Rhino
10-02-14, 3:23 pm
What's up forum? This is my story, not the warm fuzzy good night story but my journey back from near extinction. Let me preface this by saying I have been bodybuilding and powerlifiting since I was 13 years old and I can now say that it has saved my life. I'm not the strongest or have the best condition all the time but by being in shape saved me from having to be in a wheelchair the rest of my life.
My near extinction came about because of a case of food poisoning. I was sick for a day and didn't realize that I was severely dehydrated. Because of my dehydration I ended up blacking out and cracking my head on the end of my end table in my living room. Lucky me I wake up with a knot on my head, a huge headache, and nausea. I knew these to be the symptoms of a concussion. I've had them before and thought nothing of it. Went to the Doc the next day got a CT scan and x-rays and yup concussion. Doc says after a few days i should be ok. Dam was he wrong! Over the next few days I end up coming down with some crazy symptoms. I cant stand bright light, I have a headache all night and day, I developed migraines, can't read or write, my short term memory takes a shit and to top it off insomnia. I go back tell him whats up, he tells me i now suffer from post concussion syndrome. I said what the fuck is that?! It's a intensification of concussion symptoms that can last from days to years after brain trauma. Well this definitely wasn't my first which is why this might have happened. Fast forward a few more weeks, a shit load of tests and meds later still no better. Then comes the night of May 5th 2012... I start to get a migraine, i take my meds to stop it, but it wasn't enough. I got hit with a migraine so bad that as i stand up to try and get to bed I black out again. Only thing is this time I fall backwards and crack the back of my skull right where it meets the C-1/C-2 vertebra in my neck. I get up sometime later and make it to the couch. my wife finds me as she's getting up for work at 4 in the morning. Off to ER we go. another concussion, a knot on the back of my head that goes from over my left ear down to my neck. The big thing here is my head is now pinned to my right shoulder, I can no longer walk or move around with out help from about 3-4 people oh ya and all the post concussion things just got cranked up to an 11. Talk about being in a dark fucked up reality. The bright note as I'm start going to all the doctors under the sun, they all say the same thing, if i wasn't in as great a shape as i was and have all the muscle i have, I would probably be a quadriplegic or dead.
This is where i start my come back. After a lot of meds, doctors and tests we start to try and fix me. All i can say is i started Physical Therapy on June 18th 2012 at JFK hospital in Edison. This whole time, I was in complete denial about everything, I was also extremely depressed. I don't care who you are trying to be positive in times like that is dam near impossible. I tried walking into therapy that first day under my own strength, but that wasn't the best idea. I got to one of the treatment tables with the help of my two canes , my mother, brother and 5 physical therapists. Needless to say I ended up in a wheel chair from that day going forward. come to think of it, my first concussion happened the week after the Cage 2012. I dont remember much of that weekend other than some pictures i took and the t's i bought at the cage. Anyway, back at the ranch. That started my journey back. I went to PT 3x a week for over an hour each time, plus a crazy schd of home PT, modalities, stretches everyday. I had to stretch in bed for over an hour every morning just to be able to get out of bed to my chair.
Well here's goes part 2.
Therapy was painful, most people would have walked away or dreading going 3x a week, me, like every other lifter enjoyed the pain...sorta. I enjoyed and feared it but in the end it all helped, every agonizing hour of it. This went on for months. But in my mind getting a little better each day, weather it be holding my head straighter or being able to sit on the toilet by my self. A short term goal that I and everyone else gave me was to attend the Arnold in 2013. I worked harder and harder just to make it there and to the cage. I've made the trek to C-bus every year since 2000, I wanted to keep my streak going. But I order for this to take place I had to be able to build up my stamina enough where I wouldn't need to go see my therapist for more than 72 hrs. Needless to say I did it and made the2013 CAGE. Me and my brother even made it into the background of the CAGE DVD that was made that year. No bullshit, I had a tear in my eye when I rolled up to the cage and was able to grab that cold chain link. My work wasn't finished, it was just beginning. I got to talk to my Animal family that weekend, Higa-Monster, Ox, Naturalguy1, G-Diesel, P-Diesel, VinnyG, like always I got nothing but encouragement, well wishes, ideas, and some supplement and food advise. It meant more than those guys know. I don't care who you are, trying to stay positive day after day when it seems everything is going in slow motion and results come further and further apart is hard to do. But talking with the Animal Famliy made a huge difference. When I got back I worked harder, and it payed off. My Docs told me to start taking supplements, a smile crossed my face when I asked like what? Omega 3-6-9, bcaa's, glutamine, multi-vitamins, ZMA, ginkgo to name a few. I asked what about Taking the animal products? With a puzzled look I pulled out my phone and showed the dr all the packs. He said yes! I once again started taking Animal Omega, Animal Pak, Animal PM, Animal Nitro, Animal Flex, Universal Pro&oats, Universal fish oil& glutamine, Atomic 7. I was taking just Pak and omega long before he said ok but with the ok I kicked it up.
