In 50 years, the hysteria over steroids and other PEDs in
sports will seem quaint if not unintelligible.
At present, the idea of transforming your body with the aid of chemical
injections still seems alien and vaguely sinister—like the first 27 minutes of
a Twilight Zone episode. Many of us are
still waiting for the strains of creepy music and the voice of Rod Serling to
offer deadpan commentary about what was gained and what was lost from
the prick of a needle.
In time, however, I suspect that we all will waiting in a
doctor’s office for an appointment with the syringe. I took my own leap into the great medical
unknown last year when I went for plasma infusion therapy—getting an injection
of my own platelets into a chronically painful elbow. The procedure is still considered
experimental and cost me almost as much as the arm I wanted repaired. Within six months of the procedure, my
damaged tendons—which had been resistant to ibuprofen, cortisone and physical
therapy—were completely healed.
My doctor told me that a cure for arthritis of the knees is
next on the horizon. Who knows what
comes after that? It may become routine
to regenerate sagging skin and weary muscle fibers. Damaged livers and dysfunctional colons may
be coaxed into growing healthy new tissue.
Cancer cells may be genetically deprogrammed. Once we reach the point that drug regimens such
as these are a standardized part of middle class life, once chemicals become a
means for living longer and staying healthier, the notion that athletes should
avoid performance enhancers will seem archaic.
We will all be living on performance enhancing drugs. And all the better for it.
Comments
Post a Comment