti: il servizio è temporaneamente sospeso a causa di problemi tecnici. Ti preghiamo di riprovare più tardi. Se questo errore si è verificato durante l’esecuzione di un pagamento, ti suggeriamo di accedere al tuo conto e controllarne le Attività recenti nella pagina di Informazioni generali prima di ripetere l’operazione, onde evitare l’invio di un doppio pagamento.
Now listen here, Brer ITF, don’t you go swearing at me just because I had no intention of being unduly generous.
And if you weren’t swearing, just what were you saying above?
Huh?!
di un doppio indeed — call me a dope, will ya?
October 13th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Mark Roth sez …
“..don’t go swearing at me..” & “di un doppio indeed” – “call me a dope, will ya?”
And REALLY, Tea … Must you swear at your friends in French ? Also, I think that opening “Siamo Spacenti” … (or “You penniless siamese spaceman, you”) … is just a bit uncalled for.
Sure your neck hurts.
Sure you need donations.
But why take vengence on your buds ?
…Just my distant observation – GM, Texas
October 15th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Well, “doppio” is Italian for “double”, so was he really calling you a “double dope”, Mark? My goodness.