Back Trouble

I've had a bit of a blow this week which has upset my plans somewhat. The doctors have told me that I'm going to have to have major surgery on my spine.
It means that I shan't be able to go to Rwanda on Friday to photograph gorillas, as I had planned to do. I was to travel with World Primate Safaris.I slipped a disc before Christmas and unfortunately a two centimetre-long piece of the disc has broken away and is now in my spinal column.
I can't pretend I'm not bitterly disappointed as I was really looking forward to going. I have never seen gorillas in the wild before and I was hoping that this trip, which was to have been with the well-known wildlife photographer Andy Rouse, would lead to some new original paintings for my summer exhibition.