My new web site is now available via this linkwww.higherinsight.webs.com/
I feel the need to write this book but have no real structure in my head, as I write . I feel an urgency to write it off the top of my head , to accompany my book that I am currently finishing, 'Stop using crack and reclaim your life'.
My knowledge; built on years of experience has been put as clearly as I could into a self help book for crack/cocaine users. People may want to know how I gained this knowledge and insight and also may wonder how come I don't work anymore in the conventional sense of the word.
I decided to write this book therefore to accompany the other and due to the knowledge I am giving out I may not be able to do it at a later date. So as a consequence of my life's path which I have followed or more so been guided down, I am currently placed in a position of nothing else to do.
I am homeless in a little sea-side village, staying by the human courtesy /hearty acceptance grace of god. Call it what you will , in a lovely bungalow very near a desolate sea. I have a unfit dog to accompany me and my life basically consists of writing , walking , going in the sea. Taking photo's and doing sudoku. Beyond that my brain is vacant, therefore I can not really concentrate on TV , DVD ,books etc. I can have an intellectual conversation, but nothing that requires any memory cells, they are currently on overload. I therefore saw the opportunity to release them onto paper and the subject matter may be of interest to many.
Where to start ? At the beginning, I suppose. I was born 1961, grew up on a housing estate in East London.
And was seen as a naughty child , who did as she liked . This was true I suppose I wasn't nasty , but I did do as I liked.
I didn't like doing work at school, so didn't .
With knowledge now I know I was dyslexic. So that is probably why I didn't like doing any work. I remember age 6 writing a story, which our teacher gave us sweets for, if story was good. I didn't get a sweet, she said I hadn't tried. But I had, so I couldn't improve on the story, and had been diddled out of a well earned sweet. I decided I wasn't going to try anymore, what was the point, from then on I refused to take part in any writing activity. By age 7 in came the authorities, telling my Mum they wanted to put me in reform school. It was that or visit a psychiatrist regularly. She opted for the second option.
Can't remember him doing much therapy, just IQ tests and vaguely remember him insinuating I was stupid and that was why I didn't do any work. So I wrote a 21 page story about a haunted house, on a hill. to prove my intelligence. Then went back to refusing. The solution was to give me clay to play with whilst the other children did the lesson. I then wasn't disruptive and that was enough for them.
Come age 10 , time to move on to next school, I was told I didn't need to come and see him anymore, I didn't really like that decision, as I quite liked seeing him.
At the next school I just went back to doing as I liked. I was very good at Maths;mental arithmetic but I never wrote the answers down; just shouted them out as the teacher wrote the sums on the board, it infuriated them, and the class got the answers.
The end of the year, much to the disappointment of the teacher and the swots girls, I came top of the class. and 6th in the school, with 98% for maths. They decided I was good at maths, but because of the way things ran in school in them days, was same grade for Maths as English, give or take a grade,I couldn't be in the top groups, as I couldn't spell, didn't write nor read. So the solution was I would need 'special work' but stay in the same class the following school year. But oh, I was with a new teacher who didn't anticipate my arrogance, when I told her I needed special work, she told me it wasn't going to happen and it didn't. So I just continued on as normal doing what I liked .
I went on to senior school , not allowed anywhere near the O'level classes, I was placed in grade 4, for maths . I at that time decided no I wanted to take O'level, but grade 4 didn't teach it. So I asked that I was put up. Due to my disruptive behaviour I was told I would need to behave first, this I did for a month, but to no avail, I thought oh you are just playing with me, you will never put me up, you just want me to behave, so I went back to my fun life style.and consequently was placed in group 6.
Here they knew nothing. It was sad but the teacher for that class was the head maths teacher. I asked for a deal, give me an exam, and if I'm good put me up to o'level class, this he did but put me in grade 4 again, to assess my behaviour. Basically the time past and I was not taught the maths o'level material . so CSE's it was, I got 6 CSE but they weren't really worth Jack. So I left school and worked in shops was a sales assistant.
Bored by its futility, an opportunity arose to go to live in Glouchestershire, I took it.
