Sunday, June 28, 2009

SORRY! OK!

No-one likes hearing about other people’s medical woes, aches and pains but tough I’m telling you anyway because mine really, really suck.

So sucky are they I’m tempted to post pictures from the MRI wot I ‘ad last week.

That involved some very interesting questions one of which was had I been penetrated at all in the last 6 months.
“Not by anything metallic that I know of!” I declared. Forgetting for the moment that one should never end a sentence with a preposition (sorry Dave).

Anyway nothing magnetic, that had slipped in unnoticed by me, exited at speed during the procedure which was singularly uninteresting except the trying to keep very, very still for what seemed like hours.

Dr Dave explained the results to me on Friday and declared it was not good news and further more that I was “Disorganised” on the inside!

The long and short is that the little bony bits that hold one vertebrae on to the one below and above have broken off Lumbar No 5 causing Lumbar No 4 and the rest of my back-bone to slide off the top and head inwards to the extent that it’s now nearer my front than my back. And there I was thinking I had nice firm stomach muscles!
Naturally this has caused the disc between L4 and L5 to be squished out of all recognition and the hole where the nerves pass through to be gummed up with disc contents and somewhat very compressed and getting more compressed and squishier by the day. The disc between L5 and the first sacrum joint spookily called S1 is also collapsing under the strain.

So Dr Dave proposes to put a rod up each side screwing S1 to L5 to L4 and then a cage round the whole caboodle to pull it back into place. This involves two large incisions up each side of at least 3 or 4 feet, well 8 inches but bigger than the keyhole surgery you hear bandied about.

He went on to tell me all the risks involved, one if which seemed to be not coming round as it will take 5 or 6 hours, and that’s not stopping for lunch! I put my fingers in my ears and went LA LA LA LA LA LA LA. So I don’t know what else is involved and that’s just fine by me.

Himself did ask about recuperation time (6 months to a year) (f*ck) and whether I would be able to cook afterwards.
“Yes Yes” says Dr Dave,
“Oh wonderful” says Himself “because she’s never been able to before”

Oh ha ha ha

Meanwhile the waiting list is 18 weeks or we can pay and it will only cost 15 to 20 thousand of our English Pounds.

It’s going to be a long and boring summer! And I’ve already maxed out the credit cards shopping on-line so all that’s left to me is you lot.

Be scared, be very scared, because the biggest side effect of the CONSTANT PAIN, (yes really, well mostly in the morning and then the afternoon and then the evening and during the night) is that I’m VERY GRUMPY.

So please accept my apologies in advance for any cranky, snide or downright rude comments I may make!

27 comments:

KAZ said...

Oh Ziggi - you poor poor dear thing.
You can be as grumpy as you like and we will reply with nothing but sweetness. Himself must become a saint.
Thinking of you.
XXX

Geoff said...

You have every right to be grumpy. 18 effing weeks!

Z said...

Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry. That's horrible.

Sentences are meant to be ended with prepositions. Anyone who objects is a mere pedant, up with which we will not put. As Churchill (probably) put it. And Dave is not a mere anything.

Be as grumpy as you like, but if you're setting up a Ziggi-waiting-list-bypass fund, count me in for a contribution.

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

Hell's bells! That's bloody terrible, not to mention having to wait 18 weeks (November 1?) to have the mechanic put it all right. Much as I love the NHS, that's taking the piss.

Good news - white wine is an excellent pain-killer. Mrs Malc tested it out last night.

I, Like The View said...

oh f*ck!!!

how awful

how absolutely dreadful. . . I'll have to come and visit now, won't I? (oh f*ck! how absolutely dreadful, how awful, you're thinking)

can you get Vicadin on the NHS? sorry, that;s not helpgul is it

what about a TENS machine?

big hugs ZigZ - ones that don't hurt

no wonder you wanted a large G&T on Friday sweetie

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

Dave said...

Screw S1 to L5 to L4? Have you tried asking Ikea to sponsor this operation?

Sympathy. Pain's not much fun, is it?

Dave said...

Ooooh. I see Dave is called Chapple. That ought to be my surname.

Zig said...

Kaz, thank you, and Himself is trying, very! No I don't mean that . . . much.

Geoff, I have had better news to be sure but on the up side there's ...? What is there? ? Daytime TV! Drugs! and all that jazz. And annoying people on their blogs. I shall develop this.

Z, and cooking of course, well baking for which I thank you and your kind thoughts :)

Malc, and red wine and pink and nice cold beer and a sophisticated G&T once the suns passed the yard arm, oh yes so it has (somewhere), Chin Chin and down the hatch - I wonder if the NHS will cure my alcoholism while they're at it?

