t is not how you start the race or where you are during the race – it is how you cross the finish line that will matter.” This quote from Robert D. Hales took on a different meaning for me after my summer was unexpectedly hijacked last year. I had such high hopes back in the spring as we headed towards warmer temperatures. It’s truly hard to beat the amazing summers here in Idaho Falls and all of the fun activities our region has to offer. However, life had other plans for me.

Despite my best attempts to downplay the numbness in my hands, my grip strength was getting weaker with each passing day to the point where I could no longer ignore my symptoms. After multiple doctor visits for second and third opinions, it became painfully clear that cervical spine surgery was in my future. I finally conceded to orthopedic surgeon Rob Johnson at Summit Orthopaedics here in Idaho Falls, that I needed to have two deteriorating discs replaced in my neck. Admitting I needed surgery was a big step for me, but it was the timing that was the real sacrifice. I suggested to Dr. Johnson that October would be a good month for the surgery. You know, after the summer and when I could sit around watching football.

I’ll never forget the look my amazing doctor gave me, which was quickly followed by a stern warning that delaying my surgery even a month could lead to permanent nerve damage. He didn’t care that I had summer plans; he was determined to fit me into his busy schedule the second he had an opening. You can see now why I hold this doctor in such high regard; Dr. Johnson truly cares about his patients.

On May 8, 2025, I went under the knife after decades of avoiding overnight hospital stays. Not too shabby of a way to kick off my first-ever surgery, right? What followed was 13 long weeks of sleeping in a recliner while wearing a full neck brace 24/7. I wasn’t able to drive a car, much less ride in one, until I was fully healed. In many ways, it felt like I was on house arrest, minus the felony. It quickly became known internally as my “bummer of a summer,” and mentally it was much more difficult than I could ever have imagined as I put my life on hold to give my body a chance to recover.

I was finally cleared to return to a more normal life in August, with, of course, plenty of restrictions. I did wear my neck collar on the boat the first time out as a precaution since Black Tail can get a little choppy, but I had no issues or setbacks; it just felt therapeutic to be back on the water again. Lesson learned: I will never take good health for granted.

I spent August trying to make up for lost time by getting outdoors as often as I could, but it wasn’t until Labor Day weekend that I truly began to feel normal again. As I was out on the boat and surrounded by my family, the same quote–that it’s not the way we start that matters, but how we end–took on a new meaning. Yes, my summer didn’t start as I had anticipated, but as we anchored in a cove during the three-day weekend, my boating season was ending perfectly.

That weekend, as I floated in the water near the anchored boat, I realized I no longer felt sorry for myself for having a shortened summer season. I’ve since made a full recovery; the strength in my hands returned, and, aside from a minimal scar on my neck, most people would never know about my bummer of a summer. I couldn’t have reached this point without the support of my dear wife, my children, and my close friends and extended family.

Labor Day wasn’t the finish line, but it did feel like I had crossed something that weekend. With the calendar now turning to June, I’m excited for a fresh start to my summer season and the opportunity to get out and experience all the many reasons why we love and call southeast Idaho home.