Annabel Allum – Testimonial

Being 24 and an avid lover of swimming, running, going to the gym etc, I was somewhat surprised when I started to feel pain in my lower back and pins and needles down my left leg to my toes. As the weeks went on, the pain got increasingly worse, even with pain medication from my GP and weekly physiotherapy sessions. I could not sit or lay down, I was scared to go to sleep as I knew I would be woken every few hours by the pain, and walking short distances became almost impossible. I was fortunate to be referred for an MRI which showed a L5-S1 bulged disc pressing on my sciatic nerve and I was told to explore surgical options.

Dr Deb Pal explained the MRI findings to me and explained my options. He was very understandable in my desire for surgery to stop the pain, whilst also highlighting the risks. I was booked in for surgery 4 days later and I cannot thank Dr Pal for the quick turnaround and for his kindness and efficiency. It was a huge relief waking up post-surgery and being able to wiggle my toes without feeling any pain and it was even better when Dr Pal confirmed the surgery was a success and without complications.

I am now 3 weeks post-surgery and I cannot explain how amazing it is to be able to sleep through the night (I never would have thought I would enjoy an alarm clock waking me) and to walk, stand, sit and lay down without pain.

I do not think any words or conduct is enough to express my appreciativeness for Dr Pal's work - my wound / scar will be a constant reminder of him and his surgical team, who I am forever grateful to.

Annabel Allum