Took a while to adapt to the slow pace of life and find myself a path, and I realised I liked psychology. I found this out via finding a book in the library by Desmond Morris on animal behaviour, with many picture, I just loved it. took note of the section it came from, 'psychology', and chose some more books, only to find they were written in another language 'academia'.
I wanted to read the books but didn't understand the words, it was hard work with a dictionary. So I returned to London to study psychology. I was planning on doing o'level because of the struggles i had with education and the prejudice received from being unable to read and write to well. I thought at the time very clever people did o'levels , but this wasn't to be A new tenant moved into the bedsit where I was living, whom was extremely academic and told me no not to do o'level, as I would be extremely bored. I wold do better to go for A level. So I did.
Wasn't completely simple as my life never is, but then I accept I choose the abstract ways. To get onto the psychology A level course one is required to have o'level maths , to be able to do statistics, which I had never done. I suggested as it was a two year course and o'level maths would be extremely easy for me to learn, I would do it the following year. Basically I blagged. Because I didn't really see the need to have o'level maths , just needed to be able to understand the maths related to psychology , mainly statistics. They accepted my offer but refused to help me during the course when I did find statistics hard. But I found a wonderful book 'statistics without tears' , which basically explains how the statistics work logically so it became easy. Phew!
I got told off for not writing anything down as they spoke , but I felt I was being very good, listening, paying attention, after about 3 months I learnt the skill to listen and write at the same time. I no longer was perceived as disruptive, as an adult my questions were valued, whereas as a child I was told to stop contradicting them, and when I asked 'what does contradicting mean' the teacher said ask my Mother.
Sometimes I would say what happened in the research and the lecturer would tell me to stop reading ahead, but the truth was most outcomes from research was predictable.
When it came time for entering the exam, I said I wasn't intending to, I just wanted to know the words; to be able to read the books in the psychology section. The lecturer insisted I entered for a degree in psychology, which I did. they asked I got a 'D' to enter, I got a 'B' I was in.
I was apprehensive about doing a degree, now they were really clever. I felt I was in right over my head but persevered. and was OK after a while . Only problem was it was 1986 -1989 and I am a lesbian, and those were prejudice times. We have changed a lot since then.
But as a consequence of prejudice , I noticed that much research in psychology never took into account sexuality, nor class for that matter and therefore the result for social psychology research were not all that they claimed to be. This annoyed me and in addition I was expected to write that everything is good to enable me to get good marks, my opinion was not valued, only published material is of value. But fate allowed me some slack on the matter, so I decided I wanted to give a lecture to the lecturers on the issues of classism and heterosexism, and how I felt alienated in the university setting along with a small minority of others. I did this lecture whilst I did my final exams, it was a way I could balance writing things I didn't fully agree with in an exam, whilst expressing openly the truth, the whole picture of my experience and thought on the downfalls in research.
On completing my lecture , the lecturers who attended were very impressed and amongst them was the editor for the Women's section of the 'Journal for the British Psychological society' (1989). She offered me that if I could write my speech as a paper withing 6 weeks she would publish it. I did and it was published ;now others have a publication to cite these views. I called it 'Academic Aliens'.
Becoming depressed by the fact the benefit agency called me in, I needed to do some community development or what ever they called it then, basically I told them I wanted to learn counselling and get certificates needed. They said they would pay but I would need to be a volunteer somewhere and find my own placement. This I put off, but the certificates were two, one for skills and one for theory.
I finished one and the benefit agency they wouldn't fund the other one unless I found the required voluntary work, I had 2 weeks. I looked in Thompson local there was one drugs service, so I phoned them for an interview, my friends suggested I try other services but I insisted no if they don't want me, no one will so I am only trying the local one.
I attended the interview, was asked about my experience, I told of how when I street traded previously with badges; where many skin heads hung out; to meet and sniff glue, I had just by nature tried to hear them and reason with them and supported them to stop. I also had previously had a partner whom met me as they were coming off; cold turkey from heroin. He liked me and asked when I wanted to start, I said I have to start in a week, to stay on my training course. This I did in 1991. I had noticed on the gay scene how many people took drugs and had alcohol problems. I also noticed that they didn't attend services, once I started working at the service I soon saw the prejudice by some staff towards gay people and even the resistance to address the issue, which I kept raising, consequently an ignorant member of staff objected to me keep going on about gay issues. When I insisted we monitor how many gay clients we actually saw, they argued if that was to be happening we should measure married people to. Therefore had in mind to make lesbian and gay needs my agenda.
