The Return of the Weekend Warrior: One Determined Staten Island Resident Finds His Way Back to the Races

Anthony Illardi, a Staten Island Resident, has been on a health journey of ups and downs. In his early twenties, he resolved to live a healthy and active lifestyle, which later in his early thirties ignited a passion for running.  Over the next few years, he transformed himself into a "weekend warrior," training himself for many major races, including the NYC Half and Staten Island Half Marathons. However back in 2013, Anthony's world was turned upside down when he was in a life-changing car accident.  Recovering from these injuries had resulted in Anthony suffering from on-and-off back pain for years. An initial MRI showed that his spine was suffering from bulging discs that were leading to Anthony's issues with lower back pain and sciatica and he worked with a chiropractor over this time to treat this pain. 

Fast forward to ten years later, Anthony, now 36, had found himself struggling as his pain continued to worsen. Finally, in January 2024, things became so unbearable that Anthony could not be comfortable unless lying flat on the floor on his back. Eventually, he was admitted to Staten Island University’s Emergency Department, at the time the attending physician did not want to consider surgery and recommended physical therapy to help remedy the issue. So Anthony was discharged to outpatient for PT.

During his PT sessions, Anthony stressed to his care team the importance of returning to running, a sport he truly missed. She also suggested pain management and possibly surgery. Anthony was willing to exhaust the non-surgical options. So, after PT, he then tried pain management,  including an epidural, which only provided relief for about twelve hours before the pain heartbreakingly returned.  The pain management physician suggested that Anthony learn to swim and give up the running, probably for life. But Anthony, not one to back away from a challenge, did not allow himself be beaten saying, "There was something in me that just would not take 'no more running' as the solution; I couldn't accept it."  Anthony did his own research and explored NYP as he'd had a previous positive experience with removing a thyroid tumor. Just three weeks later, he had an appointment with Dr. Andrew Chan.

Dr. Chan determined this issue was with the lumbosacral level (L5-S1) where the lumbar spine ends/sacral spine begins. Anthony had an L5-S1 disc herniation which was compressing the S1 nerve root. For Anthony, this caused severe pain radiating from his right gluteal region,  down the posterior aspect of his legs, and into his heel.  This was associated with right leg numbness and weakness, wherein his knee would give out. Given that his symptoms persisted despite physical therapy, multiple medications, and an epidural steroid injection, the option of surgery became reasonable.

As to what gave Anthony the insight from the visit to move forward with surgery, "I immediately felt comfortable working with Dr. Chan. He really understands the importance of getting athletes back to their sports and how much it means to them. He had true empathy combined with deep expertise. That was a sign that I'd found the right person to trust with a surgery."

Dr. Chan’s empathy for athletes arises from his experience as a long-distance runner, having run many marathons before, including qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon.

Dr. Chan and his team performed a microdiscectomy on March 14th, 2024, at the NewYork-Presbyterian Och Spine Hospital. About this minimally invasive approach, Dr. Chan says, "Anthony was able to leave the hospital hours after surgery with minimal surgical pain."

On Day 2, Anthony could walk after surgery and slowly improved over time. With his signature grit and determination, there was no stopping him now as he moved from walking to running again.

A little over five months later, over Columbus Day weekend, Anthony completed the Staten Island Half Marathon. The most incredible part of this race post-surgery was that Anthony even beat his personal best record from 1:57 to 1:55.

Reflecting on the twists and turns in his spinal journey, Anthony wants others who may have suffered an injury that's eliminated participation in the sports and activities they love dearly, "It's important to listen but don't always take everything at face value, keep your options open, challenge what people may assume and don't be afraid to get a second opinion."  Anthony shares his experience with Dr. Chan and Columbia Och-Spine: "The staff was great. They were always accessible, never felt annoyed no matter how many questions I asked, and always responded quickly."

Congratulations, Anthony, and the team is looking forward to hearing about your next race, perhaps even beating more personal bests to come.