I started suffering problems with back pain in 2008 shortly after the arrival of my son Ethan, for which no one seemed to have the same answer as to the cause, or were able to help beyond painkillers to manage the increasing chronic and debilitating pain I was experiencing. My close family and friends knew that eventually I was no longer able to always fully dress without help, stand for any period of time, get up from sitting without getting stuck, walk outdoors for any distance due to the unevenness of the ground jolting my back or because I couldn't always pick up my foot, but maybe worst of all my son, (who often helped me put on my socks and shoes in the morning) could no longer sit on my knee or hug me because of the constant crushing pain. There were many daily struggles I hid from most people, and for which I am eternally grateful for the love, support and patience from my family and friends during this time. Although previously I had been told that nothing could be done for my back pain other than pain management, I decided to speak again with my family GP, who agreed something was very wrong with my back and arranged for me to see a spinal surgeon. So that was the start of my spinal surgery journey with Mr Boszczyk and his team of specialists at The Spinal Unit as part of The Centre of Spinal Studies and Surgery at QMC. On 12th October 2015 I had Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery (in other words they went through my stomach, yes they really did 😱😱, and put some serious hardware in my back, including some extra special wizardry such as bone forming protein) and on 17th October I took my first (very slow) steps. Since then it has been an epic journey (and at times not always in an upward trend) where so much has changed in my daily life. I no longer take painkillers and I can do every day activities that so many take for granted, but for me the joy of just being to get out of bed easily and with no pain in the morning is bliss!! The rest of my day used to be downhill from there, full of things I couldn't easily do anymore, but now the world is full of possibilities and special times with my family, including those hugs from Ethan.  

I don't want to waste this amazing opportunity I have now been given by Mr Boszczyk and his team at The Spinal Unit,  and so since January I have been strength and mobility training to help build my fitness back up and also to increase my muscle control, as some of my nerves had been severed as part of my surgery. So I am hoping the money raised from me completing 10k on 23rd August will in small way help The Spinal Unit continue to provide expert spinal care and further advance research and surgical techniques to help patients like myself. 

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