Most people would do anything for a year from their job, an opportunity to sit back, relax, and take a breather from work. What would you do with a year off? Travel? Renovate the house? Spend time with family? Sleep in?

Most people would say that such a life is paradise. Most people, however, arent Rhyno.

I want to go back to work so badly, said Rhyno. Im going crazy sitting at home. Im bored. I just want to get back in that ring, get back on the road get back in the swing of things.

Of course Rhynos vacation isnt a typical one. He has been out of action since last fall, recuperating from spinal surgery. His problems began toward the end of last summer, when he felt some pain in his left triceps muscle. Initially, he simply ignored it; at the time, he was involved in high-profile storylines with The Rock and Chris Jericho. He was determined that nothing would take him out of the spotlight he worked so hard for.

The pain persisted and, finally, on Thursday, October 18, he went to see his doctor, who prescribed some painkillers. But the medication didnt help, and his triceps problems persisted. That Monday, he lost the WCW U.S. Championship to Kurt Angle on Raw, and the next day, he went in for an MRI. The test revealed herniated discs in his C-6 and C-7 vertebrae. That night, at the Smackdown! Taping in Omaha, Nebraska, he indefinitely suspended, and walked off WWE television.

Knowing the severity of the injury, Rhyno spoke with several Superstars who have battled similar injuries, asking what would be his best option. One of the consulted was Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I talked to Rhyno about my comeback, Austin said, and I pointed him in the right direction for a hell of a doctor.

Stone Cold referred him to Dr. Lloyd Youngblood, who has also performed spinal surgeries on Chris Benoit and Lita. Rhyno went under the knife on November 2, to have a bone removed from his hip and fused in his neck. The procedure would require a full year of recovery time.

When youre on the road with the WWE, everything seems to fall into place, the money is good-its so much fun. Then everything came to a screeching halt, Rhyno said. When they told me I would miss a year, they might as well told the Pope to give up religion.

Rhynos closets friends in the locker room say that the decision to have surgery was a difficult one for him to make.

I think it was hard for him in the sense that hes never been in the position of being vulnerable like that before, said Christian, who has known Rhyno for a decade. He thought, My God, this is a career-threatening injury; what am I going to do? Following the initial shock, he realized that after he had the surgery, it would be a better situation for him.

I think he realizes that this is going to extend his career. If he didnt get his neck operated on at the time he did, it would have taken years off [his career]. Now, hes going to come back stronger and better.

Adds Edge, another of Rhynos longtime friends: I dont think he had a choice. When you start losing feeling in your arm and hand during a match, that makes the decisions for you.

After undergoing the procedure, Rhyno realized that what he was going through paralleled the stories Benoit had told him about his own spinal surgery.

I talked to Benoit about two or three weeks after his surgery, and he was getting better. At the time, I couldnt imagine being in the same boat hes in. I just thought I understood, but until I went through it myself, you cant imagine what another person goes through when theyre injured. You cant know the hell it is until youre there.

[Benoit] is an inspiration to me, Rhyno says. He had surgery four months before me, and I see the gains hes made. If it wasnt for him, I dont know what Id do.

Although Rhyno says life has been pretty boring since the surgery, he is happy to report that hes no longer in pain, and that he feels better than he has in a while.

Whats pain? Our tolerance level is higher than most. Im definitely not crying except maybe to my wife, he jokes. There really isnt any pain or discomfort. Compared to the pain we go through in the ring on a regular basis, it was never really painful. Pain I can deal with. Its the pain of having time off that gets to me.

Rhyno began lifting light weights again a few months after his surgery, but became so frustrated at his limited training that, at one point, he gave up all his training cold-turkey. Realizing that wouldnt be beneficial in the long run, he again began his slow journey back-even working with five-pound weights.

You get really discouraged at times, he says. You do four or five reps with five-pound weights, and your left arm just dies out. You dont feel like a man.

By WrestleMania X8, he had increased his lifting regimen, and concentrated much of his efforts on cardiovascular conditioning. In late April, he began more focused exercises targeting his injured left biceps and pectoral muscles.

Rhyno expects to begin light in-ring training again in September, and he targets November for his return to the squared circle.

Im mentally preparing myself [to return in November], but Im going to physically prepare myself for an earlier return, he says. Everybody at the WWE told me to take whatever time I need to get through this and put it behind me. Id rather sit out a couple of extra months and come back better than ever than come back too early and hurt myself, and have this be a recurring problem.

During his time away from the WWE spotlight, Rhyno has kept himself busy, doing work at his new home in Detroit and traveling frequently. I try to keep busy, because otherwise Ill go insane, he says. He and his wife Mirja, took a vacation in Hawaii this past spring, and they plan to get a Winnebago and travel up and down the East Coast this summer.

Surprisingly, one thing he hasnt been doing on a regular basis is watching WWE programming.

I havent sat through an entire program since I got hurt, he admits. Ive been unable to. I found it hard to watch because I couldnt be part of it. The first couple of months, when I realized I wouldnt be working, I found that to be harder than the surgery.

Although its hard for him to watch the shows, Rhyno says his friends in the locker room-including Edge, Christian, and Benoit-are keeping him in good spirits.

I talk to Rhyno at least a couple of times a month, said Christian. Especially when he first had the surgery, I would call him at the hospital and leave joke messages on his answering machine. Usually we call each other, and if we talk on the phone for a half-hour, about 90 seconds of that is serious; the rest of it is just us goofing off. The first call I got back from him after his neck surgery, he was already laughing because hed listened to my messages. I try to keep him in good spirits and laughing.

Adds Edge, One thing I think he misses more than anything is the camaraderie with the guys, doing a 200-mile drive with guys who are like your best friends. There are times he will call and leave me ridiculous messages, like four a day, and Im like, Okay, hes bored today. I think hes going a little stir crazy.

I remember once, I had three weeks off because of a back injury, and at the end of three weeks, I just had to get going. I had the road itch. I think thats whats going through his head, too.

The Man-Beast says his biggest disappointment about being out of action was that he didnt have the opportunity to compete at WrestleMania X8.

I was kicking myself, punching myself in the head, running my head into the wall because I wasnt on the show, he says. I think thats every wrestlers goal. But there was nothing I could do about it.

Although that goal didnt come to pass, Rhyno says he has another one: to come back better than ever and recapture the spotlight he misses so badly.

Im glad I can still be part of the WWE by doing appearances, and Im glad Im not in pain anymore, Rhyno said. But now I can see that light at the end of the tunnel, and I cant wait to get back.