After six months of inactivity, I have restarted my gym membership and spent about an hour in the gym last night. Everything was very tentative as I didn't want to risk further injury to my back. I started with some warm up stretches in which I couldn't stretch very far, then some squats that were tough on my legs but didn't hurt my back.
Five minutes on the bike was fine, and I enjoyed five minutes on the treadmill. Five minutes on the cross trainer was no fun as I felt sciatic pins-and-needles all down my legs. I also went for a short swim in a truncated swimming pool. I think I managed eight three-quarter lengths.
Today I feel OK. No worrying pains in my back or legs. The stiffness and soreness I feel in my legs, thighs especially, is probably just a result of my return to exercise. I hope so.
It's a world away from the pain I felt just a few months ago where I struggled to walk from one room to the next, never mind get sweaty on a treadmill. I hope it's a sign that things are finally improving. The NHS has failed me, having lost/mislaid/deleted my original referral to see a consultant neurosurgeon. I had to write a letter of complaint to get my case picked up again. We've all heard countless tales of NHS failures, many of them stoked up by the right-wing press. I hope that mine was an isolated incident and now that I am back in the system I won't have to wait long to see the consultant.
In entirely unrelated news, I've found myself addicted to a new game called Factorio. It's only in alpha right now but i've already forked out £20 to play it, and have played it for over 30 hours these past couple of weeks. It's one of those games where you can spend hours fine-tuning things, and every thing you change leads you to new ideas. Compulsive stuff.