On the fifth anniversary of his XLIF surgery, Basketball Hall-of-Famer and Patient Ambassador Bill Walton shares his story of chronic pain, back surgery, and paying it forward. To read more about his experiences with back pain and XLIF surgery, download Bill’s Story brochure [PDF].
I played for the UCLA basketball team that won 88 straight games. I played in the NBA for 14 seasons and was voted league MVP. I was part of two NBA championship teams. I’m six feet, 11 inches tall. You probably think we don’t have much in common. But, if you suffer from chronic back and leg pain caused by a spinal condition, think again—we are members of the same unfortunate club.
Here’s my story…
During one UCLA game, I was high above the basket when, still in the air, I was hit and flipped over by an opponent, causing me to land flat on my back on the hard floor. I still remember the sickening sound and stabbing feeling. I broke two bones in my spine that night. Things were never the same again.
Over the years, many other injuries piled up: sore back, broken bones, ankle problems, broken wrists, knee injuries, and broken noses. During my 14-year NBA career, I missed more games (680) than I played (488).
Living with pain
By 1990, while my heart was still willing, my body could no longer perform at the level required of a professional athlete. I could no longer run. I was forced to stop playing the game that was my life.
I then started on my next challenge—a new career as television broadcaster and commentator. I enjoyed the work, the people, and still being part of the game. But the constant travel and the 200 nights a year in hotels—in a world that’s, compared to me, built for preschool children—took a tremendous toll on my already broken body.
One day in early 2007, I was getting off yet another flight when I literally couldn’t move any more.
My joyous life was quickly reduced to nothing. I couldn’t sit, stand, or lie down. I couldn’t work, speak, announce basketball games, leave the house, or care for myself. I couldn’t even get up off the floor. I couldn’t do anything.
I tried everything to stop the unrelenting, excruciating pain: acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, alternative medicine, meditation, massage, yoga, physical therapy, core strengthening, medication, injections…EVERYTHING. Nothing worked. I was a hopeless and pathetic ball of flesh: I had to eat my meals lying on the floor, face down. And it was getting worse.
Chronic pain is a major cause of suicide. Although I had a great family and wonderful friends, my life was so limited, so painful, so empty, I thought about ending it. I found myself thinking about bridges. I was looking for the highest ones, with the longest of falls and the hardest of bottoms.
Facing surgery
I knew surgery was an option but I fought that decision for as long as I could. I certainly wasn’t a stranger to the operating room—I had already had 35 orthopedic surgeries on my feet, ankles, knees, and hands. But I did not want anybody cutting on my spine.
In the end, there was no other option. Consumed by the pain and spending most of my time on the floor, I was physically incapable of searching for surgical options. Fortunately, a friend’s research eventually led me to a surgeon who changed my life.
My surgeon recommended XLIF, eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion, a minimally disruptive spine surgery where the surgeon enters the patient’s spine from the side, rather than from the front or back as in traditional back surgeries. At the end of my rope, I gave the surgeon the go-ahead, begging him to fix me, to allow me to play in the game of life, to ride my bike one more time.
Road to recovery
I finally had XLIF surgery in early 2009. The surgeon repositioned several vertebrae that were impinging on nerves and fused my lumbar vertebrae. The surgery, although long due to the complexity of my unique situation, went well. About a week later, I went home.
A few months after my surgery, I experienced a moment I will always remember. I was doing some gentle weight lifting in my gym when I realized that my agonizing pain was gone. For the first time in seemingly forever, I knew that I was going to get better. I knew the surgery had worked and that, for the first time in years, I would once again be able to enjoy the activities I loved. I would be able to ride my bike and swim again.
Paying it forward
Today, I’m healthier than I’ve been since high school, and I’m busier and happier than I’ve ever been. It’s a miracle.
Now that I have my life back, thanks to the sacrifices of others, I have a responsibility to “pay it forward.” I want to do everything that I can to help those suffering the way I did. So I’ve become a Patient Ambassador for The Better Way Back®, a remarkable community that provides free support, information, resources—and above all, hope—to those suffering from severe chronic back pain.
As a Patient Ambassador, I talk with people around the world who are in despair and on the bridge themselves. I spend hours every day trying to give people a reason to keep going. Dealing with desperate patients is tough. But it’s not nearly as hard as what they’re going through. The satisfaction I get when they emerge from their personal depression is the greatest feeling in the world.
I fly around the country regularly (without pain!) to meet with physicians and hospital staff and make sure they know about recent advancements in treating chronic back pain, including minimally disruptive spine surgery.
I also try to keep hope alive by the way I live my life. Like many people who’ve had a near-death experience, I know that every day is a blessing.
Here’s to a full and pain-free life!
Bill Walton
Lucky XLIF patient since February 9, 2009
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Join us in congratulating Bill! Leave him a comment here or tweet him at @BillWalton.
Want to speak to learn more about XLIF surgery? Speak to a Patient Ambassador? Join our community, call 800-745-7099, or email [email protected].
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