OOPS, More Scrap Iron to carry about (and why Aprils trip to Rajasthan is cancelled)

Old Age and Abuse

Upon returning from Nepal I had a bit of back ache. In fact it started in Nepal towards the end of the project. I thought it was just another muscle spasm. I have had many of those over the years.

In fact a few years ago  a very good surgeon added to my scrap collection by inserting clips in my spine to help relieve the pain.

So with this current pain in my back I began my journey back to the UK. This included a stop-over at Doha airport for 12 hours over night. The on airport hotel was fully booked so I had this bright idea that I should make full use of the spa. This included Jacuzzi, sauna and a massage.

Well, thinking that a massage would help the back pain I asked the masseuse to work hard on the lower back. This she did with vigour, She may have been small, but boy could she work those elbows.

At the end of it I could hardly get off the bed and as for relaxing in the lounger, that was not going to happen. So I gave up and sat out the next few hours waiting for my connecting flight.

On arrival home, I headed for the osteopath I had used so many times before. He prodded, poked, and manipulated me but to no avail. I tried electric pulse treatment but that didn't help either. On the 3rd visit the osteopath said that he had done all he could do and I needed an MRI scan.

So following a visit to the surgeon for referral, I set off for the MRI unit. Job done they handed me the DVD with my scan and asked that I return it to the surgeon. This I did on my way home. I had hardly got through the door when my phone rang and the surgeon said "I want to see you back here as soon as possible" Now this is not sounding too good at this point.

Back at the surgeons office he had the DVD all set to play. Looking at the screen I could not make out if it was a boy or a girl :-)  He patiently explained what bits should look like, pointing to healthy vertebrae. Then he gestured towards what looked like a pile of rocks. That, he said, is your T12 vertebra.

Oops, I said, at least I didn't mess up your last creation lower down the spinal curve. He called it a Compression Burst Fracture and proceeded to explain how lucky I was to be still walking around and have the use of my lower limbs.

Well I knew I was in good hands with this man. Even if his name is Pannikar I knew I had no reason to Panic. So very soon a room was booked, the theater was booked and I was ready to get some rest with the help of the anesthetist.

After 4.5 hours on the surgeons table all was repaired. With the help of metal rods, bolts, nuts, straps, balloons and cement, not to mention the incredible skill of Mr Pannikar, I was jacked up in height by 3cm thats 30mm which is  1-1/4  inches to those who still use such antiquated measuring systems. I think I should now be called Meccano Man. I will be worth a fortune in scrap metal when I die.

The rest as they say, is history. No lifting, no twisting, no running, jumping or doing somersaults. And no flying for 3 months. Estimated 9 moths before I am back to normal, whatever normal is. Can't wait for September to come around.

Now I was thinking that I could still go to Rajasthan in April. I would just have to take care not to do anything that would contravene the rules. That would have been fine if it were not for the fact that my partner Moira and Mr Pannikar don't trust me to behave myself and not do anything silly. I have no idea where they get this impression of me from. But then everyone who knows me says the same thing so I guess there may be some truth in it.

All I can say is that I am extremely grateful to all the staff, and nurses at Parkhill hospital especially Mr Pannikar and of course I could not have gone through it and arrived where I am today without the care and patience of Moira. I am still not sure how she put up with me as I am not the most patient of patients.

But this is not the end of my team leader roll as a volunteer. I am taking this year out (possibly) to recover and get myself fit for 2019. I am currently in talks with Developing World Connections with a view to organizing a project for early 2019. So watch this space. I may be joining a volunteer group in Malawi later this year, but that is not a physically demanding project. How physical can it be taking photographs?  I will blog and FB those details as and when I do it.

The picture below is a representation of what happened to my T12 vertebra. Let this be a lesson to you. Look after your spine, you need it. All that weight lifting and gym work when you are young and fit is not actually that good for you in later life. Especially when you are 2mtr tall, thats 6' 6" for the imperial people. So be warned and take care, but make sure you have fun, whatever you do.