Diving In

Today it’s another medical appointment - a new hospital and new consultant. This time it’s The Walton Centre, specialising in neurology and neurosurgery. 

Now, I know my medical situation is complicated, and that it dominates much of my life and blips at the moment, so please feel free to stop reading now. Though first, I must say thank you to everyone who told me I should not be putting up with catheter pain and should just contact the hospital NOW! I know it may seem strange, but by now I know these things come and go, so I just want to see if things settle down by themselves, and I’m pleased to say that generally the pain has lessened, so I’m still just monitoring it.  

So, back to Walton. Six weeks ago I had a full spine MRI basically to see whether the pain and numbness in my legs was neurological or vascular - part of screening me for vasculitis. You may remember vasculitis was ruled out, but the scan revealed spinal degeneration.  I’ve had few symptoms over recent months as I’ve been so inactive due to bladder issues, but it’s something that has troubled me for years, and over the last 12 months it has severely curtailed my walking, limiting what we could do while in New Zealand, and back in March and April meaning sometimes I couldn’t walk at all without leaning on G.

I’ve almost forgotten all this as I sit waiting for my appointment, and feel somewhat of a fraud being seen by the man who turns out to be a clinical director in this leading centre. But he’s absolutely lovely, listens to me describing my symptoms, which he says as absolutely typical of spinal claudication. He shows me images from my MRI which show clearly the misplacement of one vertebra which is now jutting into the spinal canal and compressing the nerves - spondylonithesis. I know so many fellow blippers do have back problems, so I’m sure this is familiar territory. 

I expect him to start telling me about measures or  I can take to help me, to prevent the condition from worsening, but instead it’s straight into surgical options: the minor option, dealing with just the offending vertebra, or, his preferred option, the major procedure of lumbar fusion. The first is unlikely to last, and I may end up worse off; the second has a good success rate. If this was to be done, what’s the waiting time, I ask. He surprises me again with the answer of 6-12 weeks…….. I point out there may be issues in terms of the advisability of any surgery due to my underlying condition, so he will discuss it with my lead consultant. Meanwhile, he will take my case to his next MDT meeting, assign a surgeon, and get me back in to discuss next stages. 

So now I’m feeling pretty shell-shocked. I meet G who is even more taken aback. I wish I’d had him with me, but bless him, he’s taken himself off to have a well-earned bacon bap! I can’t remember any of the terminology (I look it up when I get home), but I know a detailed letter of everything that’s been discussed will follow, and I’ll definitely have him with me for my next visit, primed to ask questions! 

So it’s back home - I’m OK, but just not up to any en route explorations. And I’m just so  weary….. I try to read, but fall asleep, and as for blip, I just read through your comments - grateful as always, for your support.  As for photography - it’s back to the garden, and yet another daisy -  a different far tinier variety than yesterday - supporting act to this pollen-covered, dive-bombing bee.