But no another path was chose differently for me. Very soon after starting my voluntary work there, a woman came storming in the door, saying 'I'm a crack head. someone better see me now'. Everyone disappeared I was alone, I said I don't know anything about crack but would try and help her if she wanted. She agreed, so we went upstairs to a counselling room, I asked her what she wanted , I asked her what she wanted, she said she didn't want rehab but wanted to come off in the community, after assessing her use, it didn't seem very likely but I agreed with her to try it her way; but if it didn't work she agreed she would then try rehab.
I arranged for her too see an acupuncturist, (I previously had a partner who was an acupuncturist and believed it would help).
During the time with her my employer popped his head around the door, he spurted' don't bother with her she has got no ears', his tone was jokey but serious,. Apparently he had tried to help her previously by offering her rehab, but she refused to go; she had children. I arranged for her to come back in a couple of days after seeing the acupuncturist; to see how she got on. After a couple of days she arrived, but she said never did get there she did try, she got a cab but then diverted to dealer on the way. But had returned and now was willing to try rehab. My boss was shocked, to see her arrive; she usually only came in once about every 6 months. So he in shock asked how did you get her to come back, she never comes back. You must have something special. He now wanted me to focus on women crack/cocaine users and offered to employ me to do it as a job.
At that time no where else in the country was running a service for Women crack users; not really for crack users either. There was crack users even visible on the street the drug had been marketed since about 1986/87 but they didn't use services and services didn't go out of their way to get them. The truth was they felt inadequate with crack users, for with heroin at that time, we gave methadone to heroin users, so the clients tend to tell you your the best and don't put their dose down. they have something to come to you for and we have something to give them. So the worker is left feeling powerful, but with crack the worker knew of nothing they could give them, so felt inadequate and instead of getting praise from the client they could be condemned for being of no use.
So consequently services didn't rush to draw into services crack users. There was no funding being made available
funders couldn't see a problem . Clients weren't using services, so no need for funding. My boss had worked with some crack users but recognised that females could be very seductive towards him to try and have things their way. So now he chose to give them to me.
The initial client I saw then went onto the street telling users about me and soon they were coming in insisting they saw Lou.
And a guy did eventually turn up, but insisted he was smoking cannabis a lot and nothing else. It didn't make sense to me because I have met many cannabis users and know how their energies felt, but this guy it felt like I was choking, I ask a few times are you using anything else," no just cannabis." I excused myself and rushed downstairs to my boss, I told him I can't handle the client , I felt like I was being strangled . I asked he would deal with him. He said no , the guy must be a crack user, I told him no he is insisting he just uses cannabis. He said no that is how some men felt. go back up and work with him. It was hard for I was scared of the feeling , but did it.
Another crack using male and again I felt the strangling feeling, after that I no longer picked it up the feeling , I just became able to sense a male crack user in a way. I continued on working with both men and women really.
The information available to me to learn from at that time was very little. A couple of books from the states , viewing it from a medical , academic view point not really telling you how to work with users. My boss had some experience of working with crack users so passed some knowledge onto me. and that was it really, the rest was up to me to work out.
Meanwhile the media wanted to cover the topic and because we were the only service seeing users in London and beyond, they insisted coming to me , they claimed I was an expert. This title worried me for I did feel like an expert, but who else would they go to , so I decided I would become an expert and study every aspect of the drug I could.
I ran a group made up of female crack users and ex-users and partners of users. Together we created informative cards for users and partners of users. But I tried to have it written by the users,They took 3 years to create because crack users in my experience do not do well in groups. they compete and have self esteem issues, therefore they are better off with individual counselling and treatment.
I continued learning all I could about crack users and in 1995 I was asked to speak at the first women and drugs conference ever held in England and possibly the last. I called my speech 'Run around can't get a rehab'. which went down well and I was deliberately emotive, after which John Major put up £16 million for crack services for users. Then everyone suddenly could see users in there neighborhood.
