Well, I try to avoid going to the doctors, on the principle that most aches and pains are just that and not worth wasting the doctor's time with.
Last January I finally gave in and went with a small catalogue of what I thought were minor aches and ailments.
I came away from that appointment with two major surgeries to schedule, after not needing major surgery since I had my tonsils removed about 45 years ago.
First surgery went ahead in early April, to fix a ventral hernia. No trouble with the anasthetic, but astonishing just how much pain an operation on your abdomen can cause when you try to move at all.
The second, more serious, surgery was finally done this weekend. Delayed after the first operation wound became infected. An anterior cervical discectomy with fusion and treatment for spinal stenosis. Supposedly a 1.5 to 2 hour operation that I went into theatre for at 14.30 and came round from at 18.30. Some complication with "unexpected seepage" whatever that means. A complicated name for an operation that simply means they cut through the front of your throat to get to your spine, remove a disc, grind off some boney growth, and insert a tungston cage as a frame for two pieces of your spine to fuse together. That takes 2 months. A last minute change meant that only one disc was removed, even though the plan was to remove two (out of 3 that are damaged.) I could be back for the second doing in another few years.
Theoretically off work for up to 6 weeks.
Starting to feel a bit like Frankenstein's monster now with all the scars, stitches and bandages. Even got the stiff movements 'cos I have to avoid excessive neck movements for a while.