
<p>Kalycia Urquhart was seven when she was diagnosed with an extra vertebra. It all began when she bent over to pick up her baby brother who had just begun to crawl.</p>



<p>Something in her neck tweaked causing an excruciating amount of pain and she couldn’t move. “I first got put into traction in hospital by a specialist,” she says. “They put weights on a pulley system in an attempt to stretch my neck out. I was in hospital for about two weeks in this contraption and it was the worst possible thing that could have been done as they were putting weights on a bone that was fused to other bones.”</p>



<p>Urquhart was in pain, but the doctors didn’t understand exactly what was going on. It was only after Urquhart’s mother found a neurosurgeon, an expert in spinal osteoporosis anomalies, who x-rayed her at a specific angle and exposed an extra vertebra.</p>



<p>It was an extremely rare condition, she was one in the 600,000 people born with a spinal anomaly and at that point, the only person with her condition in the world.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kalycia-Urquhart-946x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-59399" style="width:375px;height:406px" width="375" height="406" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kalycia-Urquhart-946x1024.jpg 946w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kalycia-Urquhart-277x300.jpg 277w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kalycia-Urquhart-768x832.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kalycia-Urquhart-1418x1536.jpg 1418w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kalycia-Urquhart-1891x2048.jpg 1891w" sizes="(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kalycia Urquhart. Image Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>“It was quite an ordeal. It took us a very long time to get an actual diagnosis because no one could see what was wrong with me or find the issue,” she says. “The neurosurgeon changed my life. He explained that it would be a lifelong issue for me and that there was no potential for surgery. I also have a high chance of paralysis because I am double-jointed.” Urquhart couldn’t play sports. If she got knocked hard enough, she could be paralyzed. </p>



<p>“My parents freaked out. Their response was ‘oh my God, bubblewrap her’. It was scary. There was not a lot of information or cases to reference,” she adds. Urquhart found herself in medical journals and her case is still the one referenced today.</p>



<p>After being on chronic, schedule five painkillers for over a decade, Urquhart had semi-kidney and liver failure at 19. Even though she was taking anti-inflammatories, painkillers and probiotics to protect her stomach lining, she developed ulcers. “My kidneys and liver were basically shutting down and my doctor said I have to get of everything, I had to detox.</p>



<p>It was terrifying because I didn’t know how I would cope with the level of pain – just carrying a handbag is hard, carrying a laptop bag is a challenge,” she says.</p>



<p>Before the age of 20, Urquhart had to reassess how she would manage pain and began looking into alternative therapies. Cannabidiol (CBD) oil wasn’t as accessible as it is now, but for Urquhart, it was a life-saver. “And it didn’t have the negative side efects of normal medication, it was a sustainable expense,” she says. “The alternative healing world is very cowboy. There’s no regulation and while you can find people who are incredible healers, some are charlatans who are milking vulnerable people for money. When you’re in a horrible state of pain and you’re trying to find help, you’re willing to pay and do anything to find relief.”</p>



<p>At 25, Urquhart hit a financial blocker – taking out her own medical aid as she was too old to be on the family plan. She often had to fork out cash for therapy as she couldn’t aford weekly (sometimes twice-a-week) treatments. Added to that, she was working at an advertising agency, a high-stress job where taking time of or asking to work from home was seen as a weakness.</p>



<p>“You just want to be normal; you want to be considered competent and capable… it becomes tough to open up and share what you’re struggling with,” she says. In order to manage her pain, she’s had to learn a lot of maintenance techniques. While she can drive an automatic car, for example, the condition of South Africa’s roads afects how she lives her life. Hitting a pothole could not only damage her car, but severely impact her condition: “If we go on holiday and I have to go into a dirt road, I know I am going to feel it for a couple of days. I pack a neck pillow, muscle spasm relaxant, heat pad – and that’s just for leisure!”</p>



<p>“I have a lot of medical expenses around</p>



<p>this as my condition is technically considered a disability,” says Urquhart, who adds that one of her biggest expenses has been physiotherapy, finding someone who can help</p>



<p>manage her pain without hurting her. “Physios will also push you to try other techniques, like needling, and some of it has worked, some really hurt me, and others made no diference at all but it has been a massive expense in</p>



<p>my life – you pay, per hour!” After starting psychotherapy at 26, Urquhart found that dealing with emotional issues impacted how she lived with chronic pain. “Pain takes you to the extreme and your mind is a most powerful tool. Intense pain can be transformative but unfortunately, when you grow up with chronic pain, you don’t always develop the mental tools to deal with it,” she adds.</p>



