In recognition of my one year surgery anniversary I have decided to share everything I went through, the good, the bad, the ugly and sometimes the funny!
But lets not get ahead of myself, theres a lot that went on before I got to my surgery date, so lets go!
In summer 2014 I’d been struggling with a bad back, nothing major just a bit of aching every now and then. I put it to old age creeping in! After all, I was 25! Plus I had a physical job working with dogs and didn't take much stock in keeping fit.
But as the months rolled on I developed a strange burning feeling in my right bum cheek, gradually this got worse to the point where it was starting to affect my daily life and my job. So like any concerned person would do, I went to the doctors.
I was told I had sciatica, given some painkillers and sent on my way, it will clear up in 6 weeks. Those 6 weeks came and went with the pain getting worse, not better! I went back and forth to the doctors for months, the pain now in my left bum cheek and leg too. I also had started getting pins and needles and numbness in my left foot. Finally I saw a Doctor who didn't see me as a symptom to treat, I was a person with a life and feelings and he really was the start of me getting my problem fixed. He took all the time I needed to explain what I had wrong, what the symptoms mean, and most importantly at the time, pain relief! I'm allergic to loads of things, including some painkillers, and he made sure we got me on something that meant I could get at least a couple of hours sleep, and could half function during the day. This for me was 30/500mg co-codamol. I’d tried tramadol but had a horrendous reaction to it which resulted in a lot of sick! I also hallucinated black cats and went through withdrawal when I stopped taking it so that was fun! Needless to say I wasn't going on tramadol ever again! Co-codamol really was my only option. So this Doctor got the ball rolling with my referral to hospital, I was being referred to the adult lower back clinic at the Leicester General Hospital.
By this time I’d been suffering a year with worsening symptoms and had had a few bouts of sickness from it from work. My appointment came for June 2015 where I met with a consultant who did lots of examinations and sent me for an MRI scan. I also had to have half my blood taken for various things such as c-reactive protein, bone profile and b12 deficiency!
By August I was able to do less and less at work, becoming more a spare part, my colleagues were picking up the jobs that I was unable to do, which was most of them, and I was miserable. I barely slept, I was in constant pain, I’d started collapsing, people thought I was making it up, my mood changed, I was rarely happy, I was a horrible person to be around, my team said I brought them down, I couldn't help it though, they just didn't understand how I was feeling and how it took most of my effort to just stand up let alone be the life and soul at work. So on august 28th, I decided to go on long term sick.
When my MRI results came through they showed “a large central disc prolapse at L5/S1, impinging on both nerve roots, the left more than the right”. Basically my disc material had oozed out and was pushing on my spinal cord and the two big nerves that come from the spine down into the leg.
The consultant suggested a nerve root block and booked me in, however a few days after that appointment I had a phone call saying that my consultant had took my notes to a spinal mdt (whatever that is!) and spinal surgeon, Mr Basu, believed that a nerve root block would hinder my recovery and that an L5/S1 discectomy surgery was the only way forward. I saw him the following week to meet him in person and discuss in more detail my condition and why surgery is the appropriate treatment. I was in total shock! One of my biggest fears is general anaesthetic and now I was faced with having one! He informed me if I was to go ahead I would be placed on his urgent list. This was all so much to take in! I never thought surgery would be a treatment option. I thought I’d get a bit of physio or a steroid injection and sent on my way! Let alone being put down as needing urgent surgery! So all I had to do now was go home, and wait for a surgery date to arrive.
This date was to be 9th Dec 2015.
Here is the transcript from the appointment: “Plan is to proceed with L5/S1 discectomy. Rather than performing a left sided discectomy alone she will require a bilateral discectomy. I reiterated that the surgery is aimed more at leg pain and has a 75% chance of a very successful outcome and a further 20% chance of reasonably successful outcome. There is a 5% chance of an unsuccessful result. The risks I reiterated with her today were infection, unexpected serious medical complications, paralysis affecting sphincter function and lower legs, isolated s1 nerve root injury with permanent weakness of the calf, incidental durotomy and risk of recurrence.”
