Back injury (micro discectomy)
Well last week was pretty unpleasant. It started on monday morning when my back injury was so severe that I could not get out of bed. I have been working occasionally from a supine position for a while when not on tour but this was the final blow.
I got into the Nuffield Hospital Plymouth towards the end of the week to have a micro discectomy operation on Saturday. This is a brilliant piece of micro surgery where a small device is inserted into the back and the surgeon uses it to remove some of the prolapsed disk. http://www.backrack.co.uk/discectomy.shtml
The good news is that I am walking again but I have no reflex yet in my left achilese tendon. Also I can't stand on tiptoe on my left foot. Yesteday I sneezed too hard, wrenched the back and had to lie down for an hour and take an extra pain killer.
This is a hazard with our jobs in IT, we tend to have personalities that make us stick to our laptops hour after hour, even at home in front of the telly. You know those warning notices about correct working positions that we all ignore? Well please do yourself a favour and read it over again and do something about it.
- Working on a laptop in its compact configuration should be the exception not the rule. Use an external monitor placed at head height.
- Use an ergonmic keyboard
- Get a good chair.
- Stand up and walk about once an hour. It often pays to step away from the machine in any case as this gives your valuable think time.
I also travel a lot with my job so I spend a lot of time on airplanes. (Economy of course). So if you are tall like me get an exit row seat and get up every hour and take a walk.
Actually talking about our obssesive personalities this is in fact me blogging while on sick leave. Funny world innit?
So for those interested I will blog a thread on my recovery from this treatment. I am currently doing some physio to strengthen my back. Its a bit like Polates.
Drugs: This is the worse part - I hate the drugs but I hate the pain more. Dyclonofac this is an effective anti inflamatory. but it has some side effects - Constipation (a new and novel experience for me); Strange behaviour (those who know me will wonder if I could be any stranger but lo it is possible). CoCodamol this is a codeine laced paracetamol. Its a very effective at reducing pain. Some folks take it for fun, they must be mad.
Another observation concerns my dog Sooty. She now will stay within 2 meters of me at all times or will pine. She also licks my hand which she never did before.
If anyone out there has similar experiences please let me know.
Bye for now.
