Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Slipped disc
I used to laugh about the idea of a "slipped disc". It is one of the slap-stick standards; the victim is lifting a heavy weight and "ping" he's in pain.
Fortunately (for me), I'm not a victim yet, unfortunately (for him), someone I know is.
On Monday evening I received a phone-call from a long-term friend. He told me that he needed my help urgently, because he was lying disabled on floor of his flat. I think he had been trying to get hold of me earlier in the day. Naturally I went round to see him immediately. He was indeed lying on the floor and could only move with difficulty. I managed to get him sitting in a chair and the pain eased off. I thought he was going to manage, but the pain returned and he decided to call an ambulance. He's a big fellow (6 foot 2 inches) and lives in a first floor flat with a very narrow stairway. I'm glad he could hobble to the bottom, because I'm not sure how the ambulance crew would have managed otherwise.
Anyway, 6ish hours and a load of drugs later I got him out of Accident and Emergency. The result of all this, is I'm now stopping at his flat until he can at least get up and down the stairs without danger to himself.
And if you're wondering, the pain is caused by the disc pressing on the siatic nerve. The severe pain he feels (which he discribes as "a blowtorch behind the knee"!) is in his leg, not his back.
I'll bet he could do without this. I know I could. It certainly makes me think "there's someone, somewhere much worse off", and I know where they are!
Fortunately (for me), I'm not a victim yet, unfortunately (for him), someone I know is.
On Monday evening I received a phone-call from a long-term friend. He told me that he needed my help urgently, because he was lying disabled on floor of his flat. I think he had been trying to get hold of me earlier in the day. Naturally I went round to see him immediately. He was indeed lying on the floor and could only move with difficulty. I managed to get him sitting in a chair and the pain eased off. I thought he was going to manage, but the pain returned and he decided to call an ambulance. He's a big fellow (6 foot 2 inches) and lives in a first floor flat with a very narrow stairway. I'm glad he could hobble to the bottom, because I'm not sure how the ambulance crew would have managed otherwise.
Anyway, 6ish hours and a load of drugs later I got him out of Accident and Emergency. The result of all this, is I'm now stopping at his flat until he can at least get up and down the stairs without danger to himself.
And if you're wondering, the pain is caused by the disc pressing on the siatic nerve. The severe pain he feels (which he discribes as "a blowtorch behind the knee"!) is in his leg, not his back.
I'll bet he could do without this. I know I could. It certainly makes me think "there's someone, somewhere much worse off", and I know where they are!
# posted by tom_gillies @ 2:36 PM 
