I had begun to give up on life without pain. I had visited my GP in 2002 with increasing back pain to be told that there were two thin discs and probably trapping a nerve, but nothing could be done.

At that time it was uncomfortable but bearable. As the years went by to ease the pain I paid for acupuncture, kineseology, osteopathy and physiotherapy and chiropractor help.

In 2005 I decided to see my GP again, after a sharp pain in my back caused me to drop a box of crockery I was lifting. When no referral was forthcoming for physio I asked my rheumatologist to help as I wondered if the pain was arthritis. She referred me to physio who decided, as there was no improvement after 6 weeks, I should have an MRI scan. This showed degenerative discs and a spondylolytheses. I was referred to a neurosurgeon who after 8 months of cancelled appointments told me it had fused and there was nothing they could do except pain management.

I am a self-employed cook and ran an outside catering business. I didn’t get sickness benefit, so I had to carry on working as best I could. In 2006 I couldn’t manage any more and had to give it up. I moved to a house where I could run a cookery school with guest accommodation so I could have staff to help with the everyday tasks, which I was increasingly unable to do.

I am not one to give in, but each day got harder to deal with. I could hardly walk; I couldn’t lift I couldn’t stand still, I was bent over and twisted and the most comfortable position was leaning forward over something. I had noticed my hips were gradually more uneven and I had to have inner soles made for my shoes. The TENS machine I was recommended through physio was now ineffective. Every day brought constant pain in my lower back and down my leg, then at night the nerve pain kicked in, so I had little sleep. I had become increasingly stooped due to the spondylylothesis, which had occurred when one of my vertebrae had slipped forward into my spinal cord as my discs had gradually disintegrated. The best I was offered from the NHS was pain management – morphine, amitryptiline and pregablin, which made my day harder as I had to deal with a muddled brain as well as the pain. So I was determined to manage without and find another way.

I had a special birthday treat in Jan 2010 on the QM2. I spotted a lecture by a chiropractor about lower back pain, and went along to listen. Instead of the usual spa extravagance, mine was two sessions with him. He did some work with machines and it eased a little. I kept hoping there was a way out every day was an effort by now, so after this experience we decided to see a chiropractor near here and were recommended to see Andrew Marshman at Selby chiropractic clinic. He saw my MRI scan and told me I needed an operation, nothing he did would work, and wouldn’t string me along trying .He recommended me to Mr Krishna.

I had no health insurance as I have rheumatoid arthritis and would not be covered, but I was very lucky that my parents, not wanting to see me in the pain I was in, offered to pay for me to see Mr K and things went from there.

He took one look at the scan and his first words were – ‘I can fix that’. The most positive statement I had heard in 5years. I had another MRI scan and after arranging my course dates to give myself the summer off I had the op!! The decision was easy as I had no quality of life, the pain was indescribable and in another year I would have probably been in a wheel chair as walking was becoming so much more difficult, but so was standing still.

I continued to have opposition from my GP and the neurosurgeon, to whom I was sent for a second opinion. No operation would work and pain management was the only route. I was understandably scared about the operation but knew in my heart it was the only alternative. At 8am on July 9th 2010 I walked down the corridor to the operating theatre, which I called the Green Mile to have a 2 level plif L4/5 L5/S1. I left my husband at the end to drive 1-½ hours back to York to await the outcome, and thinking of it stills gives me a lump in my throat.

I had a comfortable night with excellent care from the nursing staff, then the next day it was time to get up. What will happen? After the initial pain of the stitches I was upright. There I was, as standing straight, an inch taller and no pain, even the one in my big toe had gone. I just couldn’t believe it.

A week after the op, I had a massive leak from the wound and a hideous migraine headache. It turned out to be a spinal fluid leak. Mr Krishna had told me after the operation that the nerve damage was a lot worse than he had expected from the scan. There was no leak in surgery and with the length of time associated with it; the conclusion could only be that because the now weak canal wall had ruptured as it filled up. I was taken back to Stockton and put on 5 days bed rest. This was awful. I cried all day as I felt all my hopes had gone. The last spinal leak was 5 years previously so Why me?? I was taken to have a blood patch which was an epidural but blood injected into the canal to clot and heal the leak.

A week later I came back home and I have never looked back. I got days when my back ached and the muscles around hurt. I have had nerve pain and numbness in my leg, but it is all part of the nerves coming back to life. The worse thing about having no pain is I think I am super woman, which can mean I can overdo it. The fantastic thing is that I want to walk. I never realised how weak my legs has become until after the op and they actually worked again!

My main reason for writing this is anyone waiting for a plif – don’t be afraid. Mr K is the most kind and supportive man to trust your back to. I can’t imagine any surgeon that would give you his mobile phone number to ring at any time and I am sure he would talk to me now if I had any concerns. If any GP’s are reading, then please listen to your patients and know these operations do work.

For those people concerned about time off, I ran my first cookery course last week after 4 weeks, I still have help after 5 months for the bending and lifting, but only because I know I am so pain free I will overdo it.!! .

It was 6 months last week and I am running about, my hips are straight and have no pain. I have lost the wound pain that hurt when you leant back in a chair, and since I was given the all clear from the physio to be able to rotate, things moved on dramatically. It was as if I was in a straight jacket for fear of dislodging something, then once I could rotate I mentally and physically freed up. I climbed my mountain in the Lakes last week, which I never thought I would do, again, and I will compete in off road land rover trials once more next season, which I had to give up several years ago because of the impact.

I honestly cannot believe what a new life I have. I have a future now, which this time last year I would never have believed possible and I would never look back. I have a huge debt of gratitude to my parents who funded the op but most of all I will never be able to express enough thanks to Mr Krishna for the confidence he has to attempt what others think is unattainable and be ever enthusiastic about the knowledge and skill he has to reconstruct a back. However I realise now that if it hadn’t been for the disappointment with the attitude of the NHS, I would never have been lucky enough to find Mr Krishna and be in the position I am today.