<p>Living with chronic pain, Urquhart, now 34, works for herself and from home. There’s no tell-tale sign that something is wrong with her or that she has a physical anomaly.</p>


I need medication to get rid of this flu

Chronicling Chronic Pain: ‘I Didn’t Know How I Would Cope With The Level Of Pain – Just Carrying A Handbag Is Hard, Carrying A Laptop Bag Is A Challenge


<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>WORDS By Chanel Retief <br>PHOTOS By Yeshiel Panchia</em></strong></p>



<p>TOPLINE: For the past two days, South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has met with leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly. In his meeting, he told leaders that the government is intensifying its efforts and working in partnership with civil society to stem public violence affecting various parts of South Africa.</p>



<p>Key Facts</p>



<p>● South Africa has been mired in lawlessness and civil unrest since Saturday night following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma. Though believed to be under the banner of #FreeZuma, Ramaphosa on Sunday told the nation that these were also “opportunistic acts of criminality”.</p>



<p>● According to a statement released by the presidency this afternoon, leaders of political parties have characterized the situation in the country as an attack on the democratic order. Furthermore, they believe that this unrest requires a multifaceted response in the long-term as it has already affected unemployment and poverty in South Africa.</p>



<p>● The riots have left businesses in disarray, either looted, vandalized, and/or destroyed across parts of<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1eDx6D_PEhXr9YIzIjWfw6ZXKFs_wiZ5D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng province</a>s. </p>



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<p>● Ramaphosa on Monday in his address warned that if the unrest continued, the situation could lead to food insecurity as well as to an overwhelming of public health systems. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, some stores across South Africa witnessed long queues and empty shelves with disrupted supply chains. </p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The stockpiling has started. Long queues in grocery stores. It’s a mess! <a href="https://t.co/0EGzjwSwNV">pic.twitter.com/0EGzjwSwNV</a></p>&mdash; Nathi Ndamase (@nathi_ndamase) <a href="https://twitter.com/nathi_ndamase/status/1415260694761594884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>● This also includes some retail stores that specialize in selling medication, such as Clicks, which have been forced to close “some stores until further notice for the safety of our staff and customers”.</p>



<p>● “The looting and destruction of property are alarming,” said Busisiwe Mavuso, Chief Executive Officer of Business Leadership South Africa, in a statement. “This is inflicting further damage to the economy which is already at stretching point because of lockdown restrictions.”</p>



<p>● This has also affected the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in KZN and Gauteng as inoculations at some centers have had to be suspended due to the riots. “This will have lasting effects on our ability to consolidate some of the progress we were already witnessing in our economic recovery,” Ramaphosa said on Monday.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-photos">In Photos</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-2-of-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51833" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-2-of-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-2-of-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-2-of-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-2-of-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-2-of-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>A young boy lies dead as his family mourns besides his body after he was allegedly shot by taxi association members supporting police in Vosloorus, Johannesburg, 14 July 2021. This was during the course of a conflict between the police, taxi association members and looters of a nearby mall. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-3-of-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51834" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-3-of-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-3-of-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-3-of-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-3-of-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-3-of-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>A shopping center stands completely looted and destroyed in Vosloorus, Johannesburg, 14 July 2021. Looters ravaged the center over the last few days, which saw three people killed. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-4-of-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51835" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-4-of-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-4-of-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-4-of-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-4-of-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-4-of-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>*Moande, a store owner, stands in front of his looted and destroyed shop in Chris Hani Mall in Vosloorus, Johannesburg, 14 July 2021. Over the last few days, his shop has been destroyed, his stock looted, and he stated that he will have to lay off the workers he previously employed as he closes down. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-5-of-5-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51836" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-5-of-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-5-of-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-5-of-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-5-of-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/14-July-2021-Forbes-5-of-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Taxi association members gather men they allegedly caught looting outside Chris Hani Mall in Vosloorus, Johannesburg, 14 July 2021. Many of the association members turned out to defend the malls, with at least one dead, attributed to their use of live weapons. Police did not interfere in any of their actions. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia</p>



<p><em><strong>This is a developing story and FORBES AFRICA will provide updates.</strong></em></p>


Tag: Pain of Business

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Chronicling Chronic Pain: ‘I Didn’t Know How I Would Cope With The Level Of Pain – Just Carrying A Handbag Is Hard, Carrying A Laptop Bag Is A Challenge

Panic Buying, Political Meetings And The Pain Of Business