Angela's Page

It all seems like a lifetime ago now. I'd suffered on and off with Backache from the age of 18. I was on my way to work 28th December 2006 at the Nursing Home, my cousin gave me a lift in, in the back of his van, when I came to get out, I turned to open the sliding door and felt a pop in my lower back. I took a couple of Paracetamol and sat for half an hour but the pain was pretty intense by then. I carried on at work for the rest of the day. By the time I got home I was in agony, I had a hot bath and went to bed with more painkillers. I was awake all night with the pain.

The next morning I was in so much pain that my parents had to come and look after me, my Dad went over to the Doctors and asked if I could have a home visit. By the time the Doctor came a couple of hours later I was laid out on the floor as this was the only comfortable place I could be. He gave me a painkiller injection, then done a few reflex tests. I told him that my left leg and foot felt like pins and needles, he pushed a sharp point into my left leg and foot but I had now feeling at all, my right leg was fine. He gave me Diclofenac and told me to rest for the next couple of days. He rang me later on that day to see how I was. Over the next couple of days the pain gradually became stronger and stronger and I now had Sciatica right down my left leg and into my foot. By New Years Eve morning the pain was so severe I couldn't lay down, sit down, stand, no position eased my pain. I then realised that I couldn't go to the loo, the pain was getting more severe by the minute, I was screaming with the pain by now.

At 7.30pm my Mam rang NHS Direct, who had a Ambulance sent out for me, on arrival I was given a Morphine Injection and again I had more reflex test done. The Doctor said that he thought I had a Prolapsed Disc but I could go home with some painkillers and rest. My parents told him that there was no way I could go home as I had no one to help me. Eventually I was taken up onto a Ward, I thought what a way to spend a New Years Eve! I saw another Doctor who wrote me up for Morphine during the night. The Morphine started to wear off, I asked the Nurse for more pain relief but I was left rolling about in agony for over an hour before they finally came with more Morphine. I was left to go to the loo on my own, the only way I could walk was on my tip toes dragging my left leg behing me. The morning (2.1.07) the Consultant came to see me and told me he wanted me to have a MRI Scan done. I was taken down and given the MRI, on returning to the ward I was told that I had a Prolapsed Disc L5/S1. I was taken to have a Sacral Epidural Injection into the damage disc to help ease the pain. This was agony and after the numbness wore off I was allowed to go home (6.1.07). Over the next couple of days I realised that the Injection hadn't worked at all.

The Doctor visited me day and night until the 15.1.07 the pain still hadn't eased any and again I couldn't pee. The Doctor rang the Consultant again and I was told to return to the Hospital. I saw one of the Nurse Practitioners who couldn't believe that I'd been sent home still in pain, she had me re-admitted. I was told that I would see the Consultant that day, I waited and waited eventually on the 17.1.07 he came to see me and told me that I did have a Prolapsed Disc and he was going to perform a Discectomy on 19.1.07.

The morning of my operation I was looking forward to the op so I could be out of pain, but I was afraid that I wouldn't come through the Operation especially after signing the Consent Form and finding out what could happen, I was that convinced I wouldn't make it that I wrote my kids and family letters, I must have been mad. I was taken down about 1pm I was petrified as I had a Needle Phobia. The people in Theatres were really great and made me feel at ease. I remember coming back onto the Ward about 6pm I felt sick and I had a terrible headache. I suffer with Migraines but this was something else, the Nurses/Doctors kept an eye on me as they thought they might have nicked my Spinal Cord and fluid was leaking, causing my severe headache. I was given painkillers and eventually the next day the pain went. I also couldn't pee after I came round from the Operation by midnight I was bursting, in the end I had a Cathetar fitted which was pure relief. I was allowed home on the 22.1.07.

I still had some pain although it wasn't as severe as before but it was still too painful to do anything or go back to work. I kept having a Sore Tongue, I went for tests I'd had 2 Ulcers on my tongue for about 12 weeks, I was taken into another Hospital and had to have a Biopsy taken of the Ulcer, I couldn't believe that I could have something else to worry about, I thought it was Cancer as some of my family members have had this, it turned out to be side effects from the many tablets that I was taken, I still have a sore tongue now. After about 10 weeks of Tonsillitus, Chest Infections and abnormal blood readings I was still not out of pain. After 6 weeks I went back to see Mr K (Consultant) I told him that I was still in pain and he said my reflex's still weren't how they should be. He booked me in to have a Nerve Root Block done, this was for 4.5.07. This again was painful and this also didn't help with the pain. By this time I had been trying many different painkillers but I had alot of side effects with some of them. I had another appointment to see one of Mr K team, in July 07, he informed me that I would need another Operation. So I had to wait and wait. By this time I was taking Fluoxetine, Amitryptlin, Morphine Sulphate (100mg), Dihydracodeine and a few others and I was turning into a Zombie.

I received Incapacity Benefit of £72.55 pw and had Mortgage Protection, which only paid out for 12 months. So I really did struggle to keep myself afloat.

Eventually in Nov 07, I received an letter with a date for my 2nd operation, it was for 2.1.08, I couldn't believe it a whole year had nearly gone by and I was still in so much pain. I enjoyed Christmas and looked forward to having the op. I had a PLIF - Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion done on the 2nd. I had a bad reaction to the Anaesthetic and was sick. I had a Morphine pump on when I came round, which kept my pain at bay. Again I had to have a Cathetar fitted. The next morning Mr K came to see me and told me that I could go home, I was shocked as I'd been in a week the last time but I thought he knows best.

As the weeks went by I realised that I still had alot of pain, I was so fed up by now. After another couple of visits to see Mr K, I was told on 1.7.08 that I was going to have 2 Bilateral Injections. I got the date through for 31.7.08, I went in to the Day Case I had the 2 Injections done which was painful. I had to wait for an hour or so, then I could go home. I couldn't believe it my pain had disappeared. I'm still pain free now 10.8.08 fingers crossed it stays that way. I feel so good at the moment, I only hope it will last. I've tried Physio but it didn't really help. I'm starting to go swimming a couple of times a week and doing some gentle walking.

I'm going on holiday in 2 weeks with my 2 children, I'm really looking forward to it now. I've been on a few back to work Courses, so hopefully I might get a chance to change my Career and be NORMAL again.