After the last video about the bladder stone that Jill the guinea-pig had removed, I had people asking after her. She’s doing really well, thank you! For those that didn’t know, Jill is one of the family guinea pigs and we found, by doing an ultrasound scan, that she had a stone in her bladder. This was causing her pain. The stone was surgically removed (thanks to Florena at Larkmead Vets!) and since then Jill the pig has become much happier. She is not in distress when she is being picked up, She is able to eat more, she has gained 300g in weight. She is much more vocal, calling out for food, and she is back to her old tricks of bossing her husband Milo around. She definitely wears the trousers!
So this got me thinking, I wonder how many people’s lives are affected by back pain (a lot, I think….) . Apparently, worldwide it’s about 7.3% of the population. One study in Spine Journal in 2011 found that antidepressants were the fourth most commonly prescribed medication for low back pain in the US . Just think how much better their lives would be if they weren’t in pain. Perhaps they could do more: go for a walk, play their sport, do things around the house, play with their kids. But even more than that, if they were not in pain, they would probably just be happier. Jill is such a great example of how much better life is without back pain.
Don’t be unhappy! Be like Jill!