I’ll be back.
Crushed by back pain, I hit rock bottom in 2024. No surgery, no shortcuts. Just 8 weeks of brutal self-rehab, clean eating, sleep, and sanity. Down 20 kg, off painkillers, and back in control. No hacks. Just systems. I’ll be sharing what actually works. Let’s go.
And here I am. Yes, it took much longer than expected. What was supposed to be a brief hiatus from newsletters and social media turned into something else entirely. But I’m back—with new energy, fresh plans, and more to share than ever.
What happened in 2024?
I won’t bore you with a laundry list of world events. Let’s just agree: we’re in a simulation. Someone cranked up the reality distortion dial, and now we’re all left picking up the pieces.
On the personal front? My focus last year was dominated by one major challenge: my back. If you followed my earlier newsletters, you’ve heard about this. It’s been a long, painful saga—periods of relative calm followed by waves of debilitating agony. Last year, everything spiraled out of control.
The dark place
By early summer, I hit rock bottom. The pain was constant, debilitating. I couldn’t get out of bed without help, let alone put on my socks. Playing with my kids? Forget it. Painkillers became my crutch—just to function.
I swore to myself and my wife: one last push. I’d try every option. More tests, more specialists. The verdict? Significant lower back damage. Surgery was an option—but with no guarantees and plenty of risks. The alternative? Lifelong physical therapy, pain management, and a complete lifestyle overhaul.
So, over the summer, I retreated to our Baltic Sea vacation home and hit pause on everything else. My mission was singular: fix my back. For eight weeks, I threw myself into daily self-therapy.
Let me put it this way: if it’s a tool, technique, or gadget for back pain, I own it. Inversion tables, TENS units, massage guns, acupressure mats, trigger tools, Iron Neck device, gravity straps—you name it, I’ve probably tried it.
But it wasn’t just about gadgets. I overhauled my diet, ditched the booze, and got serious about cleaning up my act. At my worst, I was tipping the scales at 105 kg (230 lbs)—dad bod mode, fully activated. This morning? 85.5 kg (188 lbs). Every pound less is a gift to my spine.
How’s it going now?
In a word: manageable. My pain scale, once a steady 8, now hovers comfortably around a 2. Painkillers? Haven’t touched them in months. I can live like this for the rest of my days. Sure, there are flare-ups, but after years of abusing my back, I consider that fair punishment.
The key? Maintenance. Daily. I keep my diet clean, prioritize sleep, and stay mindful of stress levels—all factors that play a massive role in back health.
What worked for me
It’s not one thing. No magic bullet, no secret cure. It’s a mix of strategies, each compounding the others. Here’s the gist:
Nutrition: Drop the weight. There are endless ways to achieve a calorie deficit—pick one that works for you. Whole foods are your friends. Alcohol isn’t. Ditch inflammatory junk, especially if you’re battling chronic pain.
Exercise: Forget cookie-cutter routines. I swapped standard lifts for back-friendly options like belt squats and focused on mobility, core work, and functional movement (hello, deep squat sitting). Running? Out. Cycling and rucking? In.
Sleep: For years, sleep was my sacrificial lamb. Not anymore. Seven-and-a-half hours minimum, every night, with a strict bedtime. Yes, I’m living like an old man. No, I don’t care.
Mindfulness: Call it what you want—stress management, work-life balance, Zen for Type A personalities. It matters. Chronic stress was a wrecking ball for my back. Now, I make space to decompress.
What’s next?
I plan to go much deeper into topics around health and longevity—including nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness. These aren’t just personal anecdotes—they’re actionable ideas to help you take charge of your own health. Expect weekly deep dives in the newsletter alongside bite-sized insights on LinkedIn.
Stay tuned, and more importantly, stay healthy.
Andre
A note for new readers:
I’m a trained reconstructive facial surgeon, medical doctor, and dentist by training. Before launching my newsletter, I had a varied career: I was a competitive freestyle wrestler, a management consultant (McKinsey), an entrepreneur (Zocdoc, Thermondo, and docdre ventures), and a corporate executive (Sandoz). Today, I’m a Managing Director and Partner at BCG.
If this is your first time here, welcome. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned—and will continue to learn—with you.
DISCLAIMER:
Let’s get one thing straight: None of this—whether text, graphics, images, or anything else—is medical or health advice. This newsletter is here to inform, educate, and (hopefully) entertain you, not to diagnose or treat you.
Yes, I’m a trained medical doctor and dentist. No, I’m not your doctor. The content here isn’t a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
If you have questions about your health, talk to your physician or a qualified health professional. Don’t ignore their advice or delay getting care because of something you read in Health, Redefined. Be smart. Do your research. And, as always, take care of yourself.