Hello, I'm Emma. I have just found this social networking site and hope to find people in the same situation, or similar, to myself.
I am waiting on one more MRI scan on my back to determine the exact cause of my debilitating pain. My consultant has basically said that because of my age (28) he doesn't want to go down the route of injections into the spine, but to go straight ahead with arranging surgery for me once he has a complete view of the extent of my spinal pain.
I am currently taking slow release morphine morning an evening, oral morphine every 2-4 hours depending on my pain levels and 80mg of amitriptyline throughout the day every day.
I am also looking for advice on how to cope with the weigh gain related to being so restricted when it comes to daily activities, as well as any hints or tips to keep my weight down until I am fully mobile again. In return I hope to be a support for others in similar situations, so feel free to message me or follow me.
Have a fab day everyone, and stay positive, we can get through this chapter of our lives together. Xxx
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Emma_m_1428
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Hi Emma - welcome to the group! Everyone is very friendly and supportive. And good luck with your diagnosis, hope you get on the road to recovery very soon.
Hi, you have arrived at a great community, there is plenty of support here, folk are lovely!
I have ongoing troubles with my back so I feel your pain. You are lucky to have found a doctor who will get you a scan, I battled for about 6-7 years before I changed GP, and got a scan immediately. Anyway, after a stern talk with myself about my obesity (I won't bang on about it lol but it was quite involved!) I started eating better about 7 weeks ago and I have lost 1 stone 2 pounds so far with pretty much no exercise. Last week I managed two very short, slow family walks, and I'm talking probably 1/4 mile, if that, and snail's pace. Then the back started playing up again and I haven't tried a walk since as just walking round the house is like being stabbed in my weak spot at times. So please be assured that you can lose weight or control it through diet alone without exercise, so panic not! It's all about the long term journey rather than the fluctuations in the short term, and just keeping going no matter what.
I use NHS calorie counter (or just the food packet) to figure out everything I eat and drink, and am keeping a food diary. The NHS BMI calculator can tell you what the calorie range is for your height/weight, age, sedentary/active etc, takes it all into account. So then you know what calories you have to work with. It was a bit fiddly at the start, but I have documents saved with our usual family meals all worked out, I always use the same ingredients and quantities, so I don't have to work it all out every time I cook.
I won't waffle on too much, but I will just put links to the two things I mentioned here, to save you maybe having to trawl around trying to find them. A lot of folk use a thing, I think it's called "my fitness pal" but I can't remember right now, I'm having a drug moment lol. Correction is welcome by anyone please! They say it's very helpful too.
Hello, thank you so very much for the advice. I will look at the links and think I'm going to do the same as yourself re the food diary. Seeing the amount of food and calories written down may motivate me to snap out of this year long binge I seem to be going through!!!
I have been struggling with my back pain for ten years now, so since I was 18. I'm pretty much disgusted with the way I have been treated by my GP surgery regarding this though, but that's another story.
I hear you - my son is 12 and my troubles started when he was about a year and a half old roughly, although my dad pointed out to me that I used to suffer from back ache long before that. The debilitating stuff started after a fall straight onto my tailbone though, so that's the point I say my true problems started. Before that I could go for a walk or whatever with no problem, but after that fall, well...very different story, this is not mere back ache!
Anyway, here we are, we can do this thing, we're fighters, right?! Slow and steady wins the race...I have a 100 cal snack planned every day and it keeps me on track. I think, better that, than to have nothing and start to feel deprived and maybe go on a binge and undo all the good work. It's working so far, I was at 1 stone 2 pounds loss this Monday. That said, I'm going away for a short holiday next week so I expect to have put weight on when I get back. I'll just jump back on the wagon and keep going forwards, it will all sort itself out in the end. A minor blip doesn't mean the end, we just have to keep moving forwards.
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Hello everyone 
Day 1- Time to bin that chocolate! (Hello everyone!)
bye bye orlistat hello 600 calories diet 
Hello from Brawny
