The return of the back man

Wednesday 31st August 2011

Yet another visit to Sunderland Royal Hospital.

This time it was to see the Back Man. I am to tell him what I already told him back in June about having an operation on my back. The answer is no....

One of the nurses called out my name so I slowly made my way to the nurses station.

“Take this slip down to x-ray”, she said, handing me a white form.

“Why”, I enquired, “I wasn't told the last time I was having any x-rays today”.

She had a look through my notes, “it's for your right hip and right knee”.

“I'm here for my back, not my knee”, I replied.

“Kermit has asked that an x-ray of your right hip and right knee be taken on arrival at your next appointment”, she snapped..

“I'm here to see the Back Man, not Kermit”, I said.

She looked at my notes again, “waiting area two”, she barked.

About twenty minutes later we (my Mam have come with me again as John couldn’t get time off work) were called into the consulting room.

“Good afternoon”, smiled the Back Man as he sat on the consulting room bed, “I've had another look at your MRI scan and I'm afraid there isn't anything I can do for you”.

“But I thought you said you could operate”, replied my Mam.

“I thought that too”, he answered, “but having looked at the MRI scan again there isn't anywhere for the metal rods to be attached to”.

He brought up my MRS scan on the computer, “the rods would go there”, he said, pointing to the discs, “and they would be held into place by putting screws into the hip joint and pelvis. Unfortunately as you don't have a hip joint on your left side, there is nowhere for the screws to attach to”.

I’m just glad I had initially decided against having the operation as it would have been yet another blow if I’d built up my hopes only for them to be dashed again.