In the meantime I continued seeing my plastic surgeon for review, my oncologist as well. I did mention about my back problems to my oncologist. This was not the first time I had back problems I had them around 4th cycle of my chemo, and after I finished radiotherapy. I was told to take painkillers. Everyone was saying it will be ok and its part of my recovery. My periods became more regular and at the times very heavy. Again I reported everything to my oncologist.
I was still on tamoxifen apart from 2 months break for my reconstructive surgery.
I requested to be sent for MRI scan but my doctors were not in any rush to refer me.
On 11th of June I ve asked GMP for a referral and they said I needed to be seen at musculoskeletal clinic first and they ll decide as to whether they should send me for MRI scan. However this referral was on his desk for the next 10 days while I was trying to chase it up at the hospital ! He apologised for failing to send it off in time.
Than on 15th June 2013 I collapsed on the floor. Rufus came to my flat to see me. I was not feeling completely well. I sat on the chair. He gently put his hands on my knees to see if I was ok and I collapsed on the floor with excruciating pain in my back! I couldn't move. My legs felt weak. I felt if I moved I would be left paralysed from the waste down. It was almost like lower part of my body was separating from my upper part. I ve asked him to call an ambulance in tears. He attempted to move me in more comfortable position but couldn't as i was in so much pain and instead put a blanket over me so I would not be cold.
So ambulance came over. I was already using painkillers for the last few weeks or so. They gave me some more, and again some more painkillers, morphine etc but nothing was touching the pain. They gave me some happy air as well to try and ease the pain. They ve tried all possible medication they had !
I felt I was in another world but pain was still there. World of weird and wonderful drugs !
They didn't attempt to move me from my position in case they break something so instead managed to strap me in and carry me to the ambulance. On the way to the hospital they had to stop as all of this was making me sickly. Rufus was driving behind them. When they stopped he told me he got really concerned as he thought I might have had a bad turn and gone into further complications
We got to an A&E and I was seen by some youngish doctors. Any movements at this time was almost impossible. However they didn't seem to be concerned. They immediately decided it was sciatica.
I told them I can point to exact vertebra thats causing me pain, explained I was a dentist and knew some medical stuff, still they were not concerned and blamed it all on sciatica
I stayed overnight. Rufus stayed until early hours of the morning. I ve asked him to go home, get some sleep and come in the morning. I couldn't walk to the toilet ! In the morning pain was still very much there. However they were discharging me. They ve asked me to do exercise, use painkillers and said that it should settle down. I ve asked them to do an MRI scan of my back but they refused to. I ve asked them to do at least an X-ray of my spine. Reluctantly one of the doctors said yes.
After my x-ray he said you see your discs are ok. Its sciatica he said without even looking at anything else. Its like he was in a such a rush to finish his shift. So they ve sent me home, hardly walking just about hobbling
This was me and my wild hair. I couldn't walk to the loo due to pain :
Rufus came to pick me up the next morning and I went home to rest. He managed to get some food and cook for both of us. By the afternoon he was ready to collapse...
I was so glad he was there with me yet again
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