My back pain problems began when my youngest daughter was 3 months old. After lifting her and my eldest daughter (who was 3 at the time) into a supermarket shopping trolley I felt a sharp pain in my lower back which nearly brought me to my knees.

A week or so after my back problems began and got worse from there on. I had periods of sickness from work where at times I couldn’t walk for the pain that I was in. I couldn’t lift my right leg up off the floor which caused pain in my lower back and as the problems persisted I found I was walking bent over and to the side as it relieved some of the pressure.

After about 9 months I was referred to Physiotherapy who thought my pain was muscular. They gave me stretching exercises to practice at home which didn’t help and approximately a year after first hurting my back I was experiencing the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. It was excruciating. I remember being up all night in agony, it was worse than childbirth. My children were also poorly with chicken pocks and I couldn’t manage to see to them, I was heartbroken.

My husband took me to A&E and after examination etc I was admitted to the orthopaedic ward who then arranged an MRI scan. I still remember feeling ‘what if the scan doesn’t show any problem?’ but to my relief I was told I had Large Disc Prolapse (L5/S1) – I wasn’t imagining it all. I was just so please that something was causing this pain and had to be managed.

I met Mr. Krishna who explained what was wrong and discussed management and care. After a few days in hospital I was discharged and felt fine again for a while until the symptoms returned. I had been prescribed powerful pain relieving drugs which did take the edge off the pain but left me feeling sleepy, sick and made me have hallucinations. It was a huge strain on family life. My husband was fed up at seeing me dazed and glassy-eyed. I just wasn’t myself anymore, I was miserable. He was caring for me as well as our young daughters. My children were missing out, I couldn’t run around and have fun with them, I couldn’t carry them into the car, the bath or to bed and it still upsets me now to think of the times my children would cry out in the night and shout for ‘Daddy’ and not me.

I was referred back to Mr. Krishna at the Spinal Clinic at North Tees Hospital and after seeing me in clinic, reviewing my previous scan and confirming the problem again with another scan he explained exactly what he would do to help. I was put on the waiting list and just under two years from the start of my back pain I had spinal fusion (FLIF) performed by Mr. Krishna on 25th June 2008.

I have never looked back and although I was in pain after the operation, every day was a massive improvement to the previous day. The first two weeks were hard but I managed to fly to Ireland to be bridesmaid at my brothers wedding just four weeks after surgery. I was back at work after 8 weeks and currently, 8 months on, I have started back at my local gym where I hadn’t been in two years. My children, can now enjoy going out and having fun with their Mam too.

Thanks to Mr. Krishna and his team I’ve got my life back and I’m back to my happy self again. I’m so pleased with the results. As you can see I can now do what I want with the kids.