I've known Ray the best part of 12 years now and he's regularly dropped by for a few weeks stay every year on his travels between Perth and Vietnam. We share much in common and this Manchester United supporter forgives him for being a Liverpool Football Club supporter simply for the warmth and depth of his friendship.
Besides both of us being Taureans and having a passion for football, Ray and I share one more thing - a pain in the back. Well, more precisely, we share a medical condition with the full, daunting, name of Ankylosing Spondylitis. AS can be described as an immune system disorder where the body believes something is wrong and creates inflammation in the joints with the good intention of slowing you down while it fixes itself. The trouble of course, is that there isn't anything wrong so the inflammation becomes a hindrance and in more extreme cases, damaging to your joints.
Ray was treated for back pain for years before finally being accurately diagnosed with AS. His journey has lead him through two hip replacements and a host of other issues. Coincidentally, my own back pain was attended to over a period of about 5 years by a couple of doctors and a well-known chiropractor who all gave different diagnoses and recommended treatments that never offered long-term relief.
My own battle with AS is nowhere near as admirable as Ray's though: I have problems with my ankles and wrists and my back is as stiff as a board usually, and I am used to the persistent pain that afflicts all AS sufferers. Still, I have not had to deal with joint replacements or reconstructive surgery to correct the ravages of extra bone formation.
The paradoxical thing about AS is the recommended treatment - exercise. Apparently contrary to common sense, an AS sufferer is best served by working against the pain and keeping in motion as much as possible. Working against the inflammation seemingly confuses the immune system into thinking nothing's wrong after all and the inflammation is then held in check.
In this respect, Ray has been exemplary. A recent bicycle ride through Vietnam was perhaps his third. I don't share his view of AS as an insidious, evil foe to be battled. I am probably much more even-tempered in my opinion of AS. Still, I cannot but have the utmost respect for someone who has chosen to tackle a debilitating disease with sheer will power and grit.
Ray's rides through Vietnam and his other adventures (hitch-hiking through the Sahara, anyone?) have always inspired me and when this gnat began to seriously consider Celebrate Malaysia!, I naturally turned to Ray for advice and encouragement - and both were in no short supply and deeply appreciated.
AS is not as uncommon as you might think and I'd encourage anyone with persistent back pain, or pain in the joints, to read up on AS (I've included a link to the National AS Society of the UK) and seek a doctor's opinion on whether you might be suffering from AS. If you are, fear not - be active and be well.
Ray Webster and a Mancunian, Stuart Garner, in Vietnam. See? Man Utd and Liverpool supporters can be friends!
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2 comments:
Thanks for this post. There are many people in the world who must deal with AS, and it is not easy. But I am certain that each person, like your friend Ray, can rise above it.
Hey Dan,
Thanks for your comment and your link which is gratefully accepted. There are indeed many AS sufferers all over the world and the tragedy is many are never properly diagnosed. I've had medical professionals tell me about muscle spasms and other things. I put up with it for 5 years before my GP (whom I had not seen regularly and never for back pain before) was finally consulted and he diagnosed AS. I've been on some anti-inflammatory drugs but not recently. Ray's last trip through Vietnam cleared up the pain and the psoriasis and I've been inspired to lead a much more active lifestyle since. I shall follow your own journey with interest and I wish you well. Best wishes, John
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