Then, all of a sudden, my body started to ache in differing places and my lower back became increasingly sore. If I am honest to myself, I had a feeling my body was telling me something, however I completely ignored all the signs and just kept pushing through. Then within weeks, my back just went, as did my neck. I could no longer sit, tackle/play sport with my children, pick up anything from the floor, drive or basically do anything active at all. For the first time in my life I found myself lying horizontal on the couch. I was in shock at how immobile I had become and I had to deal with the news from the specialists that I was in for a long journey ahead.  All I wanted was a quick fix however I soon discovered that it just wasn’t possible.

From here, I only had one choice. To adapt and reshape, or dig a hole and climb into it. My only two semi comfortable positions were standing or lying. Sitting was painful and it felt like I had a ball and chain attached to my neck when I did, so I avoided it at all costs. Within a week, I moved to a stand up desk. I changed the way I moved and the way I got in and out of things. I set my mind on getting better.

I was lucky enough to be able to walk to work. Instead of holding candidate interviews in chairs, I chose nearby places which had high tables and stools and I stood when holding candidate meetings, while they sat. If I had a meeting in a location outside of the office I would lie in the back of one of my team’s car to get from one place to another (thanks PE team, your support was amazing!) as this meant less sitting time, before the meeting time. I even returned many calls while lying on my back to give my feet and legs a rest. I made do and I remained focused at getting better.