A few months after the 2013 cage my therapist gave me great news. She said I need to find a gym and start additional weight training. That was the best news I got in a long time, I got the ok to go back to my other home,Diamond gym. After therapy that day my wife drove me right there and I got to sit down and talk to Dwanye about my situation. Being as awesome as always we set it up for me to get in and around to Do Work! About a week later I got to work out with my brother and set up a solid routine with the help of my therapist. It worked! The supplements, work outs and energy in Diamond just kept stoking the fire of my recovery. I progressed and I pushed, I was able to walk with my walker more and more. Plus I found out that wearing Vibram 5 fingers improved my walking more than anything else, because I had a problem feeling the floor. Later in the summer Animal held an ABC in Diamond. That was the first anything I was able to go to by my self since my accident. Again all I got was nothing but encouragement, wisdom, and well wishes from my Animal family. I kept pushing. That December I was fitted for lower leg brace and orthotics. These allowed me to start to transition back into semi normal sneakers. Reebok cross fit because of the 4mm heel toe drop and no extra cushion.
This brace plus final being able to start reading again because of meds allowed me to start reading articles on the forum again. I had had another forum name but I forgot all the info and had to make a new one. I choose Rhino because everyone said when I walked around I looked like blind baby rhino, big and uncontrollable. Plus the rhino is on the verge of extinction, but trying to make a come back with a lot of backing from people who truly care.
Anyway, my story is not done just yet, I'll finish in a little.
My near extinction came about because of a case of food poisoning. I was sick for a day and didn't realize that I was severely dehydrated. Because of my dehydration I ended up blacking out and cracking my head on the end of my end table in my living room. Lucky me I wake up with a knot on my head, a huge headache, and nausea. I knew these to be the symptoms of a concussion. I've had them before and thought nothing of it. Went to the Doc the next day got a CT scan and x-rays and yup concussion. Doc says after a few days i should be ok. Dam was he wrong! Over the next few days I end up coming down with some crazy symptoms. I cant stand bright light, I have a headache all night and day, I developed migraines, can't read or write, my short term memory takes a shit and to top it off insomnia. I go back tell him whats up, he tells me i now suffer from post concussion syndrome. I said what the fuck is that?! It's a intensification of concussion symptoms that can last from days to years after brain trauma. Well this definitely wasn't my first which is why this might have happened. Fast forward a few more weeks, a shit load of tests and meds later still no better. Then comes the night of May 5th 2012... I start to get a migraine, i take my meds to stop it, but it wasn't enough. I got hit with a migraine so bad that as i stand up to try and get to bed I black out again. Only thing is this time I fall backwards and crack the back of my skull right where it meets the C-1/C-2 vertebra in my neck. I get up sometime later and make it to the couch. my wife finds me as she's getting up for work at 4 in the morning. Off to ER we go. another concussion, a knot on the back of my head that goes from over my left ear down to my neck. The big thing here is my head is now pinned to my right shoulder, I can no longer walk or move around with out help from about 3-4 people oh ya and all the post concussion things just got cranked up to an 11. Talk about being in a dark fucked up reality. The bright note as I'm start going to all the doctors under the sun, they all say the same thing, if i wasn't in as great a shape as i was and have all the muscle i have, I would probably be a quadriplegic or dead.
