Winter's Health Expenses

My name is Winter and I am asking for help. This isn't something that I do often, and I rarely accept help when it's offered. But I am at the point where I really need some support. This is a bit long winded, but trust me, it is going somewhere!

About 15 years ago I injured my back in a traumatic incident. I spent three years doing physio and in agony before I met with a neurosurgeon who recognized that I was not going to recover without surgery. I had a laminectomy and bone spurs removed from my lumbar. I was left with nerve damage, chronic low back pain and weakness in my right leg. I have lived with this ever since and just managed it with exercises and occasional ibuprofen.

In January of 2021 I gave birth to my daughter and within that week I developed post partum psychosis and COVID. My mental health was a mess for years and I developed long Covid which included a muriad of symptoms including joint pain, neuropathy, grapefruit sized teratomas on my ovaries, muscle spasms and POTS.

I feel grateful that I am now a resident in the United Kingdom as I am able to be treated by the NHS. It feels wrong to complain about a service that many Americans could only dream of having access to... But the reality is the NHS is underfunded, understaffed and poorly managed. The wait-lists I've been on to only have a 5 minute rushed appointment where I don't even have a chance to speak have become the norm. Recently I was labelled as having Anxiety and Fibromyalgia so any complaint I have has been attributed to those and I've been offered no treatment. I've become used to living with pain and discomfort and accepted that the NHS has nothing more to offer me in regards to my chronic conditions.

6 weeks ago I noticed my lower back and nerve pain in my right leg were getting worse. I did my regular stretches, took ibuprofen and vowed to be gentle with myself until the pain eased off as I was preparing to begin my integrated Masters course in social work.

Unfortunately the pain only got worse. I started my course and powered through the pain thinking that it was related to the stress of returning to University.

Last week I woke at 5 am in pain I've never experienced before. I was screaming which woke up my young children and husband. We called 999 requesting an ambulance, but were told I would need to find my own way to a hospital an hour away.

My mother in law drove me to the A+E where they told us it would be a 15 hour average wait. I was bouncing between crying hysterically and completely dissociating. When a doctor finally saw me 10 hours after the initial phone call, he could visibly see my muscles were in spasm. He sent me back to the waiting room to get a muscle relaxer while I waited for an MRI. I asked the nurse for my medication and some sort of pain relief 5 times. Other patients began asking the nurse to help me, but it took them 3 hours to finally bring me the medication. By that time I'd had an MRI and bladder scan. A doctor read the results and I have another herniated disc compressing my sciatic nerve, limiting my bladder function and compressing the thecal sac. Thankfully cauda equina syndrome is ruled out for now, but it is a very real risk with the current state of my spine.

I am on a cocktail of expensive medication to manage the pain, but I cannot drive when I am taking them. So the days when I commute to University, (Yes, I'm still going!) I either have to pay nearly £20 for the train and then another £15 for a taxi, or I have to find alternate ways to manage my pain so I can drive. I have invested in special cushions, heating pads, vibrating belts, and herbal balms. I have booked in to see chiropractors, acupuncturists and osteopaths. These are all things that will have to be paid out of pocket.

I've read my NHS patient record and the doctor I saw in a+e has advised my GP to refer me to any hospital trusts in the area to get me seen by a neurosurgeon as soon as possible. But I imagine it will be months before this happens. And in the meantime, I need to manage my pain, get extra help around the house, continue my studies and also pay my rent and feed my children.

I would be so grateful for any sort of contributions. Send good vibes, or advice on spine health if you can't monetarily contribute. I am open to all sort of suggestions!

Xxx Winter