Eamonn Holmes has admitted he has "been using a walking stick or crutch every day" as he battles a chronic pain illness.
The TV news presenter says he is battling every day to cope with chronic back and leg pain, employing alternative and natural therapists, physios and the best medical care he can, all just to get comfortable and more mobile. He said there are days where he feels "just bloody awful" but he can still appreciate how lucky he is.
During times when the pain is too much or the effort to get out of his armchair seems overwhelming, one little thought brings him back to fighting mode; Maggie, his rescue dog. Eamonn said: “She’s sitting here beside me as my goal. She’s just the best girl and she deserves to be out walking with me every day and I miss walking with her. But at the moment I just can’t manage it."
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He added: “She’s 12 and has slowed down a little but she’s still fit and active. But I’ve been finding it hard recently to keep on top of back pain and I’m trying everything that might help. There are days I’m just not able to move about too much and it’s awful."
Eamonn was speaking after he travelled to London to co-host an event dedicated to rescue dogs, K-9 Angels founded by his friends Victoria Featherstone Pearce, Pola Pospieszalska and Anneka Svenska, has rehomed more than 1,200 dogs in the last 10 years, and sent medical aid and food to animals in need, financed shelter and neuter campaigns.
Eamonn says: “How could I say no to these wonderful ladies who are helping such vulnerable animals? I believe every dog deserves a second chance, just like my Maggie.
"I was feeling pretty rotten but I got up and I went and did it and enjoyed seeing everyone and the dogs. By the time I got home I was tired and sore but it was worth it. Anything for the dogs.
“The problem I have is that the sciatic nerve in one of my legs is just gone and I’ve been working to try to get that sorted. But the other morning I woke up and discovered the other leg was buggered. It was horrible and scary. But I just need to keep going, and having Maggie around and always ready for a walk means I know I’ll get there.
“My goal is to clip her lead to her collar and take her for a walk, pain-free, to enjoy it, to not worry about my mobility and to feel free of all of this. There are days when I feel just bloody awful and the pain gets me down, but I have to pull myself out of it and appreciate just how lucky I am - and I am lucky, I know that.”
Eamonn was told at the age of 27 that he should have both hips replaced due to severe deterioration. He says he waited until he was 59 and three years on, he is wondering if he might have left it too late.
He said: “The idea of going into theatre and under the surgeon’s knife is not filling me with joy. They’re talking about back surgery now and we are exploring all the options. It really worries me, it’s a big deal and the recovery period is five or six months and that scares me too. It seems like an awfully long time.
“In the meantime, I’m exploring other ways and all sorts of people in the hope that we can ease the pain and give me more time away from the surgeon’s table. I’ll speak to anyone who feels they might be able to help, I will try pretty much any therapy that could help including alternative and natural therapies.
“I see my long term osteopath and trainer James Davies almost every day and he is fantastic. On Wednesday he carried out cupping on me and left me looking like a hedgehog.. the pictures are great craic. You know you’re with the right people when you’re in pain but you can still laugh.”
The cupping therapy Eamonn has been getting, is a form of Chinese alternative medicine in which glass or bamboo cups were used to create a suction on the skin as they are heated. The treatment is said to help decrease pain and inflammation, increase blood flow, reduce stress, enhance the mood and even improve skin issues.
The former This Morning host, Eamonn said: “I felt great after it. I’ve been using a walking stick or crutch every day but I’m determined it won’t be forever. I’m only 62, I’m not an old man and I want to keep working. I just want to feel better while I’m doing it."
He added: “So I’m working hard to improve, I have a fantastic and trusted team of people who are working hard with me and I feel if we keep at it we’ll make progress. Yes I’m in a lot of pain at times, some days are easier than others. Other days just getting up and about is a terrible effort, and anyone who has suffered long term pain will know how exhausting it is.
“But I’m here and I’m not done yet. I am so fortunate to be in a position to have worked all of my life and am able to pay for care and treatment. I would gladly look for help within the NHS but it seems wrong to add to their pressure when I’m lucky enough not to have to take up a space someone desperately needs.
“I am a huge supporter of the NHS, the work, the staff, the whole ethos and it is a life saver and life enhancer for so, so many. At the moment I’m paddling my boat alongside it with the hope that I can get back to feeling more confident about my mobility. I’m exploring all options about getting help and I have not dismissed surgery, but I’m not rushing into it either.
“The thought of doing something normal like getting up from the table after dinner and taking Maggie for a walk, helps me push on. I can’t deny her that. It’s such a simple pleasure for her and for me - we just have to get there one step at a time.”
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