By Tara Brady PUBLISHED: 15:07 EST, 9 June 2013 | UPDATED: 18:56 EST, 9 June 2013 A father-of-two spent almost half his life in excruciating pain only to discover he had a broken back. Despite numerous appointments, X-rays, MRI scans and operations over 20 years, doctors failed to diagnose Nicky Sutherland. The 42-year-old was in so much pain, he became dependent on morphine patches and a cocktail of 44 tablets which almost drove him to suicide. On the mend: Nicky Sutherland with his wife Gillian and daughters Aimee, 14, and Emma, 10 'It left me tired all the time and, with the morphine, I was like a zombie. I was missing my kids growing up,' said Mr Sutherland, who was once a super-fit skier and keen golfer.
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Nicky Sutherland was in so much pain he became dependent on morphine
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The 42-year-old was finally seen by surgeon Manoj Krishna
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Mr Krishna works at Nuffield Health Tees Hospital in Stockton-Upon-Tees
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Mr Sutherland underwent a life-changing operation and is back playing golf
Nicky Sutherland
Nicky Sutherland
Sutherland
Nicky Sutherland
Sutherland
'He discovered the bottom right hand screw of the structure in my back had snapped and I had technically been running around with a broken back,' said Mr @placeholder.