So with those risks looming over me I had my pre op assessment on 23rd November, my nerves getting worse the closer the 9th got. And when I signed my consent, I literally felt like I had just signed my life away. I was given facts and figures about the success rates of the surgery, the risks of anaesthetic, the risks of the disc re-herniating again, but one of the biggest things I didn't realise at the time was I’d be trusting a man a barely knew with making sure these risks didn't happen! I had no choice but to trust in him and his competency as a spinal surgeon and as someone who doesn't trust easily this was a major thing for me to overcome.
By this time I had found a support group on Facebook for people who were facing and had had the same surgery. The group was full of so many beautiful and kind people from all around the world. I don't think I’d have had the strength or confidence to have done this without them for support. As I'm sure many people with health issues can relate to out there the people who understand what you are feeling and going through always make the best support friends as they don't have to imagine what you feel, they know. As much as people in your life try they can never fully understand.
Fast forward to the day, the most nerve-racking and frightening day of my life. Surgery day! I had to arrive by hospital at 7.15am to be admitted. When I got there I found out I was the last person on the list of 4 that day, so I didn't go down to theatre till 4.30pm!!! As you can imagine the waiting was unbearable, my parents couldn't stay with me and I obviously wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink so I was starving and crazy thirsty! In the waiting room was the other women due in for surgery that day so until the last lady went I at least had some company. Luckily one of the nurses spotted me alone, shaking with fear in the corner and came and sat with me for a while. She was on her way home and had came to say bye to her nurse friends but took time out of her day after probably a million hours of working to stay and comfort me till it was my turn.
When it was my turn a nurse came walked me down to theatre, I got on the bed and was told I’d have two anaesthetic doctors as I have a family history of allergy to general anaesthetic and I'm allergic to a tonne of things, so the risk was fairly high. I had to have an oxygen mask on, and one of the anaesthetists put the needle in my hand, first they put in a clear liquid, then the white liquid of doom! The thing I'm most afraid of! The anaesthetic! I could see it going down through the syringe into the needle in my hand! I remember thinking in the movies they count down from 10 and usually make it to 7, so I did that, but nothing. I was still wide awake, then I remember thinking why haven't they asked me to count down, is something wrong! Next thing I know, I hear my name being called, like its in the distance, surgery was over, now for the hard part, the recovery! …
“Vikky, Vikky, can you hear me Vikky? I’m Joe and Im looking after you on the recovery ward. Welcome back, your surgery went well. Are you in any pain?”
HELL YES!!!!!!
My back was killing me! Such a sharp pain I can only compare to a massive paper cut on steroids!! BUT all my leg pain had gone, my foot felt normal again, the pins and needles had gone! It felt so strange as I’d felt the pins and needles and pain for so long it was abnormal now to not feel it. I was given some codeine and more codeine, and more codeine! I didn't take long to wake up, and luckily I didn't feel sick or anything which I know a lot of people feel when they have had surgery.
I spent maybe 20 mins in recovery before I was wheeled onto ward 16, where the other two women from the waiting room were having the same procedure, they too congratulated me for getting through it and not legging it out of the hospital in fear! My Mum had been waiting for me for a little while and only had about 15 mins before visiting hours finished but she managed to stay about half an hour with me before going home.
That night was horrendous, the nurses needed me to do a wee to make sure nothing had happened with my nerves during the surgery but I just couldn't go! I think the pressure of needing to do one was too much! Plus I felt totally undignified going into a cardboard bowl in my hospital bed with a nurse watching me! I was given a 4 hour deadline before they would have to intervene and see if anything was wrong. I managed to convince one of the nurses to let me get up and try on a commode instead and eureka! I managed! Panic over! That night was also the first time I experienced morphine. The codeine wasn't enough so they offered me oramorph. Bright side it made the pain melt away, downside is it made me dizzy!
I woke up the next morning after a rough nights sleep. But happy that I felt a lot better. I was going home later today and looking forward to my own bed! I finally got to eat but only managed a few spoons of cereal. I met with a physio who wanted to make sure I could get in and out of a bed and a chair, walk unaided, get on and off the loo and go up and down some stairs. She was really happy that I was so mobile and that I’d been up within a few hours after the surgery.
About 4pm I was discharged and my parents came to pick me up. Now here was a tricky thing, the car ride home! The hospital is about 25 minutes away and rush hour was beginning! But the first obstacle was getting into the car! I’d been given BLT rules! No bending, no lifting, no twisting. You try getting into a car with those rules and a harrowing pain in your spine!
