Hello – I’m back

Posted by Jim Hansen on December 1, 2014
Posted in: diet, goals. Tagged: , , . 2 Comments

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My God, I cannot believe it has been that long since I posted on this blog, I genuinely thought I had completed one or maybe two since my operations – in fact none !

Therefore I must apoligise, I am very sorry, you must that thought that I hadn’t pulled through the operation!  Mind you, I didn’t get any flowers or condolences cards, so therefore I draw the conclusion that none of you read this anyway.

Well, where to start?  Let’s start with the big news; the operation appears to have been a success and I am now eight weeks post surgery.  That’s fantastic news isn’t it!  Chandra Bhatia surgeon extraordinaire removed the slipped L4/L5 disk from the main sciatic nerve and I was free of that pain as soon as I awoke.  I was away from work for a couple of weeks being careful and gradually moving more; it takes 8 to 10 weeks for the disk to heal.

The hardest thing to do was to come off the medication;  I hadn’t considered what effects I would have coming off the 20 or so pills I was taking each day, but given that some were opiate based and others messing with my messaging signals to my brain, I was going to notice something – and I did.  It took a couple of weeks to come off the medication; you cannot just stop taking everything in one go!

My physio is happy(ish) with me.  Here’s the worst news . . . .I have popped a full stone on since I ran the Brighton Marathon; I guess when you are not allowed to exercise you are going to put some weight on, but I am disappointed in myself that I didn’t make the necessary dietary adjustments.  My fault, no excuses and so I have to get fit the hard way again; overweight and out of breath again.

You know what?  I really miss that feeling of being fit.  I miss being able to talk without stopping for air. I miss getting the Christmas decorations out of the loft and thinking – “Ha! I’m not even out of breath”, but most of all I miss that feeling 3 miles into a run and realising that you are not breathing heavily at all.  I really miss that!

It’s been tough to find my motivation to train again, I have had a couple of twinges in my lower back but my physio says they are not compression based but stretch based which is fine.  It doesn’t seem sensible to run full marathons again.  I’ve run my local (York) and my hometown (Brighton) and the big one (London) and so there isn’t a location that is missing oin my mind map.  My best time was 4:19 so I did have 4 hours as a target, but it takes a lot of training to get ready for a Marathon and I have to accept that some of my “suspension” has now been removed and I’m a chunky sort of chap 🙂

I do want to run again and it seems sensible to perhaps concentrate on 10k’s and a couple of half marathons each year; perhaps Brighton and the Great North Run.  But, do you know what? Even as I type this I miss the generosity of the crowds of the marathons, the goodwill, the shouting of your name, the nods of admiration from other runners, the feeling of sheer exhaustion but accomplishment on crossing the line.  Have I really ruled out another one? I’m not so sure – I do have an addictive personality after all.

Tonight I am back in the gym.  It’s been 7 months since I was in the gym, but my physio says I am now ready to return (carefully).  She wants me there 3 times a week for 45 mins with a balance of bike, cross training and light weight work.  I know I’ll feel horrible feeling overweight in gym T shirts again, but I have done it before and know that I can do it again.

Slowly though!

 

 

The Big Day – Surgery

Posted by Jim Hansen on September 26, 2014
Posted in: injuries. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

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So this is it then, the big surgery day: although a Discectomy is nowhere as big as the Posterior Lumber IntterbodyFusion.

I leave for hospital in about an hour; it’s a weird feeling, because I am actually looking forward to it.  The reason for that is that I have had nerve pains in my leg since April because the bulging disc is compressing the L4/L5 root nerve which travels all the way down my left leg. It’s simple really, the team will make a small incision (about and inch) and then remove the bulging element of the disk from the nerve – job done.

The funny thing is that I have spoken to a few people who have had this operations.  Some are a year or so on and their mind has filtered the soreness after surgery.  “Just get it done” they say “It’s great, you are immediately free of the nerve pain.”   I’ve believed them and have this image in my mind of being discharged from hospital tomorrow lunchtime “Would you like crutches? ” the nurse asks. ” Crutches? Nah, I’m going to skip to the car if you don’t mind!”

