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I had my first spinal operation, a discetomy S1 L4/5 level, in 1996. At that time, I weighed around 17 stone -
I suffered nerve damage and I knew my weight wasn’t helping and it took until 1998 to do something about it.
It took around 18 months to lose the weight and finally got to 9½ stone by July 2000. This was through
joining a slimming club (when I weighed 14½ stone) and with healthy eating and exercise. I maintained
my weight and my back didn’t bother me much. However, when I had another baby in 2001, I gained around 2½
stone during the pregnancy and was left with just over a stone after the birth.
After the birth, I experienced lots of problems with my back and things went from bad to worse resulting
in another operation in September 2004 when I was diagnosed with chronic degenerative spinal disease. I
have since put on around another stone although this is due to a thyroid problem. I continue with exercise
believing it to be important to keep moving no matter how painful it is. Activity is best for me after
periods of sitting eg I need to walk quite a bit after a plane trip to loosen up.
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I don’t let my back problems interfere with my life, the only things I don’t do are theme parks rides or
roller/ice skating. I swim and have started back at the gym just twice a week doing simple exercise and,
of course, refer to
‘Fighting Back’, a highly informative video/dvd produced by back pain campaigner
and sufferer Maggie Hayward. I run my own slimming club now and trained as a nutritional therapist in
2002 to help others lose weight. I have been running the classes for seven years and have helped many
people lose and maintain their weight. A positive attitude to life helps, and I would also recommend t
he ‘Margaret Hills’ diet on which I have noticed the benefits after only a short time.
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Fighting Back: exercises from a pain management programme
with Carol Sweet MSC MCSP MMACP Chartered Physiotherapist, recommended by health professionals is available
for £15.99 (inc p&p) from the
BackCare Shop
or by calling 020 8977 5474 or by post, with cheque payable to
BackCare, from BackCare, 16 Elmtree Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8ST.
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