STRUGGLING

I have really been struggling since yesterday with my back.  I rather stupidly carried a box of mock exam papers at work and it has set it off again.  I was in agony all last night and I had to have some very strong codeine and a very warm bath to get movement without agony again.  Today it is either spasming or locking in pain intermittently, but at least I have managed to keep going using paracetamol only. As a consequence (because it is more important to rest it so that I can keep working this week) I have not done any NaNoWriMo writing and am very behind schedule with the challenge now.  I am hoping I can catch up next week when I am no longer working.  Fingers crossed.

I have two affected discs that are causing my back problems.  The bottom disc has gone completely and the one above has the disc material bulging out at one side.  This is causing shooting nerve pain, swelling, spasming and locking in my back, arms and legs (as the discs are touching the nerve columns).  My MRI scan in 2009 shows that the third one was beginning to bulge and my consultant is recommending a Lumbar Posterion Interbody Fusion which is a scary sounding operation (see KSpine.net for details and look at the picture of the affected spine it shows - mine has two discs like that) with a 7-week recovery span.  I went for another MRI scan a fortnight ago as I have had my back go badly twice since the 2009 scan (once embarrassingly in M&S when I could not feel/use my legs and ended up going to LGI in an ambulance - I could see the sale rail, I just couldn't get to it! - and once outside work when my back muscles all went into spasm and I ended up in A&E) and the consultant was worried that might have been the third disc degenerating.  Both times were unbearably painful and had to be treated with very strong codeine.  I was hoping to avoid the operation, but the pain is now becoming more debilitating, so I can now see where the consultant is coming from.  Should be getting my scan results soon, so this will help me make a decision.  Will keep you informed, but meanwhile, definitely NO lifting heavy things for me at work any more.