I was asked by SCODA for the paper I presented at the conference,but it wasn't in paper form , I just had guideline notes but I wrote it up in a similar view. and titled it 'The catharsis of women and crack'. It was printed in a 'Drug link ' journal and now can be found in many different languages on the Internet.
In the speech I outlined the experiences of a female crack user and the obstacles that existed within our system that prevent entry into rehab and services; to be honest things have not improved since 1995, now it is extremely difficult for this client group to get anywhere near a rehab or suitable services.
I also started in 1995 training other drug workers in how to work with women crack users on a intensive day training.
Due to John Majors funding arrival the service I worked for was able to set up and offer a day care service for crack users, here I set up weight training for clients and found it was welcomed by both male and female clients.
I also spoke at a conference held in Euston , London by women's aid, 'Women drugs and violence'. This time I explained the predicament women crack users were in and the systematically went through the list of services set up to help the public and showed how each was failing her. I was raw I wanted to be to drive the truth home, but I think after that I was prevented from speaking any more, which I will come across later.
Then in 1997 the structure changed in our funding system , throughout the care professions, the health authorities now required accountability for the public monies they were putting into services.
I didn't like it one bit , prior to this I had been told by an ex-crack user from the states that the reason I did so well with my clients was because services were not compulsory , she told
me how in the the USA drug users did not attend services of their own free will, they were actively ordered by courts to attend , which throws a whole new game into the equation. People forced to attend often do not want to stop using and therefore change the dynamics for those that do. Along with the new accountability assessment and outcomes we started to have courts ordering clients to services. Prior to this change it was quite rare for a drug worker to push for the judge to give alternative to custody. I became quite skilled at requesting this decision of a judge. and because they didn't hear it often they agreed. But when it was applied as a way for all it changed the whole system to having rehabs with many people in them not wanting really to be clean but avoid custody. This often puts clients who want to stay clean in a compromised position as they do not want to grass on their fellow clients, but the 'knowing' that another client has used can create cravings for them and they may wish to get it, so it makes it hard to be in a rehab and stay clean.
The out come and assessment requirement further annoyed me as there is/was no standardised questionnaire to assess clients, with each services they were required to create their own, this was required by the funders; the health authorities. This is an interesting point cos normally within the health sector they have standardised assessments and outcome questionnaires used throughout the country developed through experience.
Services were therefore having to create/provide these questionnaires which really was a waste of time, because the data couldn't be compared with any other service as everyone was designing them in isolation. And worse than that, crack users are often paranoid about answering any question on personal info , especially on their first visit to services. If I was to carry out the questionnaire not only would it have caused the paranoia to obstruct success but also my/their time is then taken up filling out pointless forms , and they may often not get the time to actually talk about the problem they have attended for. Therefore reducing self referral further. Consequently changing the structures of services to that similar to U.S.A and that was not compatible with my style that I had proven works.
I decided it was time to set up my own service and avoid this new assessment = pen pushing /time wasting twaddle.
I had already sold seats in venues where I provided training but felt it would be better to offer training to whole staff teams. So I resigned from my employment as I could no longer work in this way.I had , and set up my service in an anonymous venue , a community centre. i made a lot of effort to sell the training to services but it wasn't really being taken up. My free service was OK , but I needed to do agency care work to pay my rent etc. I began to have pains in my back and for the first time I started taking painkillers to be able to work. My back became increasingly worse until I reached a point where I was in agony was admitted to hospital march 1998 for spinal surgery.
Just weeks prior to this I was approached by 'Community care ' magazine journalist, Audrey Thomas , she had the task of asking services what they thought of the new outcomes and assessment policy. But due to services fearing they may have funding removed they refused to speak out against the policy. Would I ? Of course I wasn't asking for their funding anyway. and had set up on my own because I felt it was the only way. In her article I explained what was wrong with the policy and then other people in the drugs field said how wrong I am. The published article came out whilst I laid in hospital , so my timing was spot on. There was a lovely photo of me in the article where I am holding myself up on work surface, no sign I am in so much pain. Although all surgeons agreed I needed surgery , being the stubborn person that I am I refused and said I would heal myself, rather than risk surgery.
