Wiggle Your Big Toe - Day 10

Since my hospitalisation on 1st April, I have spoken to alot of friends who are not in the same State or Country as I am, a few who aren't on the same continent or in the same hemisphere and let's face it, a few who aren't on the same planet! Most of them have have expressed a sense of frustration at not being able to physically be here for me.

Just so you know, the flowers, phone calls, text messages and emails I have received have made you all feel alot closer, so thank you.

I thought I would start this blog for those of you who might not be able to be here and follow my progress as much as you would like.

Let's start at the beginning, you all know I have suffered with back pain for the last couple of years. Anyone who suffers from chronic pain of any kind are able to manage it well, and unfortunately some of us don't recognise when the pain changes and just carry on regardless.

I started to get pain towards the middle of March and thought I was developing sciatica. I got shooting pains down my legs that came and went (It was at it's most painful on 28th March. I now know this to be where the disc was hitting the nerves) I got stiffness the next day and had trouble getting into a friends car and lawn bowling with my usual skill (!). On Monday 30th March it was still painful and I thought a good session of Bikram or Hot Yoga would stretch me right out. Within minutes of the class (the start of the warm up!) I started to get a cramping feeling down my legs and practically laid down and suffered the pain for the 90 min class, getting up occasionally to try the odd yoga pose. I now know that I had slipped the disc by this stage and each position I tried, made it worse.

The next morning I felt pins and needles in my feet and calf muscles. It really hurt. No, no, in fact, it was excruciating. I laid on the bed and the sensation went away, I got up, it came back, I laid down, it went away, I got up it came back, I laid down...... this happened 7 times. (I know this now to be where the disc was starting to damage the nerve.)

I drove to work and my left foot gave out from under me when I got to the office. I worked for the day and my foot did the same thing 2 more times (this was the nerve shutting down that controlled that part of my foot). By the end of the day, I couldn't walk 3 metres. I had a hot bath and wore DVT socks to bed and barely slept. The next morning I could not walk and could hardly move. I called 000.

The hospital explained what had happened to me and they dosed me up on anti-inflammatories and I had a couple of days bed rest. The movement in my feet deteriorated over this time and spread to my right foot. I was scheduled in for a lumbar laminectomy for discectomy, that evening.

In layman's terms, the op consisted of an incision in my lower back, moving the nerves to one side and slicing the herniating disc part off. Then sewing me back up. Simple really.

Moving the nerves made them inflame and sent them into shock so on waking from the op, I had little to no feeling in my legs. Just a pins and needles feeling that intensified if they were touched. Horrible.

After 2 days laying completely flat (in case my spinal fluid leaked out of the surgical wound) I started to feel more like myself again.

I am now in a rehabilitation hospital where intensive physiotherapy (twice a day) bed rest, early nights and stable balanced meals should see me up and around in no time (hopefully 3 weeks)

I thought I would video my progress as I am sure you are all having the same thoughts as I had about maybe, well, let's just say, not being 100% on my feet again. These videos also help me monitor my progress to keep me on the same positive thinking track.

Rehab starts with small steps. This video shows how I can wiggle my toes 10 days after the op. It's a vast improvement and deserves to be celebrated.

In case you are wondering about the picture at the top, that is my friend Paul, who realised my feet were getting alot of attention and came in to paint my toenails!!

Love to you all,

Rach