Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed some changes.
As the summer heat is coming back,
my pain has eased off a little, but whenever the temperature drops again the pain quickly returns. Heat definitely helps, while cold makes it worse.
I’ve been working hard on self-healing.
I’ve dropped more weight and it’s made a difference.
My body seems to manage itself at around 90 kg,
but I’ve found that if I’m closer to 80 kg I can safely lift up to 10 kg. At 85 kg that extra pressure was a real struggle.
Since I’ve dropped another 6 kg,
I can manage the 10 kg load again and I’ve been able to do more in the gym,
still within limits but definitely more manageable.
My sleep has been slightly better too. Back in July I could only sleep about 30 minutes at a time. Now, with the weather warming,
I’m getting closer to 2 hours at a time. It’s not great, but it’s an improvement. Sleeping is still tough though
I can’t lie flat on my back without instant pain, pins and needles, and numbness down my left leg (about 70% left side, 30% right side). I have to roll to my side and change positions a lot just to get some rest.
The muscle loss in my lower back is a big problem.
My core strength has faded, and it’s left that area weak so it can’t support my body weight properly. Sam, my osteopath from Southcoast Chiropractic Centre, has confirmed the muscle around my lower back has deteriorated badly.
I can feel there’s almost nothing there anymore.
We’ve been focusing on rebuilding that.
For now I’ve been doing two osteopath sessions and one gym session each week,
once I get neurosurgeon approval the plan is to swap that to two gym sessions and one osteopath per week to build back that muscle. I’ve been keeping up my home exercises, diet, and other treatments to try and avoid surgery.
I had new scans on the 17th of September – X-ray and MRI.
I should have the results by Friday or Monday. After that,
I’ll get referred back to the neurosurgeon. His review will decide whether I need surgery or whether I can keep healing without it.
Back in March he told me the nerve might already be permanently damaged, but that I should keep going with osteopath, physio, and exercise until he could reassess me with MRI results.
If surgery is required, it could mean another 18 months or more of recovery. If not, and I keep improving, the plan will likely be to continue the current program and do another review in 6–12 months.
There has been some improvement, which gives me hope.
The weight loss, the heat, the treatments
they all make things a little better. My short-term goal now is to get those MRI results and see what the neurosurgeon says. Long-term, I want to keep rebuilding muscle, avoid surgery if I can, and get my leg and back stronger again.
The hardest part has been the impact on my life.
I can’t work like I used to. I can’t DJ or do the technical repair jobs I was good at
my grip and hands aren’t steady because of the back pain, and I’ve dropped things like plates, glasses, other items.
It’s frustrating because before the injury I could fix almost anything. Now simple things like bending to grab milk out of the fridge can set off pain.
That mental shift has been tough. Earlier in the year, especially around March, I was at a breaking point – stuck in constant pain, not seeing a way forward. But I made the decision then to fight.
I forced myself to get up, to walk even while dragging my leg, to research and learn everything I could about healing.
I’ve put hours every day into research: medical treatments, alternative therapies, even my own ideas for future technology to speed up healing and pain control.
I’ve developed ways to mentally “dial down” the pain, to manage it in my own head when I’m alone. That mindset shift has kept me going. I’m now at the point where I can explain my condition in detail and even correct doctors if something doesn’t sound right. I know my body better than anyone now.
It’s been 13 months of pain, frustration, and mental battles. But I feel like the worst is behind me.
I’m not out of it yet. the surgery question is still hanging
but I’ve built resilience, I’ve lost weight, I’ve found treatments that help, and I’ve kept myself moving forward when it felt impossible.
I’m still healing, still learning, and still fighting to get my life back and back at work.
This Picture will Show Example of the Area
