'I'm trying to soak it in': Seabreeze bowler Breanna Hess battles disc disease, eyes state title

Breanna Hess walked away from the lane perplexed. Her ball slid into the pocket and struck the pins exactly where she aimed, yet one remained standing.

Hess, a senior at Seabreeze High, sought the advice of her father, Edward — an accomplished league bowler in his own right.

"Not enough speed," he replied.

Breanna had an explanation for that.

"I'm hurting," she said.

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Every time Hess, who helped the Sandcrabs win their first state championship in girls bowling in 2021, competes now, it's an exercise in pain tolerance and management. She missed her entire junior year upon receiving a diagnosis last summer of degenerative disc disease in her spine, a condition common in adults but less so among teenagers.

According to Columbia University, approximately 30% of people will show evidence of disc degeneration at one or more levels by the time they turn 35. That figure skyrockets to 90% by the age of 60.

Degenerative disc disease can cause pain, weakness or numbness, predominantly in the back and/or neck though exact symptoms vary depending on the location and type of disc degeneration.

Hess, who turns 18 in November, began bowling at the age of 5 and met most of her current Seabreeze teammates in middle school. She first noticed an issue in July 2022 while riding in the car on the way to her grandmother's house.

"I felt a shock go through my body," said Hess, who also experienced left knee pain to the point of falling down at the foul line. "It went from my back straight to my heart and into my face. I swore I was having a stroke at the time. The left side of my face was droopy, and I felt really weird.

"I knew that if I continued to bowl that it was just going to get worse. I didn't know what I had at the time. So that's why I took (time) off. I need to work on myself to be able to get back where I was."

Visits to a primary care physician and orthopaedic specialist followed, and Hess was eventually referred to a hospital in Orlando where she underwent an MRI and stayed for overnight observation. That's when Hess and her parents learned of the diagnosis.

"It's something that a parent never wants to hear, that their child has this disease they are going to have to live with," said Sarah Hess, Breanna's stepmother. "I think we wanted to support her either way, whether she quit bowling or wanted to keep working for it. We said, 'Well, it's in your court now. You tell us what you want to do, and we'll stand behind you 100%."

Breanna added: "I was expecting, obviously, something serious. There was no way I could be in so much pain with that happening. At the same time, it was kind of draining because I thought my bowling career was over. All the stuff that I love to do, that I wanted to do, I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it anymore."

Hess watched from the crowd as Seabreeze cruised to another district championship last October, and made the trip to the three-day Florida High School Athletic Association tournament in Orlando. The Sandcrabs finished second in the Baker bracket event, losing the double-elimination final to Space Coast.

She underwent roughly six months' worth of physical therapy, twice per week, but insisted it did not help reduce the pain. On her worst days, sometimes as frequently as once per week to this day, Hess struggles just to get out of bed.

"I get extremely bad headaches, my chest is extremely tight, it's really hard to breathe; walking up and down the stairs, even looking at people and moving my eyes causes a trigger in my back," she said. "If I move the wrong way, my shoulder blades are actually stuck in my back and they don't pop out.

"Whenever I hit a pinched nerve, it goes straight to my back, up my face, numbs the left side of my face and body and then it starts the heart."

Faced with the decision after gaining medical clearance of whether or not to attempt a return to bowling this summer, Hess tested whether she could endure the very basics — foul line drills and one-steps in releasing the ball — for at least a month. Around the one-year mark of taking a hiatus, Hess chose to go for it and was welcomed back with open arms.

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"It's been amazing, actually," said longtime friend and teammate Kara Beissel, a three-time Female Bowler of the Year winner who recently committed to Youngstown State. "I'm glad that she was able to come back for her senior year. We started freshman year, all of us, and it would be nice to go out with a win as well. She definitely helps the team, and helps us stay calm with strikes and stuff like that."

Sandcrabs bowling coach Paul Shuler called her comeback "inspiring," and that her performances have progressed throughout the fall.

"She pushes, and she doesn't complain or say much about it. She just goes out and bowls," Shuler said. "Looking at her as a coach, not every player can come back from a problem or injury and work just as hard as before it happened. … Lately, she's really been pushing herself, practicing hard and filling the spot really well."

That's not to say returning to competition has gone entirely smoothly. Hess said she withdrew from a match earlier this month due to a flareup mid-swing.

Ibuprofen (as needed), rest and electrolytes are about the only remedies Hess uses for relief.

As of Thursday, Hess maintains a scoring average of 188.33 pins, good enough for fifth individually in the Volusia-Flagler area. She went through the 2021 season, earning All-Area and Female Bowler of the Year nominations, with a 198.96 average and a high game of 258.

The future scares Hess, knowing that life as she ages will only get harder and the pain only more severe. But it also forces her to treasure the present, and push through to create one more lasting memory on the lanes.

"I'm trying to soak it in as much as I can," Hess said. "Every day is different, and I'm scared that I don't know when my last day is going to be enjoying the stuff that I love.

"I would feel prouder than (my sophomore year). … I came a very long way with everything that I've been through. It would be really nice to be able to take that home one more time."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Seabreeze High bowler Breanna Hess pushing through pain, disc disease