surfersmyelopathy

I have re-submitted this AMA since I was having trouble with the first one. I'll copy the one question I managed to answer here:

Q:Could you describe what actually happened? Forgive the ignorance but did you immediately feel something was wrong or did it take some time?

A: I went to stand up on the first wave I caught. Thought I had tweaked my back. Went back to shore to lay down and started having intense pain in my lower back all the way down to my toes. Tried walking to the street to catch a cab back to the hotel to lay down but could not make it more than a few hundred feet. I was in an immense amount of pain so we called an ambulance. By the time I was in the hospital I was totally paralyzed from the waist down, with absolutely no sensation besides the burning of nerve pain.
All in all it was about 2-3 hours from when I went surfing to when I was totally paralyzed.

It happen because I tried surfing.

They told me that certain people could be genetically more likely to suffer from it, but the fact is if I never got on that board then I would not be paralyzed today.

Nope simply from laying on my stomach and extending my back. It can definitely happen on land though, some people have gotten it from yoga, Pilates, or even studying on the floor. It's called Surfer's Myelopathy because it's most commonly seen in first time surfers.

Avoid laying on your stomach with your back arched for long periods of time. Like when you paddle a bunch make sure to stop and take breaks every once in a while.
They're (scientists? doctors?) not totally sure what causes it, they think it might have something to do with warm water and recently traveling on a plane.

Most cases happen in Hawaii and Japan I believe.

Yeah shit happens, most days I can manage though. I think talking about helps in some weird way.