Pain in the bum

I am often asked questions regarding the removal of my coccyx and half my sacrum, so I thought I would be nice to have my story and all the information in one place.

The moment I held Maple for the very first time I knew something wasn’t right with my bottom. I dismissed the pain as I had just given birth, I told myself I simply needed time to heal from the labour and birth.

I got caught up in the newborn bubble, which turned into a year of being in pain. It became worse and was unbearable to stand after sitting for longer than one minute. It hurt in the car, at the dining table, at cafes, restaurants, any event we attended, visiting people, it was literally a pain in my bum. Also my husbands as he had to hear about it.

My first stop was an osteo, then chiropractor, then physio. I also started reformer pilates to attempt to reduce the pain. All of which were helpful, but the pain did not stop.

Finally my husband, tired of seeing (hearing) my pain booked me an appointment with a spine specialist.

Justin Hunt heard what I was saying and let me know, he believed I was in pain and that we could fix it. He arranged an MRI to see what was going on and it became very clear that I had broken my coccyx bone during labour. It was so badly damaged that it had also damaged my sacrum.

https://www.melbourneorthopaedicclinic.com.au/

I was booked in for surgery to have the damaged part of my lower spine removed. Which Justin assured me had a 100% success rate.

My surgery took place at the Richmond Epworth. The care, the service, the food (oh my goodness the food) and the entire process from start to finish was incredible! I woke up from surgery and immediately felt relieved, the pressure was gone and I knew they had removed the cause of my pain.

The recovery felt slow and I was sore and tender as expected with any surgery. The wound is in my butt crack, which comes with a high rate of infection, so I had to keep the area clean. I was grateful that my husband was able to take six weeks off work to care for me and the kids. I was able to help a little towards the four week mark, but didn’t rush. At the six week mark I had fully recovered.

At my follow up appointment, Justin was impressed with how everything was coming along. So much so we agreed I didn’t require any further follow ups. Of course I could book in if that changed at any time. I hugged Justin, thanked him for everything and cried tears of relief and gratefulness that I am now pain free.

The out of pocket costs including all appointments, MRIs, three nights at the Epworth, the anesthetist, the surgery and pain relief medication was around $5,000. The type of surgery is not covered by medicare and wasn’t included in my private health insurance. A little bit of down time for a lifetime of comfort.

The surgery took place on the 24th April 2019 and it has been a huge success. I would highly recommend this procedure for anyone who has continual coccyx pain.

Much love from your tail-boneless friend xox