Day 1 - The first day of the rest of my life...

The first day of the rest of my life? Ok it's a cliche I know, but I'm guessing that most people who have had Artificial Disc Replacement or are considering it (now to be known simply as ADR...my new life is too short to be typing that out in full!) are hoping that it will change their life forever. I know I was.

Two days ago, the 28th November 2011, I finally had my ADR operation, so it's not quite the first day. But yesterday doesn't count as life was wonderful simply thanks to my ability to press a button and get morphine on demand, guilt free!

So today my morphine is gone and I have a clear head and fingers that can type, so today will officially be the first day of the rest of my life and it's comforting to know that it will be better than Ann Hodges.

57 years ago this very day in Sylacauga, Alabama, Ann Hodges was injured when a 4kg meteorite crashed through the roof of her house hitting her on the hip. What a bummer!

What I find somewhat ironic about the picture of her injury is that it bears some resemblance to my own, and her doctor is sporting a damn fine bow-tie.

Don't worry I have some very nice photos of my own to share with you later...

The path that leads people to having an ADR operation is different for everyone, but I suspect we all have the same dreams of a life where the first thing on your mind when you wake up isn't your pain.

Life slowly but surely begins to revolve around your back problem until finally you realise that you've reached a point where your life is your back problem.

That process for me took 6 years, but once I got to that point I knew I had to try and change things for the better, whatever the risks. That point was only 3 months ago, and here I am today with a new disc and at the start of getting back to life.

I should start by thanking my fantastic surgeon David Harrison, from the Princess Margaret hospital in Windsor. You know you've got the right guy when everyone at the hospital from the anaesthethist to the nurses to the lady who brings your cup of tea talks about him in such reverential terms. Unlike other surgeons I met David exudes confidence without it becoming arrogance or conceit. He seems to be in this for us and not for himself....a self publicist he is not.

He met my wife very briefly but then remembered her rather unusual name several days later. It might not seem important but its little things like this which show he genuinely seems to care about his patients.

So before I go through my experience of this week I guess I need to first go back to the beginning of my story....the dark days.

But let's leave that for tomorrow, today is the first day of the rest of my life and today is only going to be positive and about moving forward.