Victoria Viney

“During the two years before the operation I gradually had to give up all of the activities’ that I enjoyed the most due to the pain from my lower back. These included swimming, walking and gardening. My work was also being affected and I was unable to sit on the floor with the children in my class (3 and 4 year olds) without being in immense pain from muscle spasms and the feeling that the vertebrae were rubbing over each other. I was also getting numbness in my left foot and shooting pains down my leg and this was affecting my sleeping. Moving from a sitting position or position to walking was extremely painful and I was walking with a limp.

On waking up after the operation I could immediately feel a difference in the fact that the numbness in my foot has gone along with the shooting pains. It was not long before I was able a mile or more and I began to swim again after 4 months, swimming up to a mile or more without severe pain. I am now able to sit on the floor with the children without even having to think about it, meaning I can be more effective in my job. I recently have walked 5 miles and swum 3 miles with very little discomfort and no after effects. I am now excited about the activities that I’ll be able to do in the future that I have put off for so long.”