Oooh, ouch! My mother had a ruptured disk in her back many, many years ago (like about 20 or so), and she had to go in for surgery to get the problem fixed.

I remember the pain she was in, and I was wondering if Áine has the same problem. The good news is that after surgery, my mother made a full recovery. Her back was never as strong as it was before the surgery, but she still did everything she had done before... her favorite activities were swimming and chopping wood.

And surgical techniques are more sophiticated today than they were then... So, Áine, if the [other] "S" word comes up, try to see it as a light at the end of the tunnel, and not a catatrophy...