So we made it home and I cant remember what I did, I know I went to bed around 6pm and pretty much slept straight through to the next day! The next couple of days consisted of lots of tv, lots of naps, and little potters around the house. After a few days I felt well enough to venture out to visit my Nana and go for walks in the village. I’d weaned down the codeine and stopped that by day 5 post op, and managed with paracetamol until I stopped that day 10 post op.
My Mum did so much for me in the couple of weeks after the op. Im so grateful I had her help! And she was tasked with washing and drying my hair because I wasn't allowed to get my stitches wet for 2 weeks!
I’m going to list a few things here that I brought to help me post op, hoping that if someone who is facing the same surgery reads this it might help them. First off, a grabber! Chances are if you have a severe back problem you will already have one but I had no idea how much stuff I dropped till I couldn't bend to pick it up! Something like a zimmer frame to help support you getting up and down on the loo. I only needed it the first day or so I was home but it did help. I also brought a plastic tray thing that goes around your neck and drains into the sink to wash hair with, this was a lifesaver as I could comfortably sit in a chair with my back to the sink and tip my head back to have my hair washed, like the chair/sink things in hairdressers. A sponge or loofa on a stick! Because I couldn't shower or bend to wash my feet I used the loofa on a stick to reach them. Also get some comfortable clothes in, I opted for joggers and t-shirts. And some slip on shoes, this isn't too much of an issue if someone is there to help but Mum went back to work after the first week so I was home alone and if I wanted to go out I’d have no way been able to bend to tie laces or anything. Also move things from low down cupboards to higher up, and maybe prepare a few meals and freeze them or get some ready meals in so you have an easy option instead of cooking.
Now some advice! Learn to forgo a little dignity, e.g. sitting on a commode mostly naked with a nurse watching you wee isn't anything I ever saw myself doing! Learn to be patient, the recovery is slow, day by day, and you will have set backs. I had a few with some nerve pain returning and back pain but they eventually by about 4 months post op fade away. Also I lost my job, I’m not going into detail but I had restrictions from my surgeon about a phased return to work on light duties but this wasn't an option for my employer so my contract was ended. When I did find a new job I had another flare up of pain. But again this went away with exercise and time. I started physiotherapy 3 weeks after the op and believe me when I say this, exercise really is the key to recovery! Now being a year post op, I do go through phases of not doing my exercise like I should and I can tell, I feel more achey and my muscles tighten up. I was lucky enough to join an exercise class at the physio department in the Leicester General Hospital called the back class and the physio who ran it was probably the reason why my recovery was a success. He really took the time to make sure my exercises were right for me, showed me how to adapt ways I was doing things to reduce the pain and generally just cared that I got better. He also helped with some anxiety I developed after the op about being scared of re-herniating the disc and having to go through it all again. Another piece of advice I would give is to prepare for a shit tonne of emotions! I have never suffered from anxiety until I had surgery and one Gp even mentioned I may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder! It all stems from being terrified of doing something wrong and causing more issues in my spine. Plus I was dealing with losing friends and through all of this my Grandad passed away. I am in a much happier place now though, my mood has gotten drastically better, I feel happy and don't get down so easily, Ive become a positive and optimistic person. Ive even developed some confidence through knowing I conquered my greatest fear. Its taken me a long time to feel this way though and I still struggle a little, like I recently saw my surgeon about a sharp pain I have been getting when I sneeze or cough in the disc area, which turns out is basically my disc struggling to cope with the load its under now some of the material has been removed. But I am optimistic that with exercise (I really need to make sure I stay motivated to keep at it!) and a positive attitude I will continue to get back the years of life my back problem stole. I have done so much this year including holidays, visiting the Harry Potter studios (I did this 2 months after the op), day trips out, building closer relationships with my friends who stuck by me, and just generally enjoying life. Today marks one year since I had surgery and it had literally changed my life.
If you want to read up more about herniated disc and sciatica here are a couple of links packed with information. Also seek out support groups if you need to, not just for this condition but any condition you may be suffering with on Facebook. There is a whole world of people out there kind enough to help and support you.
I know its been a long read but thank you for sticking with it!
I am more than happy to talk to anyone going through the same thing so please get in touch.
Vikky
x
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