Yesterday I noticed that when I was standing up, I had a lump over my spine around waist level or little lower. It felt about two inches long and protruded about half an inch. At first I thought it was a lump of fat then I thought it was an inflamed muscle but there really aren't any muscles right over the spine. Last night I tried to find it again but it wasn't there when I was lying down

So I went for physiotherapy this morning and I mentioned the lump to Simon. He tells me to lean forward in my wheelchair and yep, he feels the lump. I feel it then but it's only sticking out half as much as when I was standing. So I stand (with Simons help) and thar she blows...big lump.

Simon says he never felt the lump before because he has always examined me lying down. Anyway it turns out the my L3 vertebra has moved backwards on my L4 (retrolisthesis) and moves backward and forward depending on my posture. In my case (because of my gait problems and previous bone grafts 36 years ago) the only treatment is surgery and that isn't really an option because of my medical condition.

So there we are, another unfixable condition to add to the list. At this point in time pain killers sound good but I still can't overcome my reluctance to have them. I'm frightened I'll develop a tolerance and then when my death approaches and I'm in pain, the drugs won't work.