The post of 2 parts - Before and after seeing the orthopaedic surgeon

 This one is deliberately going to include a thoughts before / thoughts after update.

Part 1

I see the orthopaedic surgeon at 7pm this evening (it's fun that when it's on BUPA that they work late to catch up after taking a holiday)

I'm still using the Inversion Table for a minute or so a few times a day - only when I start feeling pain in my lower back. I haven't taken a single Tramadol since 18:30pm on August 5th which is amazing, I have taken a couple of co-codamol twice now (this Saturday evening and last Saturday) but both days I had been on my feet for far longer than I usually am.

I keep saying I'm not in pain, but that simply might be that I've hurt for so long that the lower grade doesn't really register as pain any more. My lower back still feels 'squashed' if that makes sense like there's far too much down there that should be better spread out but honestly it's not terribly comfortable but it's not painful (okay you're probably thinking I'm slightly mad saying that)

He's going to quite surprised that I can lean backwards quite a bit further than I could 3 weeks ago (I'm not going to be doing backwards walkovers any time soon) a few more inches but hey a win is a win and I will take that. I do wonder if he will want another MRI to see if the inversion has made significant change to what it all looks like in there before deciding what happens next.

The weekend has been fun lots of time at the dog park with friends and the dogs they brought with them. Friday, Saturday and Sunday (poor Winston and Bella will feel very hard done by this evening when it's just the two of them) Kirsty brought the dog she's pup-sitting Friday and Sunday while his people are on holiday - a super sweet poodle cross boy who's fallen in love with Bella as they all do. And Claire made it up to the park with the Beagle boys on Saturday. Some sunshine, fresh air and a change of scenery seemed to really do her some good.

There was a half hearted attempt at a street food festival in Reading yesterday that we pootled around for a while. We had a few nice eats and found some amazing artisan coffee but sadly I think plague times has had a lot to do with the number of vendors who turned up.

Part 2

RESULT - it's NOT spinal Stenosis - there is some arthritis and some facet joint degeneration but he can fix that .... will get a call later this week to go in and get knocked out for an epidural where he will put some stuff into my spine as a first phase .... likely to need further injections for the FJ after that but it's a bloody good result and he's REALLY happy about me getting the inversion table .....

That definitely deserves a G&T or 2 😎

First video in a while

 It's been a while (as you can tell by how much my hair has grown since the last video)

Quick in person update, showing the inversion table that's transformed my back problem

Wedding anniversary, what's going on (or not as the case may be)

General waffle :) 

Sometimes it's other stuff and not MS

 I think I'm officially old 😪

So that appointment with the Orthopaedic surgeon ...... I've had a full spine MRI this week (not a new experience for me since I have at least one a year for the MS - although having it done privately and counting the birds, kangaroos and jet skiers on the screen listening to the radio in the private Rutherford Centre made a nice change)

He's pretty convinced I have something called Spinal Stenosis which in layman's terms is the vertebrae in my spine are all crunched together and compressing nerves and stuff - certainly explains why I've been in agony and on the Tramadol.

I'm back to see him on the 16th for the results (he's taking a holiday in the interim - how rude 😂) but a little internet research (always a dangerous thing) led me to inversion tables. I think I've mentioned before that I was sure if someone would just hang me upside down like a bat for a while I'm sure it would all sort itself out. Turns out I might have been right .... the table arrived was assembled yesterday and first used last night and then again this morning - I've not taken a tramadol today (although I have put the washing out and brought it in and put it out again a few times in-between rains storms so I'm a bit touchy right now .... might go dangle myself for a few minutes when I'm done here)

I'm hoping if the inversion table works out that I might not need surgery on my spine *crosses fingers and anything else that will physically cross as well*

I guess it's a lesson to me, see a doctor get it fixed, I've spent a long time assuming it was MS (funky gait making my back hurt) or arthritis causing it (and to be fair Stenosis and arthritis are closely related) but I could probably have had something done about this a year or 2 ago long before it got this bad.

In other news - I've lost a stone and a half in weight and am on my way to 2 stone and its getting me compliments when I see people which is very motivating (if the ruined back wasn't enough motivation) 

It was our 10th wedding anniversary on the 30th .... Tin is the traditional gift, we both came up with nice inventive gifts for each other and had a lovely meal out at a Lebanese restaurant in Newbury to celebrate along with a 4 day weekend to have lots of lovely sleep lates.

Apart from that it's all been work and a whole lot of not a lot really.

I hope you're well and taking care of you xx