SORE BACK TAKES UP A SWIMMER'S SUMMER

As I lay in the water staring at the clear blue sky, wondering if my back spasms would ever stop, I finally decided to succumb to the inevitable. I admitted to myself that severe back pain at age 17 wasn't normal and would not go away unless I did something about it.

During my first visit to the specialist, I learned more about my lower back than I knew about the rest of my body combined. After a battery of X-rays, I was questioned extensively about my pain: What irritated my back? How often did it hurt?

But even after those dozens of questions and hours spent waiting and reading outdated magazines, the doctor wasn't sure what was wrong. The X-rays were inconclusive: I either had a spinal fracture or just a muscle problem.

As I mulled over my options, I became more and more somber. With a spinal fracture, I'd have to wear a back brace 24 hours a day for three months. I wouldn't be allowed to swim -- a depressing thought for a guy who is on the swim team.

With a muscular problem, I'd still have to wear a brace and have physical therapy, but I could take the brace off and swim. I prayed for bad muscles.

To find out truly what was wrong first required a bone scan -- and it was scheduled for late July. I was nervous but ready to accept whatever treatment would be needed. The problem was there already; I couldn't make it any better on my own.

Ultimately, the doctor decided I might as well get a CT scan, too -- just in case. I wigged out a little bit; I thought the doctor would only order a CT scan if he thought it was a spinal fracture.

Back at the doctor's office, waiting for results, I was nervous, but then quickly relieved. Nothing broken!

We found that my tailbone was just up too high. The result was a gap between it and the bone below it. This exposed cartilage had been irritated by all my swimming.

The doctor likened it to a bruise; bruises don't heal if you keep punching them.

I now wear a removable back brace and do physical therapy. I'm glad that I finally gave in and received medical help.

I found that knowledge isn't only power, it is comfort. My doctors' thorough and clear explanations kept me well-informed at every step of the way.

More of my summer days may have been spent in doctor's offices than at the lake, but I am well on my way to recovery -- thanks to competent doctors who kept me informed.