This is where i start my come back. After a lot of meds, doctors and tests we start to try and fix me. All i can say is i started Physical Therapy on June 18th 2012 at JFK hospital in Edison. This whole time, I was in complete denial about everything, I was also extremely depressed. I don't care who you are trying to be positive in times like that is dam near impossible. I tried walking into therapy that first day under my own strength, but that wasn't the best idea. I got to one of the treatment tables with the help of my two canes , my mother, brother and 5 physical therapists. Needless to say I ended up in a wheel chair from that day going forward. come to think of it, my first concussion happened the week after the Cage 2012. I dont remember much of that weekend other than some pictures i took and the t's i bought at the cage. Anyway, back at the ranch. That started my journey back. I went to PT 3x a week for over an hour each time, plus a crazy schd of home PT, modalities, stretches everyday. I had to stretch in bed for over an hour every morning just to be able to get out of bed to my chair.
Well here's goes part 2.
Therapy was painful, most people would have walked away or dreading going 3x a week, me, like every other lifter enjoyed the pain...sorta. I enjoyed and feared it but in the end it all helped, every agonizing hour of it. This went on for months. But in my mind getting a little better each day, weather it be holding my head straighter or being able to sit on the toilet by my self. A short term goal that I and everyone else gave me was to attend the Arnold in 2013. I worked harder and harder just to make it there and to the cage. I've made the trek to C-bus every year since 2000, I wanted to keep my streak going. But I order for this to take place I had to be able to build up my stamina enough where I wouldn't need to go see my therapist for more than 72 hrs. Needless to say I did it and made the2013 CAGE. Me and my brother even made it into the background of the CAGE DVD that was made that year. No bullshit, I had a tear in my eye when I rolled up to the cage and was able to grab that cold chain link. My work wasn't finished, it was just beginning. I got to talk to my Animal family that weekend, Higa-Monster, Ox, Naturalguy1, G-Diesel, P-Diesel, VinnyG, like always I got nothing but encouragement, well wishes, ideas, and some supplement and food advise. It meant more than those guys know. I don't care who you are, trying to stay positive day after day when it seems everything is going in slow motion and results come further and further apart is hard to do. But talking with the Animal Famliy made a huge difference. When I got back I worked harder, and it payed off. My Docs told me to start taking supplements, a smile crossed my face when I asked like what? Omega 3-6-9, bcaa's, glutamine, multi-vitamins, ZMA, ginkgo to name a few. I asked what about Taking the animal products? With a puzzled look I pulled out my phone and showed the dr all the packs. He said yes! I once again started taking Animal Omega, Animal Pak, Animal PM, Animal Nitro, Animal Flex, Universal Pro&oats, Universal fish oil& glutamine, Atomic 7. I was taking just Pak and omega long before he said ok but with the ok I kicked it up.
A few months after the 2013 cage my therapist gave me great news. She said I need to find a gym and start additional weight training. That was the best news I got in a long time, I got the ok to go back to my other home,Diamond gym. After therapy that day my wife drove me right there and I got to sit down and talk to Dwanye about my situation. Being as awesome as always we set it up for me to get in and around to Do Work! About a week later I got to work out with my brother and set up a solid routine with the help of my therapist. It worked! The supplements, work outs and energy in Diamond just kept stoking the fire of my recovery. I progressed and I pushed, I was able to walk with my walker more and more. Plus I found out that wearing Vibram 5 fingers improved my walking more than anything else, because I had a problem feeling the floor. Later in the summer Animal held an ABC in Diamond. That was the first anything I was able to go to by my self since my accident. Again all I got was nothing but encouragement, wisdom, and well wishes from my Animal family. I kept pushing. That December I was fitted for lower leg brace and orthotics. These allowed me to start to transition back into semi normal sneakers. Reebok cross fit because of the 4mm heel toe drop and no extra cushion.
This brace plus final being able to start reading again because of meds allowed me to start reading articles on the forum again. I had had another forum name but I forgot all the info and had to make a new one. I choose Rhino because everyone said when I walked around I looked like blind baby rhino, big and uncontrollable. Plus the rhino is on the verge of extinction, but trying to make a come back with a lot of backing from people who truly care.
Anyway, my story is not done just yet, I'll finish in a little.