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give it any thought at the time. 
It wasn't a problem. I had no other indications that something
was up all my years growing up.
It wasn't until around 1980 that I first had a strong hint
that something was up. It hit me hard and out of the blue.
I played guitar a lot back then (I still play when I can!)
and was in a trio called "Smith, Jones, and Brown," with my
friends George and Richard. George had a home recording studio
and I vividly remember to this day getting off a stool when
we were recording and feeling a searing pain shoot down my
leg. I thought, "What the hell?!" I had never felt anything
like that before. It was a temporary thing but I sure never
forgot it.
Up to that time, I had no indication that something like
that would happen. I would occasionally have a pain like that
afterwards for a year or so. I never went to the doctor, of
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course. It gradually got bad enough though that I did decide
to check it out. It was when I found it difficult to get out
of bed that made me decide to see a doctor. I went to my primary
doctor first, who then recommended my seeing a rheumatologist.
After many tests, I was diagnosed with AS, though at that
time the indicators weren't as decisive as they are now. I
was treated with NSAID prescriptions and told to stay active;
there was no cure. I had full movement of neck and prescribed.
I tolerated the disease's pain and discomfort (as well as
the pills' way of making me feel bad too), which really didn't
get that bad. Getting out of bed and other normal functions
were no longer a problem. It was really no big deal for many
years.
My AS progressed substantially during the 1990s. It could
have been the steady onset of the disease, or the sedentary
lifestyle I undertook when I went back to school full time.
I feel though that it was both, not to
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mention a relatively high level of stress that accompanied
those years. School has never been a regret in any way, but
I do recall all those hours of sitting while reading, writing
and typing, or whatever. I wonder if that inactivity really
made the progression that much worse.
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