After being blessed with 35 years of TV news and sports production mostly freelance at the network level, and after spending that time with minor back and shoulder issues, the big one finally happened. While shooting a corporate event on August 14 with a pesky and nagging back ache, I threw the camera up on the shoulder and a searing intense pain went rifling down my left leg. At that moment I was to later find out I herniated the L5 disc. For the next week I was on the couch not able to move, get comfortable, or even walk. I took a cortisone shot to the site a week into the episode and was finally able to walk but with pain. I’m still down and place my recovery at about 40%. I have a surgical consult next week, am going through massage and acupuncture regularly in an effort to get over this ASAP. As a freelancer every day down is a day of lost income.

Two questions. Anyone have similar issues you’d like to share and commiserate with? Anyone have luck with the EasyRig or is it just too cumbersome? I’m thinking one might help down the line when I’m finally up and working again.