"I wish I had been given an X-Ray for my backpain in 2010, now i still feel bitter towards Dewsbury Health Centre"

MY STORY

I am a 64 year old Male born in 1948. In a bid to get fit I started weight training at a gym in Dewsbury in 1981 After losing 2 stone I started jogging in 1982 taking it serious when I competed my first half marathon in October 1984.

For the next 20 years I completed loads of races including 5 marathons and several half marathon, 10 milers, 10k covering 40, 000 miles when I stopped running in 2004 due to an irritating niggle in my right hip. The niggle got worse over the next 6 years resulting in a visit to my GP asking for some help with my right hip. She referred me to the Musculoskeletal Service at Dewsbury Health Centre and that’s when the comedy of errors started.

In October 2010 I had an appointment for an assessment into my condition and whether I did require a new hip.

The assessment went bad before I even got into see the consultant.They had decided to discuss another case first with the resident podiatrist resulting in a 20 minute delay.

I tried to tell them my full story but the impression they gave was that I was boring them and although they did check the movement in my hip but they did not carry out, in my opinion, a full assessment, something I did get at a later date. After 25 minutes they insisted I left as they were running late and had other patients to see. I was told my assessment should have been 45 minutes, but I’d lost 20 minutes ~ they indicated I was at fault due to my long story.

In October 2010 I met with a physio there. To say there was a conflict of personalities from the outset is an understatement. On several occasions within the 2 appointments I had with this physio I felt like they spoke to me as if I was something stuck to their shoe.

I accused this physio of setting me exercises when they did not know what exactly was the root problem and I asked for an X-ray. Their reply, something I will never forget, was “I know what’s matter with you without an X-ray - nothing more than lack of core strength is the problem”.

(I was at that time attending the gym 3 times per week) They then went into discussions on how I stand to clean my teeth, how I ate my evening meal and where in fact I ate my evening meal as well as more exercises

I struggled on for nearly 2 more years but the pain got bad and I was beginning to stoop badly with numbness in my right leg and shooting pains also in my right leg. So I re-visited by GP asking for better help. She arranged for a X-ray at Dewsbury General. The results weren’t good. I was further referred, under freedom of choice, to a clinic being held at Ossett Medical Centre with One Health from Sheffield. There I did get a full assessment of nearly an hour followed by a MRI scan.

Following the MRI results I met One Health’s Consultant Spinal Neurosurgeon who advised me I had Spinal Stenosis in the lumbar area. He offered me a operation for de-compression of L3 & L4. Due to a long term urinal problem I was given 3 months to get that investigated and decide whether to indeed have the operation. Shortly after this latest meeting (October 2012) I had a bad fall that resulted in me having a partially dropped foot the following day. This made walking extremely poor at best.

In early February 2013 I met the Neurosurgeon again and accepted his offer and indeed had the spinal operation on 18th June 2013.

I can now stand straight and the numbness with shooting pains in my right leg gone. However I still have the partially dropped foot and I am now under a physiotherapist from Calderdale Health Authority and indications from him was that I have a further problem with S1 nerves.

Having recently had the post operation review with my Neurosurgeon I put the physio’s comments to him and he agreed (confirmed in writing) that I have a S1 problem. His explanation was that when he was doing the de-compression of L3 & L4 the S1 nerves had been badly damaged by the compression from over a long period of time and that it could take up to 2 years for the nerves to repair themselves but.....there are no guarantees this repair will happen. He hasn’t discharged me and I see him again in 6 months.

In conclusion, it wouldn’t have altered the operation outcome had Mr Creaghan carried out a correct assessment back in September 2010, I would still have to have had it but I do feel that had I been referred for an X-ray when I asked in October 2010, then a scan would have followed with a operation and I wouldn't have got the partially dropped foot that is bugging me now.

I feel a little angry and bitter towards the poor service given to me by Musculoskeletal Department at Dewsbury Health Centre but we can’t turn the clock back. In writing my story I hope that no one else as the misfortune to be treated like me and the issues I have outlined are addressed for other patients and a step forward is made.