Tapping 1996
Back in 1996 I was paired up by my boss with a experienced trainer, who specialised in training staff on issues of racism . Together we developed the structure of the training around working with women crack users. We did it and it was very successful but we didn't get paid, Then my boss claimed after all money made was accounted for and only expenses were left for us. Oh is it, that's the last time I was going to do training for the service, making them money but disrespecting myself.
In addition there was a Black organisation for Black drug workers , for which she was chair of and from my view she was squashed out of position by him. When she and I spoke on the phone is when my education in phone tapping begun. We became good friends after the training and talked a lot on the phone. A clicking noise occurred , not always , not noticeable to me at first, but she pointed it out, 'whats that clicking ? Your phones tapped' . we jokingly guessed words that caused the click for it seemed to respond to words. This never happened with anyone else I spoke to. I ignored it really , asked around about it, I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong so it didn't bother me , although intrigued to find out who's behind it.
A women who was married to a politician told me of course 'they' will tap you, you have a high profile and they would just watch you for that reason. Also because the service had a very Black focus was another reason to watch me.
I also used to talk to my partner often on the phone and one day yes it clicked there. she heard it and had always told me be careful, you sure your boss ain't tapping you? . Erm no I would say , and if so , well I only speaking truth.
Remember no payment for training. I had been developing services for Women crack cocaine users for 5 years , very successfully but I really wanted to help all areas that have contact with my client group.
My boss had me sit down in his office and on his white board he outlined the structure of how I could run training for social services ,if I agreed he could bid social services for monies to employ me full time, I only worked 3 days a week. I agreed . Never was I in a full time post but I trained each team in the borough on how to work with women crack users. Nice.
I wanted to train staff in prisons and set up groups for women users. He said write it up, I did, it never transpired.
Months later another service was in the prisons , Holloway. They advertised posts, there were grass roots posts , which I would of liked but a manager would be placed above me, I didn't want that job, I wanted to train the staff and inmates to teach each other by imparting my knowledge but no. I wrote offering that package to them and was told that there wasn't really that many crack users in the prison yet, They would come to me if they needed me, but they never have. At that time my clients estimated for me that 60% of inmates were crack related clients.
I was frustrated that I couldn't spread out my knowledge and skills , it so empowered those I trained. Oh I thought I will do out reach ,to working women , they were getting notable in the area. It was a new area to me so I approached the few services that offered outreach but try as I did to go along with their staff to witness their approach it never transpired.
I had a women I met whilst speaking at a conference in Birmingham March that year. She invited me down to see her team and she was doing outreach,in Leicester I went with her and enjoyed it, she said there was a post coming up I said I wanted it, for I was feeling frustrated where I was working and sickened when my female clients would turn up and be looked at like a piece of dirt , by the male volunteers for the service. I did complain , but it was a mans world . One asked me if he could interview one of my female clients , I said No, she was vulnerable, next thing I knew , she is telling me he has asked her and she agreed , but didn't want to. I wasn't happy. I confronted him, he shrugged it off. I complained to my boss. He said put it in writing , I did and nothing happened. I asked why and my boss said 'oh if it is an official complaint you need to write that on it. So I did. A meeting was due to be held. Prior to this the harassing male volunteer wrote his response and all I know is he didn't appear very well educated and articulate when I had spoken to him, but on reading his response to my statement he wrote so eloquently , it was surprising he couldn't get a job, just like my boss.
I needed childcare in the building and highlighted it as an issue for years. I had a volunteer whom was extremely natural to the job, she had pre-school children but no child care, she was so determined to help in this field that she would bring them in with her. This was not ideal, we had nowhere for them to rest, play. I complained to my boss , how can I train women , when there is no child care. he said find somewhere tell him the cost and he will pay. And Pigs flew, she found a service I think it was £15 a day in total for both , they were twins. We told him, he said it was too much. We turned and left the room. No I was frustrated in my job and the health authorities were asking for assessments and outcomes , for no real good reason, only time consuming and stopping many who attempt to enter into services.
No it was time to leave , I complained to my boss and told him , you think I won't leave my clients ; and yes that was true, but when I find a way I will go.
