My New Year's resolution is to get walking - but it's not going to be an easy path

It started at a family barbecue. Relaxing in the sunshine in September 2020, I stretched out the footstool of my recliner chair, experienced excruciating pain and passed out. My family assumed I was having a heart attack and called an ambulance. But it turns out my ticker was fine; my spine was not.

Initial investigations showed I have a degenerative condition which has caused my lower back to gradually deform, narrowing the space where nerves sit and putting pressure on the discs.

That small movement of my legs caused three big bulges in the discs, one of which broke off and lodged in the channel where my spinal cord runs, jamming things up and causing pain – a lot of it.

Over the next three years, my pain levels increased and my mobility decreased. I changed from an active walker into a stooped shuffler and then to a wheelchair user. It was in that chair that I met Julian Leong, consultant spinal surgeon at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore.

RNOH is a world-class centre of excellence helping people throughout the UK and beyond to deal with complex orthopaedic conditions. The technology Mr Leong suggested could get me walking again, seemed like the stuff of science fiction.

On October 5 2023 I went under Mr Leong’s knife for the first of a series of operations. In Ops 1 and 2 he decompressed the nerve roots, removed excess bone growth and damaged disc material and then fitted spacers and cages over my vertebrae. A couple of days later a lengthy incision was made down my back and the cages were screwed firmly into place. The final flourish was to attach stabiliser bolts from my pelvis to my spine supporting the cages while new bone grew over the metalwork. Each operation took a whole day. Unfortunately, there was some nerve damage and I could no longer wiggle the toes of my left foot. A further seven hours of emergency surgery brought a partial fix but it’s likely my left foot will always drop as it no longer responds properly to the signals my brain tries to send it.

Before I could go home I had to show the hospital physio that I could climb up and down a flight of stairs. I set to work and eight days later was discharged wearing a very natty spinal corset; a garment I wore for six months while muscles regrew and I regained some strength.

My recovery continued when I left the hospital. I was still suffering from nerve pain but was told “walking is your best friend” so I was determined to walk to the nearest pub. First goal was my gate, then my neighbour’s gate and then gradually further. It seemed like a marathon each time. But I kept adding more steps to my daily walks and it was Christmas 2023 when I tasted my first ‘walked for’ pint. I’ve never drunk a sweeter drop.

In August 2024, one screw holding the metalwork together was removed because it was pressing on a nerve. Robotic surgery drastically reduced the risk of damaging that nerve and my recovery was so quick that after surgery on Friday I was back at work on Tuesday.

My final operation was in May 2025. X-rays showed that the titanium scaffold had fused with my spine firmly enough to remove the support bolts from my pelvis. This gave me a little more movement around my hips and the whisper of a message to my dropped foot, so then it was back to building my stamina. As well as aiding my physical rehabilitation, walking helped my mental health. And during these outings my current plans began to form.

The hospital has a fundraising arm known as RNOH Charity. This funds research, specialist equipment and staff training far beyond the reach of an NHS budget. It also provides facilities for patients whose conditions mean they have long hospital stays far from home. It has funded The Stanmore Building, filling it with uplifting artwork and equipping every bedside with special hoists, patient televisions, even sofabeds so loved ones can stay nearby. RNOHC also funded millions of pounds’ worth of cutting-edge scanners to provide better treatment and shorter waiting times.

So for my next challenge I am going to be ‘Walking Back to Happiness’ to raise money for RNOH Charity.

It’s a long way from where I live in Caterham to RNOH in Stanmore – 37 miles – about 75,000 painful steps over 3 days.  But it’ll be fine. It’s not as difficult a journey as the one from wheelchair to walking. With the help of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital I managed that and any money I raise for their charity will help others making similar journeys.

Find Glenn's JustGiving here.

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Glenn Meyer is raising money for The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity.

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