I will never forget this day !

It was early spring in 2002, my ex-wife and I were headed to Niagara Falls, Canada for the weekend with some friends of ours. This was only my second trip to Canada and I was driving.

The Peace BridgeNow if you have ever been to Niagara Falls, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. When you cross over the Peace bridge from New York to Canada its a little crazy. Your usually stuck on the Bridge over the water waiting in bumper to bumper traffic going through customs.

Once you make it through and into Canada, its like you hit a wall, everything is right there on a gigantic and steep hill. Its pretty cool and if you never have been to the Falls, add it to your bucket list because it is a must see.

Well at this point in the trip I am a complete wreck !

I’m not used to driving there, most of the streets are one way and its a mad house of tourist. Neat stores and souvenir shops everywhere, two big casinos and were lost ! Yup We have been driving in circles now for at least a half  hour trying to find the hotel parking lot.

Finally ! Were there, I pull up to our friends car, throw it in park and take a deep breath. If I only knew what was going to happen next.

I open the door and swing my feet out of the car, excited to get out and stretch my legs. I had been driving for over two hours and was a nervous wreck from getting lost. I stand up and BAM!

It felt like someone stabbed me in the back then beat me with a bat. If your reading this you probably know what I mean if you don’t go Stub your toe really hard then hit both your funny bones at the same time.

Well, I’m not exactly sure what it was I screamed but it didn’t take long for my friends to be attempting to help me stand up. I couldn’t move an inch without pain shooting from my lower back all through my entire body pretty much paralyzing me in the spot.

After about 10 minutes and several failed attempts I managed to get up to my feet. Although I was moving in ultra slow speed and taking slow mini steps  like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, you know when they just found him all rusted up.

I attempted to walk off the pain, I didn’t want to ruin everyone’s weekend and I was looking forward to getting into the Casino.

Little did I know that the excruciating pain I was feeling was something I was going to have to deal with for the Next 10 years of my Life !