Seven Years

Seven years ago today I had my microdiscectomy when they slashed me open and ripped out my spine ... ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but you get the idea. I gave up smoking too.

I went into Atkinson Morley's Hospital, a small hospital in Wimbledon (probably an old country house from when Wimbledon was in the countryside) on Thursday 18 May and was discharged on Friday 19 May since a previous operation went on into the early afternoon and there was no time for me so I was sent home for the weekend. I was in the neurosurgery ward so all the ops were either brains or backs. I went back into hospital on Monday 22 May 2000 and I had the op at lunchtime on Tuesday 23 May 2000. Ouch when I woke up. I was discharged on the Friday afternoon with an enormous dressing on my back right at the height of my jeans waistband.

Atkinson Morley's Hospital doesn't exist any more, it's now a unit in St George's Hospital in Tooting. Mind you, I'd rather be there than at Chelsea and Westminster. I go back to see the surgeon at C&W on 5 June.