The search is on to find another Wayne Gretzky.
Not a superstar with comparable hockey skills, but another athlete with similar back miseries."The scary part," Gretzky told the Toronto Sun on Wednesday from his home in Los Angeles, where he spent the first of many days to follow in bed, "is the doctors can't find another professional athlete who has had this problem.
"They're trying, but they can't find anyone."
And so Gretzky remains at home indefinitely, as unique in his hockey skills and his health problems. A thoracic herniated disc in his back has placed his future health and his hockey career in jeopardy. He is hopeful of recovery, but also frightened by the uncertainties.
Wednesday was Gretzky's first full day at home following an intense week of tests in a Los Angeles hospital.
"Right now, I'm in a holding pattern," said The Great One.
Gretzky has been diagnosed as having a herniated disc in the upper right back, which is applying pressure to a nerve and sending searing pain through his rib cage.
While there is optimism for a complete recovery, the prescription now is rest and medication. But there remain no guarantees that this "one-in-a-million" problem will heal sufficiently to allow Gretzky to resume his illustrious career with the Los Angeles Kings.
And the search to find people who have suffered similar problems has not unearthed any professional athletes.
"They've found a few people, but not any athletes. And it's a little different when you're getting hit by 200-pound men.
"But the big thing was finding out what was wrong," continued Gretzky, who will visit doctors again next week.