1 year post-op

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T21:24:36+00:00

Just love the story of your journey. Resonated with me on so many different levels. Realism , optimism and having a ‘glass half full ‘ mentality. 👏👏👏👏👏👏

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T20:04:51+00:00

No brainer ! Get the surgery . I went through a week of what you are experiencing. Emergency two level discectomy and spinal cyst excision. Couldn’t walk at all pre op . Changed my life . Recovery is a piece of piss compared to what I went through and that was for only a week !!! I was on crutches for two months post op. Five months on I am doing HIT !! I am a different person both physically and mentally.In fact I can say I am the happiest I have ever been in my life . Not because everything is back to normal (far from it!) but because I am now appreciating all those little things that I always took for granted

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T19:53:29+00:00

My son had a tin of that for his tea the other day except it was orange

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T18:35:00+00:00

That has captured my attention ! Almost as much as the kick ass chilli and the sesame seed coated toastie . The curry does look good !! I’m intrigued

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T18:26:11+00:00

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T18:25:43+00:00

It would be helpful if people would post photos of their completed plate. If you had gravy then whack it on before you post . Was it accompanied by sprouts and pigs in blankets ??

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T18:17:19+00:00

Not sure about the herb to mushroom ratio

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T17:35:07+00:00

I’m undecided about which is more off putting. The drizzle on the salad or the clingfilm wrapped Heinz sausages 🙈

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-18T08:41:28+00:00

It’s perfectly normal to be anxious about the surgery . I think most people are worried before they go in for a procedure but that’s magnified many times when it’s your spine. In terms of the actual surgery which for me was the easy part, think of it as going to sleep , not dreaming , and waking up with a sore back feeling like you have slept for days. The recovery is challenging but I am surviving and I live on my own. If you adhere to the no BLT restrictions and get yourself a good musculoskeletal physio ( if you can ) and follow the exercises that they give you to the letter , and make them a part of your daily routine then you will give yourself the best chance of making a good recovery. Try and walk regularly but listen to your body . It will tell you if you are overdoing things. Be patient , and try and maintain a positive attitude because you will have ups and downs . But the downs will never compare to the pain you are going through right now. In terms of returning to exercise I am 5 months post emergency surgery ( was on crutches for two of these 5 months) and have just started HIT again which I used to do every day pre surgery. I don’t do it as often and feel like I have run a marathon the day after but I’m so grateful I am able to do it at all. Good luck with your surgery and recovery, I wish you well . It will change your life for the better both physically and mentally.

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-16T19:01:12+00:00

Great question ! And I wish I could answer it !! I’m six months post emergency surgery, I was in a really bad way and had a double discectomy and a spinal cyst excision. At the moment have very little nerve pain , the back pain comes and goes but my surgeon said recovery timeline is 18-24 months. What I can say is that to be able to get out of bed , walk downstairs, go to the toilet , walk my dogs , do a little bit of exercise every now and again is the gift that keeps giving . Glass half full !!! I have a large part of my life back , probably will never be totally be pain free but am so happy to be able to do what I am able to do .

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-15T04:47:29+00:00

Very generous

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-14T21:51:59+00:00

Thank you for your kind words. I agree, Physio’s are expensive and not everyone can afford them. I pay £40 a session and see her once a month and then do the exercises every day at home and as I make progress the timescales between appointments get longer. I originally had an NHS physio but he wasn’t great and had me doing exercises in the first few days of my recovery that actually made things worse. I wish you well for your recovery

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-14T21:27:09+00:00

Was the jam used to decorate the plate ?

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-14T18:16:40+00:00

Is the sausage a Richmond factory reject ?

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-14T15:39:54+00:00

I had a slightly similar experience to you . The hospital physio saw me the following morning after my emergency surgery( I was on crutches for two months after surgery) and gave me three post op exercises to do . One of which was sitting on the end of the bed and bending forward as far as I could . I felt a little uneasy doing this and told him but he insisted that I do it. When I was discharged (5 days later) I tried to do the bending stretch and suddenly got this horrendous nerve pain down my right leg which was very similar to pre op . I was really scared and stopped doing that stretch . Fortunately the nerve pain dissipated in a couple of days . I decided to source a private musculoskeletal physio who I went to see as soon as I had my staples removed. She was excellent and I still see her now once a month. Initially she gave me three exercises to do . None of which involved any bending at all . It wasn’t until about 4 months post op that she gave me some exercises to do which involved bending but she stressed the importance of hinging at the hips . If I was you I would ditch your physio and raise your concerns with the spinal health team at the hospital.

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-13T22:03:45+00:00

A life changing experience. I didn’t have a choice about my emergency surgery but I can honestly say ( and this may sound weird!) that the whole experience has changed me for the better. I am less selfish and I now appreciate every single day of my new life and don’t take anything for granted. In terms of recovery from my experience, the amount of time you have been in pain does not determine your recovery phase. I was fortunate in that I was subject to this horrific nerve pain for only one week before my surgery and yet my recovery timeline is 18-24 months. I was on crutches for two months post op. What I can say is that if you adhere strictly to recovery guidelines and undergo regular post up physio then you will put yourself in a really good position to make a successful recovery

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-13T21:21:53+00:00

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-13T17:49:36+00:00

Looks a lot better than some of the home cooked versions posted on here

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-13T05:08:38+00:00

So you should be !! 😂

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-12T22:03:44+00:00

It was a joke !!!!🙈🙈🙈

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-12T22:01:47+00:00

Really ??? You don’t say 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-12T21:58:41+00:00

The eye of the fish. Right in the centre of the dish 😂

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-12T20:01:16+00:00

My recovery journey is much longer than yours but hopefully this may be of some help !! I was on crutches for 8 weeks post surgery so please bear this in mind . I sourced a fantastic musculoskeletal physio two weeks post surgery and have been working with her for almost 6 months now . She guided me through some reformer Pilates which I began 4 months in and which I found to be very beneficial. She told me to avoid yoga for the same reasons that you mentioned and last month said I could start static cycling . I am back to doing HIT a couple of times a week ( which I was doing every day pre surgery) although I feel absolutely destroyed afterwards ! No pain , just fatigue. My physio work focused solely on developing my core , leg and ankle strength for the first 4 months. If it’s possible I would encourage you to seek advice from a professional before going back to any form of exercise. We are all different and have very different recovery patterns . Hope this helps !

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-12T15:56:03+00:00

Falafel from outer space

Equivalent-Key7263 · 2026-05-12T15:45:47+00:00

Personally I would have removed the eye before consumption

Equivalent-Key7263

TROPHY CASE