Back pain during and after pregnancy is normal, surely, it most certainly is sciatica. That’s what my wife and I thought. Just a touch of physio and we’ll be ok. 

Well, 10 months down the line, with an array of painkillers of escalating potency, and we’re sat in a consulting room at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital after an extremely painful MRI that was hastily arranged by a physio who also works at ROH. 

Looking at the screen even before the consultant has said a word, we know that this is far from sciatica with the shadow in what looks like my wife’s spine. Thankfully that ominous shadow is benign, but it is a tumour and is pressing firmly against my wife’s nerves. Confidence is inspired during the scary but somehow amazing consultation, and surgery is booked! We’ll have this whipped out on Tuesday. 

36 hours later, and we’re being chased into hospital by our consultant to bring forward our surgery now as an emergency - we’re now in the Cauda Equina Syndrome territory and my wife’s mobility and independence as we know it is at risk. 

A scary morning/afternoon and Lucy is in recovery in High Dependency after a several hour successful spinal surgery looked after by the amazing staff on a ward by herself. Saturday and Sunday morning and our consultant is just popping in to check on her presumably on his own time. 

This whole ordeal from MRI to discharge lasted 6 days (we were out before our scheduled surgery), with no lasting effects at all. We’ll be forever grateful that Lucy isn’t in a wheelchair, and to deliver that life changing intervention as an emergency, with level of human care is simply incredible.

Please help me to support this vital service in Birmingham in continuing their amazing work. My little bike ride might be a bit painful for a day or so, but it’s nothing compared to what the patients of the ROH endure.