A 36-year-old mother was rushed to a hospital for a life-changing surgery after suffering from ‘bad back’ for a week.
When Zoe Fox’s back pain did not disappear after many days, she decided to seek medical attention.
But while getting out of a cab, she realized that she could not feel her legs.
Zoe from west London was then rushed to the hospital where an MRI scan revealed that she had a herniated disc, also called a slipped disc, that was crushing her spinal cord.
In an interview with My London, the mother said: “I was terrified when they said I needed surgery.
“I had no idea that what happened was even possible, it wasn’t even in my awareness that that was a thing. I’ve been to the GP about it a few times and it’s the usual rest, take some tablets, do some physio.”
Weeks after the emergency surgery, the UK was plunged into lockdown and she could not access in-patient rehabilitation.
“Of all the times to get this injury, in the middle of a pandemic has to be the worst,” she expressed.
“There’s no aftercare, the house is full of boxes, no one was able to come and help us, appointments were being cancelled, we’re all frightened, we’re in the middle of a pandemic, we’re petrified, we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“It was really lonely.”
Zoe then discovered that her mobility was compromised as she started experiencing changes to her bowel and bladder function.
13 months after her surgery, she still has not received rehabilitation. She credits her husband, Kane, for being her primary carer while also taking care of their daughter.
She has launched a GoFundMe campaign to receive neurological physiotherapy and other treatments to advance her recovery.
“I’m keen to get my life back as much as I can,” she said.
Speaking about the support and donations she had received, Zoe said: “It’s mind blowing, I’ve spent the last week just crying on and off because of the possibility and support it’s given me to access more support. I’ve spoken to specialists who have invited me in for a review.”
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