I first realized that I needed help when I stepped down from my family room into my garage and my right leg completely buckled and I fell to my hands and knees. The diagnosis offered by friends and even my primary care doctor was that it was probably sciatica. I took the recommended steps and went to physical therapy for a couple of months, and even tried a couple of cortisone shots, which were largely ineffective.
Rick: On His Feet Again
And it dawned on me that I was treating the symptoms and not the problem itself. So in discussing this with an old friend who had been a patient of Doctor Kim's, I decided that I should check him out. He had prescribed some imaging ahead of time, and when he looked at the images and drew a picture of my lumbar spine with its deteriorated discs, he said, “I think I can help you.” And I was overjoyed to hear that. Up to this point, I was unable to walk around the block or to even stand for any length of time. That didn't seem to me to be the way I wanted to spend the rest of my life. So I jumped at the chance to have Doctor Kim try to give me the help that he suggested.
Within a couple of months I was up and around like my old self. I began to understand how the Bionic Man felt! And best of all, I was able to interact athletically with my grandchildren. I can now play sports with them and teach them. After all, I am a retired teacher who was a coach for decades. I’m no longer just standing there as a spectator. And that gives me great joy.