Mark is recovering from back surgery on
Nov. 22, a lumbar fusion procedure Mark says he "chickened
out of" after the 1998 season but is now glad he had.
My back is sore where it was cut open and all of that work
was done," Mark said. "But my spine and all of the
nerves in my spine have no pain. That's where the pain
always came from before. I am not moving very far right
now, but I don't have that. Trying not to have too high
of expectations, I have this feeling that I am going to
feel an awful lot better."
Mark said he doesn't believe the back pain had any effect on his driving
over the past two seasons. "It has had an affect on my
attitude, my ability to smile, interviews and what have
you," he said. "My quality of life has suffered greatly."
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"It is my prediction that
when I go to Daytona this year that I will have a
completely different attitude toward racing than I have
had in any other year. I swear I am going to be a brand
new person."
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The tough part now, he
said, is following his doctor's orders to rest in bed
except during short periods of early rehab activity.
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"Man, this bed is growing
teeth," he said. "It's eating me up!"
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