Allison Ord

Allison Ord: Email: allisonord@ .

Age: 40, two children aged 5 and 9

History of back problem:

It all started way back in 1982 when I injured my back rowing. Over the years I suffered from lower back pain. I visited various osteopaths and chiroprators who all helped. In the early 1990's I had periods went I went over sidewards usually to the left with lower back pain. The worse episode was after I had my second child in 1997.

I had periods of being very fit and excercising but it seemed eventually my back would go over and I would spend months, usually about a year getting back to some level of fitness. In October 2002 just before my birthday I went over sidewards again. With diazapam I got straight by Christmas!! But I began to get pain in my left calf, this just got worse and worse, I no longer had pain in my back really just my leg which became more and more difficult to move. I had to change to an automatic car and I couldn't walk more than a couple of yards.

Quality of life:

What life!!! I couldn't do anything.I was also pretty drugged up.My osteopath sorted out an MRI as I was so desperate and there was nothing he could do for me. The consutlation.

I had heard about Mr Krishner and asked for a private consultation, other than the GP giving me stronger painkillers he didn't do anything and had no apreciation for the amount of pain I was in. I am self employed and a single parent so was desperately trying to care for two children and work. Five mintues into meeting Mr Krishner I was happy to hand my life over. He asked all the right questions, explained the MRI to me, and was just lovely. Decision re surgery: I had two consultations with two very different surgeons. Mr Krishner who suggested a two level PLIF, and another surgeon who sugested a partial removal of the disc material as the insides of one disc had come out and was hitting my scatic nerve, the next disc up was all squashed.I went for the more radical surgery based on the fact that I am young and wanted a once only operation and also that I have already had three lots of surgery for other reasons.

Recently in a Sunday paper someone who had the operation I didn't go for was complaining they have all the pain they had before....so am I pleased I took my decision.My understanding is if I had gone for just having the protruding matter scrapped away I would have needed repeated surgery and also the knowledge I have gained about discs seems to be that if one goes the load has to fall on the others, potentially meaning that in turn each disc would give way or get squashed. My two level PLIF involved having the next disc up secured with srews and a plastic ligament to stabalise this area and stop further degeneration up the spine.

The operation and hospital:

Woodlands is fab. The staff are lovely. The most amazing part was having a nurse by your side the whole of the first night, he was lovely and just there to care for me. He did get female staff to help me have a wash when I was ready. I stayed in three days, most people only stay two but I had no one to care for me at home until the third evening. The after care was great, any problems and someone was always available to help.

Recovery:

I walked pain free the morning after the operation, other people had told me this would happen I didn't believe them. When Mr Krishner asks about my leg pain I just laugh as he knows its all gone.It is a miracle, I have my life back.

Currently:

I need to keep up the physio excercises, I can feel stiffness if I don't.I am really well and happy.My children are gald to get their mum back. We have just spent a week at Centre Parcs,9 weeks after surgery. I cycled, swam and walked all week just feeling great.I had nearly cancelled the holiday as I thought I wouldn't be able to do anything.

The photo:

Yes I know it doesn't look very active. But this is me 4 weeks after surgery on the pier in Dover.I spent the morning going round Dover castle, on the hill, for two hours and this is me having a walk in the sunshine, I walked for a another two hours, just ambling along feeling fantastic.In 4 weeks from four yeards to four hours of walking!!!!!!

Additional information:

I have other health problems, just in case anyone else does, including Crohn's disease, hypothroidism and osteoporosis.