(Part 2)
by Rick Doughty
Since the fun little ‘Bone Jesus’ article, OK, it was meant to be fun, was published on Motobilia, the response has been interesting to say the least.
First off, Doc Bob was not all that keen on the Bone Jesus moniker. It wasn’t a religious objection as much as it was not befitting of his humble nature. Turns out Bone Jes…um I mean Dr. Bob doesn’t really like the limelight. He made me pinky swear I would phase out Bone Jesus going forward. Being a man of my word, I agreed (sort of, kind of).
As we were talking, I drifted off in thought about who else I could compare Dr. Bob to that would put less weight on his emotional shoulders. That is when Androcles came to mind. While not a name most people are familiar with, I bet you will recognize the Americanized version of his story. It is one of Aesop’s fables involving a young boy who pulled a thorn from the lion’s paw and how the lion never forgot his compassion. Yup, I was the lion in my daydream, and Dr. Bob was Androcles. I will never forget his help, but that comparison was too obscure. I needed something easy for folks to identify with. Then, my brain made a non-sequitur shift to the 1960’s. I remembered the Beatles’ health and wellness advisor, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. A wise man of few words that the Beatles made uber famous before uber was a word…or a ride service. The problem is, Doc just can’t pull off the long hair/beard combo or the Indian accent. Wait, I’ve got it! How about a Shaman? Those dudes are mysterious spiritual healers, and we had them in the US of A. On second thought, the shirtless J6’er with the buffalo headdress ruined that visual. Bone Jesus just has a great ring to it, and we still have t-shirts to sell. I’m not sure how long that mind voyage lasted, but I am pretty sure I missed most of what the doc was telling me before saying our goodbyes.
In the days and weeks after the Bone Jesus story dropped, lots of folks reached out to me. Most wanted to know what was real in the story and what was, let’s say, embellished. Other folks challenged my pain relief claims as some hypnotic-placebo effect combined with a spoonful of wishful thinking. My reply was the same to both groups, “If it didn’t happen to me personally, I would be skeptical as well.” I wasn’t trying to convince anyone of anything. I was simply sharing a highly unusual experience with those curious enough to read about it. What I underestimated was the level of interest there would be. Better said, I underestimated how many people suffer from back pain.
Racing gives way to “body talk” under the big tent
I saw Dr.Bob, one more time with a mild pain level in my back a few weeks later, and “that voodoo that he do” was just as effective as the first time. I came in with pain and left with none. A normal chiro visit is where you come in with money and leave with none.
The artist formerly known as Bone J., made a surprise visit to my next motocross race. He came out just to see how my body was doing on the bike. When he arrived, he was greeted by a newfound fan base that had only heard about his abilities via my article. That and I no longer walked like a troglodyte. The spotlight was on, but not too bright for his somewhat shy demeanor. He grinned and waved politely when introduced at the rider’s meeting. I could see that the public attention meter was starting to get close to redline, so being the kind, sensitive-natured soul that I am, I took off my jacket to show everyone my Bone Jesus t-shirt. That elicited the applause one would expect and, my mission accomplished, I saw his grin morph into a glare. However, wallflowers are still flowers, and all flowers need some sunlight. I am pretty sure I read that somewhere.
The area under my trailer canopy normally turns into the “Women’s Auxiliary” on race day, but this day it was somehow transformed into a medical care round table forum with everyone chiming in on their maladies and attempts to cure them. It was not long before Dr. Bob pulled his travel chiro table out of his inconspicuous Corvette. Yup, Mr. Shy Guy drives a Corvette to a motocross pit and pulls out a folding chiro table. No one will notice that…
I suggested that he set up inside the trailer and see if he could give any aid and comfort to my son Sam. He is in his mid-30s and suffers from a host of football-related injuries, a previously broken femur, and my flawed genetics. He seemed like a good candidate. About 20 minutes went by before they both re-emerged. I asked my son one question. What is your pain level 0-10? That is Doc Bob’s favorite phrase for a good reason. It eliminates all the unnecessary and duplicitous language that could require a decoder ring to understand. Sam’s answer was quick and unwavering, “It’s zero.” I had seen that look on his face a few times in his life, and it was always after experiencing something he had a hard time believing. When he sat down and looked me in the eye, I said, “I get it. Now you do too, huh?” He nodded in confirmation.
From Troglodyte to track, Doc worked his magic
Another visitor to our pit party was my good old (mostly old) friend Jerry. He is somewhere between a curmudgeon and a cranky “get off my planet” kind of dude that I identify with. He is a master mechanic and loyal friend who allows me to share his planet, so I suggested, “Let Bone… (Jesus, I almost said again)… Doc Bob take a look at the back of a desert racer in his 70’s.” In typical Jerry style, he said, “Thanks, I don’t need that hocus pocus. I’m fine.”
Leaving well enough alone is what I do (just ask my wife). I had a race coming up, so I headed off to the starting line. When I returned, several people were gone, and I just assumed that they were out wandering the pits or headed home for the day. Much to my surprise, Jerry walked out of my trailer with Dr. Bob close behind. I asked Jerry THE question: ”How is your pain level 0-10?” He looked even more surprised and perplexed than my son, which I didn’t think was possible. That told me all I needed to know. That was me the first day I met Bone…I mean Bob. It is astonishing to go from any pain level, but especially a high pain level, to zero. No residual pain and to do so quickly. Your brain is not conditioned for that reality, and as hard as you try, you struggle to accept and understand it.
The following week, I got a call from my buddy Dan-Dan The Muffin Man (a nickname that is a story unto itself). He asked if I thought his wife’s back condition could benefit from Dr. Bob’s technique. For the first time since I met Bob Jesus (oops), I stopped and wondered about his semi-retired status. I knew he was actively enjoying his used Ducati parts business (Trump Motors), but was not so sure about the Chiro practice. I told DDTMM I would have to check and get back to him.
When I finally did get to talk to Dr. Feelgood, I asked him if I could give out his name and number to folks who were in need. He thought about it for a minute and said, “Sure. I am trying to retire but still enjoy helping folks with pain where I can when I can.” So here goes: Dr. Bob Fleischner/ 818 705-1776. Heads up, he can’t diagnose you over the phone, but texting him your current x-rays after the initial conversation is very helpful.
My gift to humanity has been delivered.
