287.
Thanks everyone for all of your concern and well wishes. I took the sensible course of action this morning, and made an appointment to see the doctor. The walk down to the surgery was excruciating, and all sorts of ailments were running through my head. I wondered what they need to do to fix a slipped disk, and whether I would have to go under the knife. The way I was feeling as I walked down the road, I would have been grateful if they operated there and then without aneasthetic. As it was, I managed to limp into the waiting room and sought to get myself into the least uncomfortable position possible while I waited to be called. Upon seeing me, and asking me to go through a few mobility exercises and a quick look at my spine, his considered opinion was that I have somehow managed to exacerbate the back problems I gained through my employment at BT all those years ago, and that my job, which involves an awful lot of sitting, is not helping my posture. In layman's terms, he explained that all the muscles are connected and that they all need stretched. He said that I did the right thing walking to the surgery, and that I must walk more, and follow the stretching exercises he gave me. In the meantime, he gave me ultra-strong painkillers to stop the muscle spasms. So, a two mile walk every day... doctor's orders! Even when I'm ill, I manage to come up smelling of roses! Thanks again everyone for your concern... The sun is out, the sky is blue... I'm going for a walk in Strathmartine!