But last night I watched a couple of youtube videos entitled things like “Discectomy – post surgery Day 3”  These aren’t videos from people who suddenly felt free from pain;  these aren’t videos from people who skipped to the car; in fact these aren’t videos from people who aren’t anything else but in pain.  So that’s bumped me back down to reality a little – not a bad place to be really.

I’m “nil by mouth” now so I stopped eating a last night and won’t be able to eat until this evening.  Nicky lovingly reminded me that I’m “hardly going to fade away!”

Of course I’m lucky as I have private health cover at work  – I know some of you will start audibly booing at this stage or immediately reach for the little cross in the top right hand corner of your screen.  But I want you to know that I’ve only done that to get my own dressing gown !

The kids have both left for school, neither in the slightest bit worried which is great as there is nothing to worry about.  Mum and Dad and their friends are all praying for me which is comforting and generous of them at the same time.  Nicky has asked me for the pin number for my cards.(joke) .

I’ll sign off for a little while now – thanks for all your best wishes and I’ll let you know that I’m fine soon.

Keep Calm, we’re nearly there!

Posted by Jim Hansen on September 22, 2014
Posted in: injuries. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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On Friday I travel up to the Nuffield Teeside for my surgery. By “I travel” I mean that Nicky has been kind enough to take time off work to drive me up there.  I am meant to check-in at mid-day, but with Nicky needing to get back to work, I’ll probably be there at 11.  How many people do you know who turn up for an operation early ?

Those of you who know me or who have been kind enough to follow me on here will realise this has been a rather strange journey.  The injury has been dragging on since April 2014 and saw off physiotherapy, cortisone epidural and even  a surgeon who was ready to complete a PLIF back in August.

Chandra Bhatia who is operating on my spine on Friday seems a really nice guy; the only problem is that all his consultancies are in Norton, Teeside.  That means for short consultancies i.e. to decide I need an updated MRI or to review the results of the MRI , I need to travel 90 mins there and another 90 mins back.   Chandra is pretty certain my disk will stand up to a discectomy and at this stage I do not need a PLIF. Not only is a discectomy less invasive, but it is a 50 minute operation instead of a 3 and a half hour operation for the PLIF.  It also means that I am only in hospital for the one night rather than the 3 I thought I was facing.

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Above is a picture of what has happened.  On the left is a normal disk and on the right is mine.  Imagine that you are looking down the centre of my spine; where the disk has prolapsed it is putting pressure on the nerve root; this is the nerve which travels down my left leg and constantly aches.  It’s at its worst in the morning; this morning for example was one of the most painful morning I had seen; I couldn’t find any easy way to ease of the nerve pains.

On Friday though, at about 4pm under general anesthetic I’ll become free of leg pain when the surgeon removes a small portion of the vertebral bone and surrounding tissue to provide access to the affected disc. Working through this small opening, he then uses the operating microscope to remove all or part of the herniated disc that is putting pressure on the nerve. A quick stitch and some time in the recovery area and I’ll be back in my room.

Because I am only in for one night I have told the family there is no need to travel up to see me;  Facetime allows contact without the need for a 3 hour round trip and both kids can go to football and trampolining and Nicky is teasing me by saying “the girls are coming round!”

I’ve ordered a couple of books to read; “The Footballer’s  Journey”  is the modern “Every boy’s dream” which was in itself a fascinating book.  With a son on the cusp of Academy standard, all knowledge is helpful and whilst EBD looked at football from a parental perspective,  The Footballer’s Journey does what is says on the tin.

Apparently after surgery it can take two or three  weeks to get back to work whilst a full recovery takes 6 weeks.  That’s the point when I can start exercising properly again; running slowly again to build up fitness once more. Having not exercised at all since April and having popped on three-quarters of a stone, I’m keen to reverse the trend – very keen.

I’m booked for the Brighton Half Marathon for February 2015 and I’m going to do it even if I have to walk some/all of it.

God, this is dragging on forever!

