That's wild. I'm approaching 40 in a few years, so these things are acutely scary to me as I notice my body slowly falling apart.

Nothing as crazy as this but I got myself 3 slipped disks a couple of years ago breaking up a fight between students at work, and that experience was probably the worst pain I've ever experienced. Couldn't sit, stand, or lie down without agony for days, and general pain persisted for months, and general discomfort still to this day.

It's not like I can't open doors, but I've given up on the idea of ever becoming a strongman lifting all the boxes and machinery as a man is wont to do. I've adjusted the way I move around like when I clamber out of cars or shut the toilet seat, in ways that minimize strain.

Worst of all I'm under constant threat of it hurting again since once it's happened, it's scarred and always prone to return. Bah.

So yeah, I guess my point is I can empathize to some degree and almost felt the fear in your words as the story unfolded.