A HEREFORDSHIRE mother who had to put off being a teacher has told of her year long battle with "excruciating" pain.

Almost 12 months ago, Kia Phillips, 35, was diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy.

Ms Philipps, who was training to be a teacher, was told she had to defer her degree, something she had worked very hard to achieve.

Cervical radiculopathy is a condition that results when a nerve in the neck is irritated as it leaves the spinal canal.

Ms Phillips, of Stoke Lacy, near Bromyard, said that the last 12 months have consisted of excruciating pain daily, and she is on such high doses of pain medications that most days are spent on the sofa, in pain or sleeping due to the brain fog from her medication.

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She has also experienced periods of complete numbness in her lower torso and hands and arms, meaning opening her medication is virtually impossible.

She was signed off work in February from a job in a school due to the pain.

Ms Phillips said: "The last 12 months have been hell. Little things that you just take for granted I have been unable to do.

"It has completely turned my life upside down."

Ms Phillips' partner Gary now provides the only income, runs the house and takes care of their young daughter Mollie, and Kia relies on him or family members to get her to appointments.

Even simple tasks like moving around the house require her to use a walking stick; cooking tea can lead to spending the next day in complete agony, and leaving the house for longer journeys involves using a wheelchair.

She was too scared to leave the house and was too embarrassed for others to see her with her stick, so she didn't see her friends.

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She has been told she is able to have an operation, which could happen on the NHS, but even though her case is listed as urgent, she is looking at an 18 month wait at least.

The family have visited a spinal specialist, who said that an operation is the only option to alleviate the pain.

To go privately, it will cost anything up and around £14,000, so friends and family have decided to set up a GoFundme page.

Ms Phillips said: "When I told everyone that we were thinking of going private, friends and family went into action with fundraising ideas and with ways that they could help.

"I'm so lucky to have so many great people around me. Everyone has been so supportive."

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