Imagine (Me) Wrestling – July Update

[15Jul2019]

“Some quit, due to slow progress; never grasping the fact that slow progress is progress.”

~Jeff Olsen, author

The length of time since my previous entry has been far longer than I wanted. Truth be told, I was nervous to continue sharing my journey. The reason behind my nervousness was due to a recent injury scare. What follows will contain a level of honesty which may be difficult for some, so take this first paragraph as a potential trigger warning.

Prior to wrestling, I served in the United States military; more specifically, I was a soldier in the US Army. My primary MOS (military occupation specialty) was 11B infantry, and I am a combat veteran. In addition, I had a secondary MOS and various specialty tasks which were part of my military education and experience, but the specifics are not relevant right now. As you might guess, fighting wars can be hard on the human body. Somewhere within my first blog entry about my first day of training with Imagine Wrestling, I made a vague reference to my shoes being unusual.
The facts are that I wear prosthetic supports and lifts in my shoes.

To clarify: yes, I do still have my own legs, feet, and toes -a fact for which I am unbelievably thankful. During my time in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, one of my biggest fears was losing an arm or a leg to an IED (improvised explosive device). Every time I was near an explosion –when I could feel the impact of a blast wrack my body— part of me wished for death. I feared coming home with pieces missing more than I feared not coming home at all.

The purpose for the prosthetic supports I wear are because I did not return from combat completely unscathed. Without going into too much detail, the effect of being in extremely-close proximity to large explosions (with one incident in particular being a primary cause of injury) was/is that my neck, back, vertebrae, hips, arches in my feet, and a variety of other body parts were damaged. The cumulative effect is that I am tilted about a quarter of an inch to one side, and I wear prosthetic lifts to aid me in being able to walk both straighter and in more of a “normal” manner.
Despite the prosthetic lifts, I still have good days and bad days, and I do still have injury effects with which to struggle during my day-to-day routine. In particular, I do have neck and back pains, and I have been struggling with an ongoing problem of having the occasional “tingly” feeling in my hands. While having a more-even alignment takes a lot of pressure away from my neck, back, and vertebrae, I will likely never be 100% of the person I once was. (This is part of the reason why working to get to a point where I could attempt wrestling at all was, to me, a phenomenal success.)

It should come as no surprise that the neck, back, and vertebrae undergo a lot of wear and tear during wrestling. Several weeks ago, I made a mistake during a training exercise, which lead to me being subjected to even more impact than usual on my back and neck. Immediately, I heard a pop and felt what I can only describe as a burning sensation running from the left side of my neck, across my shoulder, and down into my left hand. Not being a quitter, I sucked it up and finished the rest of the day. Being stubborn and not wanting to take a break from the progress I have made, I continued to train for several days before seeking medical attention.

Once I sought out medical help, the initial assessment was a minor dislocation my of my collar bone –an injury which I had no idea was possible. Aside from that, initial x-rays (thankfully) revealed that I did not have any discernible fractures, breaks, or other damage to my bones or vertebrae (beyond the problems already known). This was a relief and helped to subside some of my fears, but not all of them.

My symptoms of hand-numbness and neck pain continued, worsened, and are currently more-pronounced than they had been previously. The height of my anxiety came during a day when the insides of my cheeks felt numb, as though I had been given a small dose of Novocain. After the day of x-rays, MRI testing and a meeting with a neurologist had been scheduled through my healthcare provider, but the wait for that to occur would be several days later.

My fear… my nervousness about continuing the blog…

What can I say?

As crazy as it may sound, I was worried about letting other people down. I have made a lot of progress since my first day of training, and there are people following the story I have written thus far. I do not want my story to end abruptly or sadly. I will do everything I can to take care of myself, continue my journey, and give everyone following along a continuing story through which they might join me on this journey into the world of professional wrestling. However, the truth is that I am still awaiting some my test results.

As of right now, I have completed MRI testing and met with a neurologist. I do not yet have the results of the MRI, but the initial thoughts from the neurologist are that I have some manner of injury around the area of my C6 vertebrae. C6 is near the base of the neck; it provides a vital role in neck movement, posture, and connection to the trapezium muscle. I do not believe, at this time, that the injury is irreversible, but it will require recovery time, and I will not know the full extent of the effects before again meeting with a doctor and knowing the results of MRI testing.

Yes, I am still training, and I am doing as much as I am physically capable of doing without causing myself further injury. I am continuing to push myself at the gym to be in better condition, so as to be able to make the most of wrestling and be able to hit the ground running, once I am given a clean bill of health. I have also been taking the initiative to educate myself in the ways of pro wrestling by riding along with older, more experienced wrestlers as they travel to other venues. I have experienced a variety of wrestling philosophies throughout The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, from Pittsburgh to Erie (and several places in between, including the unlikely venue of a Jewish wedding).

Meanwhile, a lot has happened for Imagine Wrestling. The first Imagine Wrestling champion was crown at Imagine Wrestling Volume 3, with Chris LeRusso gaining a hard-fought victory over Brian Pillman Jr. in the tournament finals. The event was a defining moment in Imagine Wrestling’s history, but it also served as a reminder of how far I have come and gave a glimpse into what might be possible in the future.

The trainees (including myself) at Imagine Wrestling show up early to each show, working together as a team to do things such as piecing together the wrestling ring, hooking up camera equipment, setting up chairs, and other such tasks. When the show is over, the trainees (including myself) go through the process of tearing down and cleaning up. The day of a show can be long and tiring for all those involved, but –for me— seeing what has bloomed from the seeds of hard work is rewarding.

While I may not have been in the ring during the tag match featuring Crusher Hanson & Lucio Deveer versus Big Lenny & (his surprise partner) Bubba Brewer, I could hear the fans and feel the excitement of the moment. Knowing I had some small hand in helping to bring that to life was a feeling I will never forget. Imagine Wrestling Volume 3 stands as a testament to the quality of training offered by veterans such as Kato and Manny Fernandez; stands as a testament to the vision and creative minds behind Imagine Wrestling, and is yet one more piece of evidence to illustrate that some of the best wrestling and best wrestlers in Pennsylvania can be found in Altoona.

Beyond the ring, the production values for Volume 3 were leaps and bounds beyond Volume 2. Nicole Rickabaugh Photography added a professional polish to the already great product in the ring, and Aaron King orchestrated professional-quality sound to accompany the action of the event. In every way, Imagine Wrestling is improving and growing. I am proud to be a part of Imagine Wrestling and will do everything I can to continue to be a part of the product.

So, if you are out there and following the story of my journey, I am asking you to sincerely send positive vibes my way and hope for the best from my MRI results. While waiting, continue to support Imagine Wrestling. Come to a show, I promise you that the experience is worth it.

The next time you can see Imagine Wrestling will be on Saturday, July 20th, with wrestling legends Road Warrior Animal and Paul Ellering, as part of Rolling Thunder. The location of the event is 1885 Penn Avenue, Jerome, Pa. In addition to being an Imagine Wrestling event, Rolling Thunder will feature live music, classic cars, food & drinks, and members of several veterans’ groups. Five dollars gets you through the door; the Imagine bell time is 5pm. I will be there. I can’t imagine missing it.