No pal, my dads had AS since he was around 21, they treated him for a slipped disc back all them years ago.... But as time went on they clicked and at around 35 he got his diagnosis. He's 70 this month, fully fused now and although if he lays off his meds he is bad, and occasionally suffers with his hip and chest etc, he does enjoy a better standard of life these days due to the fusion having mostly all but done its best. The main thing is, he was a nass member for years and keen to keep his posture as best he could. Its paid off.
With hind sight now, I can see my own journey with AS as i look back along a long line of complaints.
I'm the youngest of three kids. My older brother and sister were lucky enough not to get AS, but I struck unlucky.
Age, 8/9 i suffered a few episodes of debilitating back pain. Mum took me the doctors, they took a look told her i had a very small spina bifida legion or hole in one of my vertebrae but this was quite common and not to worry. Advised AS didnt apply to me but told her she should guide me through my schooling towards a desk type job rather then a manual one. We just got on with normal kid stuff and paid little attention.
Later on in life, around 18, i began to suffer with lower back ache and I had always felt stiff and awkward due to being 6'2" and rather well built. If you wanted brute force and graft, i was your lad, i wasn't built for speed
After discussing my dads AS with doctor i got to see a rhuematologist who ran some tests.
HLAB27 was positive, characteristics and symptoms fitted for AS but mri was clear.
She advised that though the signs were there, the mri showed "no problem".........
Didnt help with my stiffness and aching back though, and burning lumber pain.
Well me being a young lad, i did the physio, hydro, accupuncture etc till i got fed up with it all, then decided to go my own way armed with the stretching exercises etc.
I worked as a central heating engineer, very very hard graft. Allthough it gave my body a hammering, the constant bending and lifting did me good.
Then, ten years ago this November, i got smashed to peices on my motor bike by a woman driving on her phone.
Broke/ shattered just about everything. Had lots and lots of surgery. Lots.
12 months in rehab learning to walk again.
Dark dark days..................
