|
|
|
| |||
|
|
Eventually, I was sent on a month's residential Pain Management course at St Thomas's Hospital – Input. It was so good to see others with the same problems and a team that was at our disposal to show us how to overcome addictive pill popping, negative thoughts, going hell for leather and then followed by collapse. After the course, my life changed. I went on holiday, I set up an arts’ charity locally. I also set up a branch of BackCare – West London in BackCare in 1999 – and started to feel I had interests and was doing something useful. I found ways to go to the theatre, cinema, even restaurants, I stopped caring what other people thought. IT WAS MY LIFE AND I WAS GOING TO LIVE IT MY WAY ANYWAY. I was able to set up a weekly exercise and relaxation class based on what I had learned, together with a friend who is a trainer. Today we have a regular core of 11-12 people with back problems who attend regularly. So when a call came from BackCare for volunteers to run the Helpline, I was wary at first, thinking how could I manage a training course of three days in Town and will I be any good? But the trainer was excellent and helped everyone overcome his or her various problems and issues, and the support from BackCare for the volunteers has been very good. I have been manning the Helpline every second week on a Monday for two years. I look forward to it - I feel happy that there are times when people in pain can turn to the Helpline and be understood, given help or just pointed in the right direction. There have been times when the work has drained me emotionally but again BackCare was able to offer counselling to get me over the hiccup. I firmly believe it is a lifeline for people with back problems but it is also a lifeline for us volunteers who come from all walks of life, it stops us feeling isolated and makes us understand that there are other people out there who are also suffering! I look forward to my Mondays! | ||