Posted by Jim Hansen on September 6, 2014
Posted in: injuries. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

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I was due to go into hospital on 1st August for the operation on my spine, but my surgeon cancelled my operation at 38 hours notice owing to “personal circumstances”.  I was told to phone his secretary on 1st September to rebook my surgery.

So, August ticked by, helped somewhat by the prescription of Gabapentin – a drug to help those with Epilepsy, but also one that helps people like me with neuropathic pain.  This new drug joins the rest of my new family: Naproxen and Tramadol and I wade my way through 20 pills a day rattling as I hobble.

The 1st September came and I telephoned the consultant’s secretary eager to book an early surgery slot. “Ah, he’s not operating now until November at the earliest I’m afraid.  Sorry, but it’s personal circumstances.”  Even November was only a possibility I was told.  I couldn’t wait until then, especially as nothing was guaranteed.

I have therefore been referred to a new consultant surgeon who is part of the same spinal team. On Monday, I’ll travel to meet Chanrdra K Bhatia and hope that I can get the operation soon. There’s never a perfect time; there are always things to do at home and many things to do at work.

Tomorrow, I’m off to the Great North Run;  this time to take Nicky and to hopefully see her finish amongst the 56,000 runners.  A nice combination of jealousy and proudness at the same time.

Tick Tock . . .

Posted by Jim Hansen on August 22, 2014
Posted in: injuries. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

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Well, it’s the middle of August; my surgery was the 11th of August and then pulled forward to the 1st August and then cancelled at 36 hours notice.

I took the decision to wait for my choice of surgeon to commence surgery again which will be in September.  For whatever reason my surgeon had to stop all procedures for August ; I can only assume he had personal reasons.  The first available date for me to book surgery again will be on the 1st September; I already have an alarm set to remind me for 9 o’clock when his secretary starts.

In the meantime I wait.  It’s not my back which is hurting with the slipped disk ironically; it’s the left leg where the compressed nerve travels.

I am now taking 20 pills each day from painkillers to anti-inflammatory pills to tablets which will dull the nerve pain messages sent to my brain.  I have to remember which combinations I’m taking the pills and at what time of the day I take them.  Sometimes I think the pain killers aren’t working;  that’s until when they actually wear off and the return of the full pain reminds me that they are actually hurting.

At least Boots profits will rise this year with my money from numerous prescriptions ringing their tills!

Rattling like a box of Tic Tacs

Posted by Jim Hansen on August 5, 2014
Posted in: injuries. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

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At least I’m causing some laughter in the office as I await my surgery.  This morning I offered to get some teas and coffees for the team from our staff “tea bar” base on a different floor to the one on which we work. “No, you’re OK” came the response “It’ll be cold by the time you get back”.  I did find that genuinely funny and its nice to have something to laugh at (even if it’s myself) to take my mind off the constant pain in my leg.

I spoke to the GP today to find out the exact combination of tablets I should be taking.  I’m rattling like a box of Tic Tacs !  But, I now have clarity of the tablets I should be on and why.  I am on 12 tablets a day!

Tramadol – Strong opioid painkiller to help me through the pain when the disk is sat on the L5 root nerve.  2 tablets 4 times a day

Amitriptyline – Tricyclic antidepressant – in smaller doses (like mine) it for help with nerve pain. 1 or 2 tablets at bedtime

Naproxen – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) –  for trying to reduce the inflammation of the nerve. 1 tablet 2 times a day.

I hope no one picks me up and rattles me. I’m also having physio and acupuncture once a week all trying to control the pain as I await a revised operation date in September.

Zoom to the future

Posted by Jim Hansen on July 27, 2014
Posted in: injuries. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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Well I thought I had a couple more weeks until my surgery date, which was all planned for 11 August.  But nothing quite goes to plan, does it?

Last week I took some time off work to go down to Brighton to see my parents, my sister and her family and some friends.  We all had a great time; the weather was fantastic and we spent plenty of time down on the beach or on the pier enjoying the sunshine.

Half-way through a Strawberry and Lime Rekorderlig, my phone rang, I recognised the code as being Teeside and the only number I know there is that of Manoj Krishna’s secretary.  I guessed she was just checking everything was in order for my operation. WRONG !

