Last Tuesday I was merrily doing some dishes and listening to music when the hot water ran cold. When I looked at the boiler, the readout was blinking, and all it needed was a simple reset. I feel I should mention at this point that our boiler is high on the wall above the kitchen floor units and to access it, you have to stand on the counter. Can you see where this is going?

I carefully clamber up onto the counter, open the cupboard and reset the boiler. Success! Then the world started to look a little distant; then blackness crept in. Next thing I knew I was on the kitchen floor 8 ft down from the boiler and my back HURT.

I was silly; I know this. I put up with the pain and the increasing numbness but then on Friday I had sciatic shooting pain in both legs when I changed position.

Reluctantly I visited the GP, an examination and a prescription for lidocaine patches later and I’m off home with instructions to come back if anything changes.

This weekend was unpleasant. I mainly slept with a brief interval to visit my grandma. We also had chips from the chippy. That was very pleasant.

Last night, all night, I couldn’t sleep because in addition to my spine hurting in the lumbar region, I now had shooting pain at the bra clasp level when I took any decent sized breath. It was still the same this morning.

Slightly worried I went back to the GP (my usual lady doesn’t work Monday or Tuesday). I was advised to persevere and not aggravate it. So no breathing for me! I don’t have the energy to advocate for help, so I leave. Frustrated, pained and a little frightened. It isn’t pleasant to be able to take a long breath in, yawn, cough or sneeze without feeling like someone is impaling me.

What do you do when you are in too much pain to advocate appropriately for yourself? I am at a painful loss as to what to do. If nothing else I have the osteopath tomorrow who can hopefully recommend something to ease the pain.