Jax you will always be welcome. And I thought exactly the same thing whilst ogling Him last night. And I don't want that Cuddy getting her hands all over him either!

Dave, I have every faith in my Dave and indeed he is Mr Chapple but I'm allowed to call him Dave.
Pain is shite I agree, got any good drugs you can share mister?

The Quacks of Life said...

I am so tempted to respond to this

"So please accept my apologies in advance for any cranky, snide or downright rude comments I may make!"

with

"and how would we spot the difference"

but....

It does sound like you have the right to be cranky ((ziggi))

Rob Clack said...

Oh ouch! Poor you. I wish I believed in Hell; that way I could hope the Landrover driver would rot there.

Zig said...

Pete, it will be hard to spot the difference but at least now I have an excuse!

Rob, those that know think there was already an underlying problem so it's probably not entirely his fault. Perhaps it's better I know now rather than later?

Rog said...

Nice Arse!

Zig said...

Rog! Thank you darling

Ms Scarlet said...

I wandered here from Mr Coppens.
You poor thing! Please feel free to be as rude as you like to Dave on my blog.
Sx

Anonymous said...

"Himself did ask about recuperation time (6 months to a year) (f*ck)"

This needs some clarification, please. Does this mean Himself will be "doing without" for 6 to 12 months? Will 6 to 12 months of F*ck make you better? Can one get that asterisk word on NHS?

Ziggi, we're all making jokes, but we all know how hellish this must be. I mean, having your arse, nice or otherwise, commented on by someone called a roger...

Just a thought --don't try to ride the Fredster, ok?

Bring those eggs over here and we'll both pretend we can cook.

Zig said...

Scarlet! or are you Blue, hello! If you really don't mind I have lots of rude things to say about Dave!

Dinah, actually what else is there to do when your flat on your back most of the time?

Rob Clack said...

I'm with Z on this one. Can you set up a JustGiving fund or some such?

Zig said...

Rob and Z - that's so lovely, and thank you so so much, but really I can wait - it will be good for my soul! I can't say I'm actually looking forward to it!!

Zig said...

the op I mean, not the wait, putting it off is fine is what I meant!

Romeo Morningwood said...

This is dreadful news but these new Doctors are something eles eh?

I can appreciate that Dr Dave was concerned that you were suffering from being underpenetrated during the last 6 months..
we all worry about you.

I can appreciate that Dr Dave would like to "put a rod up each side" (who wouldn't?) but why pay for that when you can get it for free at home? 18 weeks or 20 Grand! Your NHS must have the same reality-challenged administrators as we do across the Pond?

Surely there are some "Miracle Healers" somewhere in the backwoods of Wiltshire? You don't mind handling poisonous snakes and having a bunch of frenzied Men "lay hands" on you?

I'm glad that you're joking about it now but this totally sucks BIG TIME and you go right ahead and start cursing LIFE!
F*ck You "LIFE" go pick on somebody who deserves it you random piece of sh*t..honestly...who the hell dreamed up this system anyway?

and as much as I would love to have my wife flat on her back (mattress kitten Meow)this Summer, I'd still prefer to do the cookin' ;)

Dave said...

When they've finished building your metal internal framework, will you be like the Terminator? If so, I think I'd specify the one in T2, not Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Why do you need to go to young Scarlet's to be rude to me? You've been doing it at my place for long enough.

Zig said...

Dear Donn, where there's a will there's a way, please don't worry about the penetration angle I've got it covered :)

But please feel free to send on the frenzied men, if there is one thing I could do with it's a laugh!

And Dave I was aiming to go for the Wonder Woman look, and being rude to you should be spread evenly among your congregation surely?

Joy said...

Well this news truly sucks ass. The one good thing is that perhaps you can get some pain management thingys (pills) and that will help.

I'm terribly sorry to hear about it. I have back issues and understand to some extent.

Sending you white light and healing thoughts your way Zig. OXOX!

Zig said...

Thanks Joy, I do have a number of pretty coloured meds at my disposal!

mig said...

Oh ziggi I'm so sorry. 18 weeks!!! And it must have been hurting like hell already. I'm glad you've got those pretty coloured meds.
Be as cranky, snide and rude as you like - you're so witty with it!
Oh big (very careful) hugs!

Zig said...

Mig, thanks, you know I'm really not that bad - I'm feeling guilty now because hey I'm lounging about doing sweet fa in this glorious weather!
:)

Moominmama said...

bloody hell, woman! how can you even walk????

my L4/L5 disk is buggered, too, but not that badly. Good luck with the surgery. fingers xed.