The worst thing about having back pain is...

...everyone's an expert!

Apparently there are more working days lost to some kind of back pain in the UK than any other condition (not that I've conducted any kind of reliable research) so it goes without saying that a lot of people have experienced back pain.  So I understand that when people find out I have back pain, then they want to let me know "I've had that too!”  But it is intensely irritating when they then proceed to tell you how to cope, how to cure, how to avoid said pain.  I don't want to seem ungrateful for the advice, but I don’t remember asking for it!

You may be reading this now thinking "what a hypocrite! She'd doing the exact same thing!" And yes, I suppose I am aiming to offer some kind of (albeit paltry) advice.  But let me just highlight that although I have experienced my back problem, I do not claim to be an expert. I only hope that someone going through the same thing may find some comfort in knowing that I went through it and survived! There are so many kinds of problems out there relating to or resulting from some kind of back pain, but I only know what I know about mine!

That said, this is my last instalment of back-pain related ramblings, so after this post, you'll be subjected to endless blethering about baking, shoes and sewing! Maybe you’ll stop reading altogether…

Anyway, back to the back pain.  I left off last time just as I awoke after my operation in a drug induced haze.  That night in hospital was an experience I’ll never forget.  The pain however has faded from memory.  They say that the human body has no memory for pain (again, no substantial scientific evidence from me) and I would definitely say this is true of my experience.  I remember that in the immediate days after my op I was in pain, and that it was probably about a 9 on the 1-10 scale of almost-undetectable to I-am-going-to-jump-off-a-cliff-it’s-so-bad.  But after a few days (probably a week) the pain started to improve.  I noticed immediately that I felt taller, due to being much less crooked, and my surroundings seemed less of a challenge and more of a normality.  The pain was now centralised to my lower back rather than spreading down both legs and the nerve pain was definitely subsiding. 

A couple of months down the line and I feel like I’ve got my life back (clichéd but true).  I am not pain free.  Whatever blogs/message boards/leaflets that advise this might be mis-leading to some.  I still have some nerve-damage, and therefore pain and numbness.  This is insignificant in comparison to the pain pre-op.  I also have a lot of muscle stiffness and aches due to the significant loss of strength in my legs and back prior to my operation. This will take a while to build back up, so I have to be patient.  However, if you were to ask me: is the operation is worth the hassle? A resounding yes.  If you have tried everything else and your discs are still protruding putting pressure on the nerve, do not hesitate.  The time spent recovering is minimal compared to the time I’ve lost.  Any other advice? Yes, you can't sit back and wait for recovery.  Get moving, get exercising and get back to work.  The only way to help the pain is to build your strength and that won't happen on its own.  Swimming works for me, so give it a try. 

That is my advice and this is when I will stop. Onto the more important things in life…now where did I leave my new book?