THANKS for getting me through my Spinal Shocker

Yesterday was one of those days I will never ever forget.

I walked into A&E at my local teaching hospital to get a CT Scan done on my neck. (I'd had an excruciating pain at the back of my neck the previous week - you will remember my review of PAOTY was delayed until Sunday)

The first thing I was told by the doctor who saw me, who had read the Radiologist's report from the local community hospital where I had my x-Ray done on Monday was that

"You've broken your neck in two places"

A bit of a shocker - as I'm sure you will agree.

So I had ID tag put round my wrist, a cannula put in, bloods taken, a gown put on and a hard cervical collar put on - until I looked like this

Me at the Royal London Hospital
yesterday morning

Being all on my own, (I thought I was just going for a CT Scan for a better picture of my neck), I rang my partner and told him what I'd been told and told him not to come down until things were clearer i.e. saving him from coming and going if I needed to be admitted.

Then I needed to talk, so told all my followers on my Making A Mark Facebook Page what was happening to me.

Apparently, I’ve broken my neck in two places! Just waiting for a hard collar to go on (got it!) Then CT Scan. Then MRI scan. Then a chat with a neuro surgeon….

THANK YOU

Thank you all your kind words of 

support and information and advice 

These kept me going through several hours of 

• arranging a CT Scan and 
• then waiting for the results and 
• then getting signed off by the Neurosurgery doctors - as they could not see a fracture.

I am so very grateful to all of you who commented. 

Your responses allowed me to reply and kept me occupied while I sat and worried about what was happening and what it all meant - and the implications were numerous and horrifying. (i.e. what do you do for the rest of your life if you sever your spinal cord at your cervical spine???)

This morning, one of the neurosurgery doctors rang and said they'd like a couple of more x-rays just to be absolutely safe that there's no fracture. Which I'm very happy to do. Double checking and being super safe is my kind of medicine.

So I've got to go back for two flexion x-rays - with neck leaning forward and backwards. But they're not expecting them to find anything - apart from the degenerative damage caused by my age and osteoarthritis.

I'll be updating all my friends and followers on Facebook with what happened next - because you were the BEST yesterday! You got me through a very frightening experience. 

PS Never ever go to hospital without packing a battery charger!