I remember this being the point where something shifted, even if I did not fully understand it at the time.

Back then, I just thought I had slept funny.

I woke up on the Thursday with a stiff neck, which is not unusual, but this was different. The pain was sharp, deep, and radiating down my left arm. It was the kind of pain that makes you stop and take notice. The kind that makes you pause before moving because you already know it is going to hurt.