My name is Chris, I am 46 years old, and right now, my life feels like a prison. For a long time, I have been living in constant and unrelenting pain. It has stolen my ability to be the person I am and work to become. I had to retire as a competitive athlete and bodybuilder, It impacts how I show up as a husband, as a father..

I am writing this because I am desperate to get my life back, but I have reached a point where I can no longer do this alone. I need help, and honestly, it is incredibly hard to find words to ask for it. 

To understand my situation I need to explain what is happening to my body. My nervous system is absolutely overwhelmed. Because of severe damage in my neck, my body literally thinks everything is a physical threat. Simple everyday actions that you take for granted like using toothpaste, or shampoo, or any sudden movement triggers a massive, agonizing response numerologically. I'm trapped in a constant state of fight or flight because my spine is physically pinching the pathways that control how I feel and react to the world.

My most recent eval and MRI revealed the blueprint for my prison. 

-Multi-level cervical spondylosis, severe degeneration of the vertebrae in my neck 

Severe neural foraminal narrowing, so the tunnels where the nerves travel.out of my spine are nearly closed off on the left and right sides, my nerves are being crushed by bone and compressed discs.

Spinal stenosis with cord indentation. Also with the worst actually pushing on the left side of my spinal cord, a really scary thing to see in an exam.

Living with my spinal cord and primary nerves constantly compressed means my pain does not EVER stop. It effects my mood, energy, sleep and my ability to show up how I should for my family. 

There is hope and a way out of this prison for me, but I can't reach it without support. My doctors have determined that I need major neurosurgery to fix my neck. The procedure will involve:

1. Two total disc replacements 
2. Bone spur removal
3. Widening of the nerve pathways

This surgery is not about comfort or ease, it is about saving my life and reconstruction. Fixing my neck will literally save my life, and improve the life of the ones I love. It means my nervous system can finally calm, and I can live pain free. It means I can smile that Chris Page smile and mean it and without forcing it through a massive wall of agony. 

This part of the journey comes with a price tag that makes it impossibly out of my reach. With the battery of continued testing and pre-op, and post-op recovery I cannot reach this goal without you. 

If your are able to support to my Give a Hand campaign, no matter the amount, you are directly contributing to my freedom from this prison. If you cannot support that's ok too, maybe you will consider 

passing my story on to others.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this, for seeing my struggle, and for helping me take the first steps toward getting my life back.

With deep gratitude

Chris