Update

After three hours of surgeons poking around in her back, and a disc that refused to cooperate with said surgeons, my wife has returned to the ward after a discectomy. Apparently the operation was difficult but successful. I believe that successful means, in this case, that she still has use of her legs. Whether or not there has been an improvement in her condition we won't know until tommorrow. At 10pm this evening she said she didn't feel any better, but, after a general anaesthetic and a thorough mauling from the surgeons, I don't think I'd feel too clever either.