The phrases “permanent injury” and “surgery recommended” and “you’ve reached maximum medical improvement” were all uttered to me 17 months ago. I’ve since recovered 100% with the rehab plan documented on this blog. It paid off and I now have more goal-setting drive than I did before the injury.

I passed on surgery last summer but realized just this week why I made that decision. There were some obvious reasons for me to shy away. Most people I know who have elected for surgery still have back pain. Doctor’s couldn’t promise my back pain would be eliminated with surgery. It also seems to me that your first back surgery is the gateway to a cadence of future surgeries. I’m 45 now with lots of life to live; I can’t be burdened by surgery. I don’t have time for it. But there was a larger reason, deep down inside.

Ultimately, I knew surgery would prevent me from reaching my true potential. With surgery, I’m not running 30+ miles every week. With surgery, I’m not training to become a DDP Yoga instructor. With surgery, I would have given up on dreams such as qualifying for the Boston Marathon. With surgery, I knew my best running days would be behind me. I would lose the ability to break my previous records. I was in the best shape of my life (at that time) and surgery meant I would never eclipse that level. Surgery would be a dream killer.

When the diagnosis came down, I began goal writing. I knew setting crazy goals like 1,000-day running/fitness streaks and qualifying for the Boston Marathon (before June 2025) would require hard work. My injury situation added a layer of difficulty for these goals. Not only did I need to put the work in to execute, but I would also have to rehab my body while doing so. I would need to give my body regular tune-ups with DDP Yoga. I would need to make time for cryotherapy and compression therapy sessions. But I wanted those goals so bad, it gave me the drive to put in the effort. It gave me the drive to make time for all the tedious work.

I’m on day 357 of the running/fitness streak and take a step closer towards qualifying for Boston each day. I’m also focused on completing several ultra-marathons over the next two years. The dedication I’ve put into rehab has spilled over into prioritizing other goals in my life. The payoff from the work has taught me a lot about myself and my world view. None of this happens with surgery.

Best decision ever. Potential intact.

Go get it.