Manoj has two secretaries equally helpful (Michelle and Lee)  and I often forget which one I am speaking with. Anyway Michelle/Lee explained that Manoj was unable to manage my operation on the 11th August, so we needed to find an alternative date.  The suggestion?  Next THURSDAY !

Recently my pain has been worse , so I took little time to accept the offer and worry about the consequences later.  It does leave me 3 days now to sort everything at work and at home out before travelling to the Nuffield at Teeside for my PLIF.  I’m getting quite good at explaining the procedure now and even better at seeing past others winces of worry and I produce the narrative.

I will endeavor to continue this blog throughout next week (obviously when I am conscious and clear of heavy drugs!)

28 days to go !

Posted by Jim Hansen on July 14, 2014
Posted in: Family, injuries. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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“28 days to go” sounds like a count down to one of my Marathons, but this time I’m facing another big challenge !

I don’t make things easy for myself do I ?  Firstly, that mesmeric challenge of going from Couch to Marathon in 7 months and then having to do it all over again when having done bugger all for the next 8 months.  Then of course I thought I’d cracked it and maintained my focus until April this year when I ran the Brighton Marathon in a PB of 4:19.  Little did I know that I was probably running the Marathon with a slipped disk, masked only by a couple of Ibuprofen and fast flowing  adrenalin.

And now what?  No running for 14 weeks; creeping weight gain (I am trying to keep that off but it’s difficult with no exercise and a reducing metabolism and muscle mass) and massively missing that enjoyment of running. Bizarrely what I probably miss most is that feeling of achievement shortly after a threshold training run.  Realising that you’ve just run 3 sets of 10 mins at 85% capacity with 60 secs recover in between is something I wish I could feel at the moment, but I can’t sadly.

I know I have made the right decision to have the PLIF operation,  it gives me the best opportunity for a full recovery although I am in no doubt that the journey back to fitness will be long and slow.

I have an excellent team around me; my family both here and down South,  my surgeon Manoj Krishna, my physio Michelle and my running coach (currently on pause) Keith from Full Potential.  I know the key will be having the professional experts working together to help me back.  It’s uncharted waters for me, but it won’t be for them; I’m hopeful that they’ll enjoy the reward of getting me back on track again.

Incidentally, I’ve just reserved a place in the Yorkshire Marathon 2015.  That’s a start!

Listening to advice – my big decision

Posted by Jim Hansen on July 6, 2014
Posted in: Family, injuries. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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I thought I’d explain how I came to the conclusion that I would go for the PLIF spinal operation (Posterior Lumber Interbody Infusion) . Lots of kind friends have offered advice and support.

My primary driver is my long-term health and wellness so that I may continue to be a frustrating husband and an annoying father, still able to make those “annoying” decisions just to prove that “you don’t understand Dad”.

Those close to me know that since September 2011 I have enjoyed running; I enjoy the challenge (couch to Marathon in 7 months) and the feeling of reward for achieving a target.Image

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I wish I could bottle that sense of achievement from completing a Marathon.  I can capture an image that occasionally grabs that moment and tells a story (see above). I miss it.

I accept that the PLIF operation is intrusive, and has a long recovery period, but one thing I’ve to know about myself is that I can be pretty focused when I want to be; to the point of fixation.  I also like supporting charities and particularly Macmillan.  So far I have raised about £4,000 for various charities with the help of family and friends.  I want to raise more and I know that another Marathon gives me that goal and positivity I so need.

The other reason I am having the operation is that I know my friend Paul Sigsworth (who sadly we lost in March to Cancer) would talk to me about the long road. He would tell me to take the mend steadily and to do what I was told during the recovery period, but he would also help me visualize how great it’s going to feel to cross the finish line of a Marathon again – the time will be irrelevant.

I know if I asked Vince Robinson who often pokes me with support on Twitter, he would tell me to remember that Paul would love to be in a position to be able to choose whether he could run a Marathon or not. He can’t, but I can.  I can choose  – I am lucky.  Therefore this decision ticks all of the boxes.

Who knew that the next chapter in this story would be “From recovery couch to Marathon” or “From theatre to Marathon” ?