Bad Bad news

My local Nautique dealer/board shop owner found out he has a disease in his lower back that is completely ending his riding. I dont know the name of the disease...it is something like "spinadifida" where the back bones start to deteriorate (bad spelling i know). Well this guy has had it since birth and hasnt found out till a few weeks ago when he was lifting a boat onto the trailer hitch and strained his back. He went to the doctor and the doctor couldn't believe the guy was walking at that age with this disease. The doctor was even more shocked to find out the guy was a pro athlete. He was a pro wakeboarder and/or snowboarder (Not exactly sure if both or which one). Im not sure how good a wakeboarder he is because he started wakeskating when he got a knee injury. But he is awesome at wakeskating too. Currently he rides as a promoter for nautiques and is a dealer himself. He is the only wakeboard shop in the southern Louisiana area and is an awesome guy. Just in this year he has helped in the LSF '04, LFTAA Tour, and is sponsoring 3 amateur wakeboard events. Not to mention that he has let me ride on his super air team multiple times allowing me to ride an awesome boat compared to my ski boat. The guy IS the local wakeboard scene. Without him there is nothing going for wakeboarding. I feel really bad for the guy because this sport is his life. He does everything he can for it and now he cant ride. He says he is going to doing wake jumps and just ride the surf board. He also owns a local skate shop and I know he wont be skating hard anymore. Does anyone know the disease I am talking about and what are the options? Do you think he could take up the air chair and be able to ride that safely. I really hate watching one of my best wakeboarding friends stop riding like this. Not seeing him on the water kills me inside. Most people get injured and can ride again within months. He won't be able to ride again and is only in his late 20's.

sorry to hear it but a name would be nice to know so we can better relate to him om a personal level..that does suck..not sure what he disease is but maybe MS???

You may be talking about spina bifida - if so, here's a link that will tell you more about it.

http://www.sbaa.org

john melton...when wakeworld does the riders choice poll for best wakeskater, he is listed. So he is kind of pro.

Holy crap! I talked to John this past Friday and he didn't say anything about it. He did tell me that he had hurt his back working on a boat, but I didn't know it was this bad! Hopefully he will at least be able to keep wakesurfing. I've known John for several years, he's a really cool guy and it hurts me to hear that.
Tiffany

ok, first things first. spina bifida is congenital (you are born with it). if you have the horrible variety of spina bifida (spina bifida manifesta) you almost always have a balloon like sac coming out of your skin around your lower back.

your buddy must have spina bifida occulta, which is much more common. it is rare that this form needs treatment.

my advice-get a second opinion from another doctor. i have never heard of straining your back from spina bifida. my guess is your buddy strained his back the regular way (disc injury at worst), and the doc upon taking the x-ray INCIDENTLY found out he has a mild form of spina bifida.

hope this helps,

Dr. David Bogart, D.C.

ps-i also have the mild form of spina bifida. would have never known if it wasnt for taking a lumbar x-ray. i do nothing for it and it has not affected me at all.

I wouldn't give up based on one doctor's opinion. 90% of the time doctors are guessing anyway. The best way to stay healthy: stay away from doctors.