Tacenda Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 My nephew came home early from his mission in Florida. He'd been out for a little over a year. He experienced severe back spasms while riding his bike. He tried to keep going and live with it but the pain was so bad he was down on his back for 4 weeks before he was finally sent home. The doctor from home ran all kinds of tests and has concluded it is from riding his bike so much on his mission. The doctor (member of the church) wrote a letter to the church to inform them that it is from the bike riding. Luckily my sister isn't saddled with the astronomical medical bills and the church insurance is going to cover alot of it, thank goodness. He is still suffering, and has had physical therapy and now massage therapy. He is on pain meds to deal with it and doesn't sleep well. But wants to eventually return and serve the rest of the mission, but he probably won't go to Florida again. Has anyone ever heard of this happening to a missionary before? It's the first time I've heard of it. Link to comment
Duncan Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 My nephew came home early from his mission in Florida. He'd been out for a little over a year. He experienced severe back spasms while riding his bike. He tried to keep going and live with it but the pain was so bad he was down on his back for 4 weeks before he was finally sent home.The doctor from home ran all kinds of tests and has concluded it is from riding his bike so much on his mission. The doctor (member of the church) wrote a letter to the church to inform them that it is from the bike riding. Luckily my sister isn't saddled with the astronomical medical bills and the church insurance is going to cover alot of it, thank goodness.He is still suffering, and has had physical therapy and now massage therapy. He is on pain meds to deal with it and doesn't sleep well. But wants to eventually return and serve the rest of the mission, but he probably won't go to Florida again. Has anyone ever heard of this happening to a missionary before? It's the first time I've heard of it.yes, but it is a long, long story-happened to my companion who incidentally was from Florida! Orlando area Link to comment
Buzzard Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Funny, bike riding got me in the best shape of my life before or since. Goes to show how different each of our bodies are, I suppose. Link to comment
jana at jade house Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Gosh, what a sad story! In the Netherlands missionaries most generally walk or bike a lot. The worst that usually happens is to their suit pants, which I call "bike butt" requiring clever patching from yours truly. The other injury is to their cuffs which they get "chain chewed." Injury to the body usually happens when an elder decides to go all cowboy and gets road rash. The difference might be is that the Netherlands is flat as a pancake. And every ward has members who will pointout if a bike is too big or too small for an elder. We are bike ridin' folks here all our life long. Even me!! 1 Link to comment
Deborah Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/How-to-Avoid-Lower-Back-Pain-While-Cycling.htm Link to comment
Gohan Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I don't think I ever saw a back injury from biking, we had mostly knee problems that developed or were exacerbated by it. I know that mine acted up for a while.Prayers for his recovery though, hope that he able to go back out in the field like he wants to. :-) Link to comment
Tacenda Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 Thanks for your comments, article and well wishes everyone! Maybe my nephews bike was ill suited to him or other variables. I just feel for the poor kid.In fact my son's letters while on his mission, short little paragraphs, hardly any information, were nothing like the ones I'd read from my nephew which were rich with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But my son was an awesome missionary but may not have that side to him.I don't want to embarrass my nephew (he would no way be on this board, I hope) but he is incredibly sweet. There was this homeless family in Florida that wanted to visit Utah. My nephew then proceeds to email his parents, and tell them that this homeless family will need a place to stay for awhile and can they stay there? Also, he picked up a stray dog and brought it back to the apartment to take care of. Well the mission president found out and then my cute nephew proceeds to ask my sister if he can send it back home for them to take care of until he comes home. Luckily for my sister, the mission president intercedes and finds a home for the dog elsewhere in Florida. Link to comment
thesometimesaint Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I'll pray for his speedy recovery. Yes I've heard of a few young men completing their Mission after a short medical level. It is not common however. Link to comment
rpn Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 When the bike is the wrong sized or ridden in ways that twist the body, there can be problems. Usually a person would just take the bike to a bikeshop where someone could tell them what to do differently. But an elder might not have known to do that, or the bike shop might not have figured out the problem. Link to comment
ERMD Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Unclear how in this situation a doctor could look at test results (MRI, CT?) and determine that a specific activity over time was the cause.Regardless, hope he gets better. Link to comment
Tacenda Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Unclear how in this situation a doctor could look at test results (MRI, CT?) and determine that a specific activity over time was the cause.Regardless, hope he gets better.I was surprised that it could stem from bike riding also. Thank you for your comment about his getting better! Link to comment
rodheadlee Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 They need to use the "comfort" style of bicycle and adjust the seat and handle bars so you ride sitting upright. I have a bad back and I've been riding lately and it doesn't hurt at all.I hope your nephew gest better, having a bad back is miserable. Link to comment
Libs Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 That sounds very painful, Tacenda. Hope your nephew recovers quickly! Link to comment
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