Chapter 4 constructive dismisal
The tapping continued, same ol, same ol.
When I went to Leicester to look at outreach although nothing transpired regarding the post I found it led me to the answer, for the post was only part time and therefore in my creative self I come up with an idea I could do training for them to make them the money for my full time post, but twisted the concept a bit and came up with a solution, sell my training myself, create my own project and work with clients for free, all I needed was a place to meet them. My friend ran a community centre and had in past said if she could help in anyway she would. I asked her for use of the centre, she said yes. I could use all the facilities too, Brilliant.
Only problem was I knew nothing of how to pay tax, self employment rules. I found a government sponsored training available by the DTI - it was free and helped people setting up business. I attended it but didn't tell anyone at work my plans, just booked a few days off. The administrators’ behaved peculiar asking where I was going when I book the few days leave; I said I was sorting things out at home.
I trained crack users in weights but this also included staff, the administrators no less, and after attending the course, they behaved quite cold towards me and didn't come to weight training anymore. Did they know something? On the back of the course we were also given a business advisor, whom helped us put our business plan together. This we needed to get start up business monies from the bank. I waited a response, 1997 came I was planning to resign at the end of the financial year. In all the years I had worked for the project I had been employed 3 days a week, other than when I was setting up the weight training at the end of 1996, but around the same time as the bank loan request my boss asked that I could write up policies for women for the service, and outreach policies too. He said I could have a day a week to put it together, now all 5 days of the week would be taken. He asked how long I needed. 12 weeks I said. That went up to the end of the financial year. He seemed surprised, asking am I sure I could do it that fast. Yes I could and I did. But I didn't want all my free time tied up, or I would not be able to plan my business. So I said I would no longer be taking the weight training sessions and suggested they had someone else train to do it.
The bank refused the loan. Oh dear, what to do?
But remember the woman earlier married to a politician , well I thought she was a sister, but no, I told her of my plans for a better chance for women and she didn't want me to go so she told my boss, I think but truly I don't know. For he seemed to already know; as I felt it was consequential that I was writing up women’s policies and outreach policies.
Anyway he called me in his office, along with my recently made supervisor/manager, whom was a bigot, and ignorant and had issues with me and my 'spoilt ' way. And here he said, chat had been going around that I was leaving, was it true? Was I leaving? No I replied, for I wasn't leaving as the bank had refused. After the meeting he told my manager /supervisor to get rid of me anyway she wanted. (I learnt this at a later date she told a college of mine with glee), so she started booking heroin clients into my diary, blocking my space so there would be no freedom to adapt to the instant gratification required by many crack users. I told her please do not put anymore in for me, but she continued. In the end I refused to do anymore. I received a letter from her saying this was my written warning and I will follow instructions and a hearing would be held. I had previously joined a union, much to their surprise when I introduced my rep into the equation. I was being constructively dismissed but should I waste my time fighting them, they didn't want me, I didn't want to be there; in that atmosphere anyway. The Black male youths whom when first started training loved me, yet after they became Muslim they didn't like me anymore. Word got to my ears that they saw me as a cracker, a white slave handler, and a lesbian too. One even said he couldn't be seen talking to me.
No the best thing to do would be to leave, jump ship, sink or swim. I booked the rest of my owed holiday for the end of the month, after the date of my disciplinary hearing.
On the day of the hearing everyone listen and then washed over their heads, was my words of truth, I hadn’t done anything wrong, but my supervisor had behaved unfairly. They asked how many clients I had, this was hard to count; with crack users for they often don't attend regularly, so I said 21, which was the number of hours I was employed for, but in truth I counted 45, for I counted how many visiting clients I had had in the last 3 months, so they were still my clients on paper. They said yes they could see I don’t need anymore but obviously my supervisor had misunderstood how I ran my service and so they recommended I write how my crack service ran. She said comfortingly smug 'is that ok Louise?’, 'oh yes 'I said. I left the room and placed my previously typed resignation in her pigeon hole along with my bosses, whom was sitting across the room as I did so. I had a couple of weeks left to serve there and then into the world of the unknown.
