Guess what...?

Yes. That's right... more bad news =o(

This year hates me!

MrT, my lifelong friend, my partner of four years, my fiance, my better half, my world, has been suffering with back-ache for five whole months. That sounds like a common complaint - I know. At first, that is exactly what I thought. But after the first few weeks, I helped him to the hospital to check things out. The nurse at the hospital not only insulted us by telling him that she would not examine him as he had not suffered any form of accident, but she also sent him home with not even painkillers.

I have to tell you that at this point, he had been stuck lying on his back on the floor for two whole weeks, screaming, full throat, a scream that I have only ever heard in horror films - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre springs to mind!

Getting him into the car was hard enough, but having to drive him home, knowing there was no help for him near killed me inside.

A few weeks passed and his pain become worse. Trip to the hospital number two was far more severe than the first. As like the first visit, unable to even sit down in the waiting area due to his agony, after a hours wait, propped up against a wall for support, we had to practically beg the Doctor for an Xray. We were informed that the Xray showed nothing and he was once again sent home to suffer his pain alone. This time, he was given painkillers, but no advice what-so-ever.

After two months had past, he woke up one morning and somehow made his way to the doctor's surgery. The Doctor arranged for MrT to see a physiotherapist. MrT was in so much pain leaving that surgery, that he only made it as far as his Dad's house, a street away, and was stuck there for a week.

The physio examined MrT and diagnosed him with bulged disks in his spine - A common complaint amongst young men. He also showed MrT a few exercises which, he said, would correct this problem.

The weeks rolled on, and the poor man was getting worse, fighting with all his strength to over-come his pain, with no success. He visited the Doctor over and over and he finally referred him to a specialist.

After a thorough examination, the specialist told MrT that he has no movement in his spine, no reflexes, pro-lapsed nerves and that he was born with a rare deformity in his spine where his coxic bone (spelling) has grown invertably, and that he could end up living the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Can you imagine the thoughts running through this 26 year old's mind after receiving this news? I do not have to explain to you how depressed he has been. The specialist booked him in for a MRI scan which took 7 weeks for an appointment.

This morning, he went to his appointment alone. I am not sure why he went alone when we had planned that I would take him. I assume it was down to nerves. After the scan, he was told to wait around for the Doctor to see him. The Doctor explained...

He does not have a bulged disk
He was not born with a rare deformity
He does not have a common complaint

What he does have is an untreated infected in his two spinal disks which have caused an abscess. Poor MrT only needed antibiotics all this time, and now it has become so bad that he has been admitted to hospital for emergency antibiotics that need to be injected into his system. If this does not work, he will have to have a lumber puncture, which could cause BRAIN DAMAGE if all does not go to plan!

Oh dear!

For five whole months he has become unemployed and helpless. He is depressed, unable to do anything for himself. Many, many nights, I have sat up with him holding his hand as he screams in pain. I have never seen such suffering.

As I left the hospital today with a lump in my throat, I prayed to God for this to be the end of his discomfort. I do not pray very often, but I hope this one counts!