Oh @MoonGal, your reply did go on ... and on. But thats quite all right, I did ask, and was very interested to know more. So thankyou.
I do know that feeling of numbness - I had that in my left foot really badly for at least 3 years as I recall. Its really odd to not feel a sense of touch when you put your foot down. And I remember when I did start to finally get some feeling back in my left foot - it suddenly felt like I was walking on a tennis ball. Or at least what I imagined it would feel like anyway. It still feels like that even now, but it varies a bit in the intensity, I guess depending on how much pressure there is on the L5/S1 nerve at the time. For me it is the L5/S1 nerve which is affected the most. The L4/L5 not as much. I have gotten used to the constant pins and needles and coldness that still persists in the ankle and foot.
And I find it really bothersome that when I get an itch at the back of my left thigh above the knee, that I scratch and cant feel a thing. It is totally numb from just below the back of the knee to about half way up the back of my leg. Pretty silly how the little things sometimes bother you the most.
I also did a lot of aqua therapy once I was able to walk again. And I did find it of some benefit overall, its just a shame it couldnt have helped rebuild some of the wasted muscle. I also went through a lot of physiotherapy, mostly traction in the early days, then moving to aqua therapy.
Like you, I also have difficulty picking up my left leg properly. As I get tired, I drag my left leg quite badly and I need to be constantly aware in order to prevent stumbling.
Gee you really did go like a bull at a gate after your operation didnt you? Good for you, and I am sure it was of help at the time. Ha ha, yeah I guess being nuts does have its advantages. I am yet to find those yet though - perhaps one day I will be grateful for being a little nutty also. 
Thanks for attempting to explain some of the issues in the modified way you need to in order to get the message across. I got it by the way. Thankfully I am not affected in that way - lucky hey?
I also need to be very careful when travelling, and we have a good travelling car which has all the necessary adjustments which makes things easier than it otherwise would be. So I manage.
Vacuuming - yep agree. Along with ironing, making beds, and standing at the kitchen sink to wash up or the bench to prepare food. All those everyday things that become next to impossible at times. I am very lucky though, I have a cleaner come in and help out for a couple of hours each week. She does all the vacuuming and bathrooms and any heavy washing or bed changes. She's great.
I am sorry you had to go through the hysterectomy and oopherectomy. I am thinking that it was unrelated to your spinal injury though? I hope it resulted in the desired outcome for you. Tough though it would no doubt have been for you.
I am lucky with my work because it is only between 6 and 12 hours per week, is very flexible and much of it I am able to bring home with me and do at home in my own time. So it works out well for me. I simply would not be able to cope without the flexibility, so I was very fortunate to find suitable work.
My GP keeps says to me whenever I go to see him for another pack of strong opioid-type pain killers that I shouldnt be working. But I explain to him that work is really important to me, and I need to keep working. That I will find a way to get through.
Then when I see him when I have to get another script for my ADs or the medication I take at night for PTSD-related sleep disturbances and nightmares, he says "are you sure you should be working right now"? Yes ... I remind him that for my own sense of worth ... I need to work. The ADs I am on have a dual purpose as they are also meant to be beneficial for nerve pain.
The times I struggle the most though is when my pain is bad and I become depressed, on top of the usual extreme anxiety. Lack of sleep and everything else all just seem to add up and conbine to drag me down. That too is a viscious cycle I find.
I had a bit of a panic attack today on my way home from work. Really silly I know. But I was driving home (its only a 10 mins drive) and a car pulled up alongside me at the only set of traffic lights I had to go through. As I glanced alongside I noticed the onle and only other car at the lights. It was a sports type vehicle and the same 'make' and colour of car as the person who assaulted me had. Straight away my breath was caught in my throat, and I couldnt breath. My heart was racing a 100 miles an hour, and I was shaking violently. It took a while but I was eventually able to convince myself that it wasnt 'him', and that I was being totally stupid. Finally I was able to force myself to do a few relaxing breaths before driving on.
I am getting better at overcoming this sort of occurance now - but I still find it quite devastating that my state of mind can so simply and quickly go down the 'gurgler' over a simple thing like this. And even though it happened almost 2 hours ago, I am still feeling really shaken up. Like I am all shakey on the inside as well as outside, still having trouble catching my breath and my heart hurts.
Anyway MoonGal, enough about me - how has your day been so far? 
@Former-Member - wow we have used some pixels today 🙂
Yes the hysterectomy was in regards chronic pelvic pain (exisiting before my back injury too) it was a bit hard to sort out what pain was what for a couple of years, but on investigation discovered some nasty cellular changes that had to be removed - all clearin the end.
That anxiety spike, in relation tpt he car/man triggering you, oh I know that being hijacked by my own brain and biochemistry - it can take hours to come back to myself. A lot of my triggering happens with family, it is bloody hard work to be in their presence when all that is screaming in my brain is 'runaway, runaway'.
I can't beliee I went on and on and on! But thanks for reading it all. Not many people are remotely interested in the BACK lived experience I got excited to tell someone who would understand it all.
I like your despcription about when your foot came back on line like stepping on tennis balls, that is it! I used to descibe it like the ground was deep rubber foam and walking felt like my foot was going down into the ground with every step.
So glad for you that you have a flexible job, excellent.
I tend not to rest enough, so today with back pain arching up I actually went and read in bed an had a nap for a few hours. I always feel like I am being slack whenI do that - but my lovely partner says I don't nap enough. 🙂 Got woken up by our foster greyhound after a few hours thinking he had spent waaaay enough time alone now thank you!
Hope your adrenaline and spiked system get a calm down and you have a nice evening.
Hi @Former-Member. Thankyou for thinking of me, thats lovely of you.
I have been really busy at work over the past week, and am feeling pretty snowed under. And not been sleeping very well either, which doesnt help.
So I just havent been on here very much for a while. I am doing okay in general though I think. Although my hubby goes away tomorrow for 3 weeks, and this usually brings on an increase in anxiety and other ptsd symptoms.
Being on my own just seems to leave me feeling like a 'nervous Nellie', for no good reason. I find this really annoying because I am very much an introvert, and used to love spending time on my own. And in fact I need it to recharge. But this is one of the things my 'attacker' has robbed me of - my former love of solitude and to feel comfortable in that. I will never forgive him this!
So how about yourself - how're you doing?
Hi @Former-Member @MoonGal & @Former-Member
My main aim in life after setting my kids off on a decent life ... is getting back to being comfortable in my own skin. After PTSD and chronic pain issues ...IT TAKES A LOT of WORK.
Hi @Former-Member I was hoping to feel better after a nap and reply in a positive way, but I really feel awful still.
Sorry to hear that you haven't been going so well. Sounds like you have been busy with work. Having pain on top of PTSD is very difficult for you. I can often keep mine under control a bit with pilates stretches, but it sounds like you have different kind of pain, that isn't easily fixed. Must be awful for you.
I've been feeling unusually stressed, anxious etc for a few weeks now, since starting therapy again. I'm sure I'll feel better eventually. I had alot of PTSD triggers on the weekend, still trying to get over it all.
Take care. Take time to rest. Oh and feel free to chat on here while your partner/husband goes away. I understand what you mean. I hate staying home overnight on my own. You might find that after a couple of nights, you might get used to it, I hope so. Doors locked with a light left on.