Chapter 5 I found a way ; free at last
I had made good relations with a community centre in the area over my years of working in the drug service, and they had previously told me they would be willing to help me regarding women crack users anyway they could. I therefore approached the centre and asked that I could use their facilities to counsel my clients for free. They agreed for me to use their facilities free of charge and therefore I create my own independent service to run from there; which was actually a better venue for women to attend as they can remain anonymous, as to why they are coming to the building.
I put together a training package and mailed it to appropriate services,. Although I made a lot of effort to sell the training to services only a few took it up but Those that did benefited greatly as a team, but even though I wanted to train teams, it seemed services preferred to train one member of staff and then they could come back and train the team, at that time.
I took all my crack using clients with me to the community centre and started doing agency care work to supplement my income.
Throughout my adult life I had had back problems, not bad, but every few years, I was unable to walk, get up for a few days, usually when I was stressed in life. My back started giving me pain and where I would have always rested to recover , I didn't I took pain killers , so I could go to work, no sick pay in agency work. My back got progressively worse until one day I was in agony (march 1998) , couldn't get up , couldn't move , couldn't get relief from the pain. I called out a doctor , she phoned the hospital , they said I should have volterol , I could only have one every 12 hours , thus if I needed any before then to call for an ambulance , by evening I was in agony again. So I called the ambulance and was taken to hospital. 13 hours later I got a bed. X rays showed nothing other than I had arthritis in my spine; which fascinated surgeons as I was only 37. Eventually I had a MIR scan, which showed I had a prolapsed disc ; they said surgery I said no I would heal myself. This was all a bit of a shock at the time for I was healthy, did weight training, dancing, lived well yet they wanted to do surgery on my spine. They injected it but that didn't help. They then plastered my body and I was sent home with crutches.
Just weeks prior to this I was approached by 'Community care ' magazine journalist, Audrey Thompson She had the task of asking services what they thought of the Governments new outcomes and assessment policy. But due to services fearing they may have funding removed they refused to speak out against the policy. Would I? Of course I wasn’t asking for their funding anyway. And had set up on my own because I felt it was the only way. In her article I explained what was wrong with the policy and then other people in the drugs field said how wrong I was. The published article came out whilst I lay in hospital, so my timing was spot on. There was a lovely photo of me in the article where I am holding myself up on work surface, no sign I am in so much pain.
I tried everything I had pain killers but also went to a Chinese doctor for herbs, acupuncture and massage. I read Susan Hayes, worked through as much emotional baggage I could find, loads of lateral thinking. Whilst in plaster I could lay on my back , but after a few weeks it was removed and then I could only lay on my front or side , most of the time I had a guy come and do reflexology make me hold some bar things that supposedly destroyed free radicals and he cooked me Ital food. I was well looked after during this time.
But what about the phone tapping you may ask. Yes it continued on after me leaving my job and developed a new trick, the phone would squeak at night like a mouse (a bit of a ring tone). I phoned BT and said my phone was tapped could they sort it. The guy just ridiculed me, saying 'why would your phone be tapped?’ I told him about the squeaking and he said 'oh that's where they are testing the line; I said every night!? . He said yes. I could see that was a waste of time. But on my spine collapsing the squeaking stopped.
I spent 9 months trying to heal myself, got a little shuffle going, could walk slowly for 20 minutes, then bam! I was back down again in agony. I decided to have the surgery. Which I did on the 4Th November 1998. A significant date you will see. It went perfect and I was home after 4 days, and the squeak returned to the phone instantly, to welcome me straight away.
Along with the phone intimidation came another variable. Prior to my spine problem when I opened my new service a car would park outside my building with its engine running all evening ;with their lights on, with 2 white guys , looked a bit like police but I don't think they were.
I slowly become stronger again and returned to my community centre and out reached to gather clients again.
I had done enough thinking lying there for 9 months and decided to try and hire venues and sell individual seats for training .It worked I was selling out every event. The training lasted 7 hours so it was a strain on my back but I just included rest into my schedule after training and only did one day a month. It worked I trained all over the country as well as Scotland and Ireland. Everything was going smoothly then..........
Another life was also happening out of my awareness and my families also
