James Murphy

James came to RNOH in 2023 after doctors found that a slipped vertebra at C1 in his neck was pushing against his spinal cord at the base of his skull. James says: “This was causing significant gradual nerve damage that, prior to the surgery, was affecting my strength and ability to feel temperature in the right side of my body. My surgeon informed me that I would need surgery within six months or I would face being paralysed from the neck down.”

James was admitted to RNOH's London Irish ward at Stanmore on 4 September, when surgeons decided that halo traction with weights would be most suitable for him. This meant James had to lie flat for four to six weeks to allow the equipment to stretch his neck before surgery to enable a better chance of successful treatment.

“I had a short operation to have the halo installed onto my head and some discs removed in my neck to try to create some space for the spinal cord. I then began the mental countdown as gradually the surgeons added more and more weight to the halo to stretch the neck. A lot of scans were taken during this period as the surgeons needed to ensure that the halo traction was working as intended.”

Towards the end of the period, scans showed that there was progress and the plan was working but the specialists wanted more space for the cord. The time James needed to spend on traction was extended to nine weeks. However, it was worth it and James was ready for his operation.

James explains: “This surgery was to put metalwork in from my skull to my neck to ensure the now stretched vertebrae stayed in place, no longer crushing the cord. This was pretty nerve-racking for me as the risks that this operation carried would change my life significantly if it went wrong, and being unable to move from the bed with the halo traction made that even harder to deal with.”

Successful surgery

The operation was a success, which James says was a huge relief. A week later, the team performed a third and final procedure to complete the process.

Progress has been swift for James since then. “After the third surgery I was able to start learning how to walk again. This took longer than expected since I had lost two-and-a-half stone and a lot of muscle while on traction. In addition, the surgeons carried out bone grafts on both of my hips, which made it extremely painful to put weight on my legs.” James made sure he had a healthy diet and got back on his feet so that, by 25 November, he was ready to go home “which I think everyone was chuffed about”, he remembers.

A big part of James’ post-operative recovery was regaining the weight he had lost and allowing his hips to heal so he could walk without crutches. He was also keen to move away from pain medication as quickly as he could and get back to normal.

James says: “Being on traction for four weeks then having it extended to nine weeks was difficult to get my head around at the time, probably due to some pretty heavy-duty pain medication, but it came around soon enough. The staff and the Charity at RNOH made my situation as comfortable as possible for me and honestly it saved my sanity during those nine weeks of lying flat, bedbound. They gave me special prism glasses so I could see the rest of the room while my head was fixed upwards, as well as all sorts of devices and gadgets that allowed me to pass the time.

Looking ahead

“My long-term recovery has been challenging for sure. Adjusting to the new movement and metalwork in my neck and processing the trauma from my time in hospital has been a horrid combination, all while attempting to jump straight back into my studies at university just over a month after being discharged from hospital. But I think I have a handle on it now and am starting to push forward and grow from it.”

James wanted to share his story to help anyone else who might see their position reflected in his experience. “I think RNOH is quite a specialised hospital and I heard lots of different stories of people in a similar position but with different injuries. There are times when things can get very dark and you lose a sense of who you are and often can’t see a way through and out. I was hoping to share so that when others find themselves in a similar situation, they might be able to see some resemblance to their situation and this will hopefully give them comfort.”

It was important to James that he maintained connection with others while he was at the hospital and he praised staff for their kindness. “I cannot thank the staff in the hospital enough,” he says. “They made sure I was constantly okay and also provided some much needed social interaction. He also hailed his surgical team. “The excellent treatment by the surgeons ensured I was able to walk out of the hospital and I can’t thank them enough for ensuring I can continue to walk in the future.”