--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was having these terrible back pains…" description: "\"I was having these terrible back pains, and then one day in Switzerland, things got very bad. My wife Maryanna called the hotel doctor, but I don't rem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/john-tavener-25398_bad_i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-a_2764047.jpg" --- # I was having these terrible back pains, and then one day… ![“I was having these terrible back pains, and then one day in Switzerland, things got very bad. My wife Maryanna called the hotel doctor, but I don't remember any of this, I was out of it. I had an operation, and I was nearly lost.” quote by John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/john-tavener-25398_bad_i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-a_2764047.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/john-tavener-25398_bad_i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-a_2764047.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/john-tavener-25398_bad_i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-a_2764047.jpg) > “I was having these terrible back pains, and then one day in Switzerland, things got very bad. My wife Maryanna called the hotel doctor, but I don't remember any of this, I was out of it. I had an operation, and I was nearly lost.” [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A severe back condition led to a near-fatal operation, highlighting vulnerability and the thin line between life and death. **In simple terms:** A serious health crisis nearly killed him. Key Takeaway Recognize health warnings early. Themes health mortality vulnerability Mood anxious reflective Type personal cautionary When to use this quote - hospitalization - post‑operative recovery - risk assessment Key Concepts medical emergency personal crisis Questions to Reflect On - How might you better monitor your health? - What signs would prompt you to seek help? A Different Perspective Medical interventions can have unpredictable outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Called Hotel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-hotel-3192004/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Hotel Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hotel-doctor-3192005/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Nearly Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nearly-lost-1728882/) [Pains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pains/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Spine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spine/) [Terrible Pains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-pains-3192003/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [“doors wide open. Two days ago I was nearly lost in a Turkish ship of war, owing to the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretta-curran-browne/doors-wide-open-two-days-ago-i-was-nearly-lost-in-a-turkish-ship-of/) [Gretta Curran Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretta-curran-browne/) > [I nearly got killed in a film, 'Patthar Ke Insaan.' I nearly lost my eyes another time and have been in many accidents in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-shroff/i-nearly-got-killed-in-a-film-patthar-ke-insaan-i-nearly-lost-my-eyes/) [Jackie Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-shroff/) > [I was a mad obsessive cricket player as a student. Then during one local match I nearly lost my eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyadarshan/i-was-a-mad-obsessive-cricket-player-as-a-student-then-during-one/) [Priyadarshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyadarshan/) > [I called the hotel operator and she said, "How can I direct your call?" I said, "Well, you could say 'Action!', and I'll begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-called-the-hotel-operator-and-she-said-how-can-i-direct-your-call-i/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [“Ho ho ho, tell me why you are not at home' is something Santa Claus could ask you if you stayed in a hotel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakub-marian/ho-ho-ho-tell-me-why-you-are-not-at-home-is-something-santa-claus/) [Jakub Marian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakub-marian/) > [When I was a kid, I loved a heavy metal band called Motley Crue. I was thirteen when they came to my city, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/when-i-was-a-kid-i-loved-a-heavy-metal-band-called-motley-crue-i-was/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [During sex, my girlfriend always wants to talk to me. Just the other night she called me from a hotel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/during-sex-my-girlfriend-always-wants-to-talk-to-me-just-the-other/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [I'm in pain... YES! I'm still happy...YES.! I'm faking...NO!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/i-m-in-pain-yes-i-m-still-happy-yes-i-m-faking-no/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I really enjoyed being pregnant up until the point when the terrifying pains began.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-weymouth/i-really-enjoyed-being-pregnant-up-until-the-point-when-the/) [Emma Weymouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-weymouth/) > [That pains me in my heart to think that someone who is gay would think that I don't love them and care about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/that-pains-me-in-my-heart-to-think-that-someone-who-is-gay-would/) [Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/) > [I get so nervous, I get belly pains before I go on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/i-get-so-nervous-i-get-belly-pains-before-i-go-on-stage/) [Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/) > [The best thing I've learned is that you have to listen to your body, and you have to be your own physician. Don't ignore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-cruz/the-best-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-you-have-to-listen-to-your-body/) [Valerie Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-cruz/) > [“Don't resist the growing pains, push through them. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/don-t-resist-the-growing-pains-push-through-them/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [You get those hunger pains. 'I am so hungry. We don't have any food. What are we going to eat?' Your stomach hurts. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mclemore/you-get-those-hunger-pains-i-am-so-hungry-we-don-t-have-any-food-what/) [Ben McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mclemore/) > [No one notice your pains, but they all notice your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-alapan/no-one-notice-your-pains-but-they-all-notice-your-mistakes/) [Mitch Alapan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-alapan/) ## More by John Tavener > [I don't think Beethoven expresses religious truth. He expresses a human truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-don-t-think-beethoven-expresses-religious-truth-he-expresses-a/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [When I talk of primordial innocence, I hear it in Sufi music with the nay flute. I see it in Coptic icons, in most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/when-i-talk-of-primordial-innocence-i-hear-it-in-sufi-music-with-the/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [I've got great joy from rediscovering Western music. I love Schumann and Chopin, and those amazing symphonies of Bruckner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-ve-got-great-joy-from-rediscovering-western-music-i-love-schumann/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [The path I follow is still an Orthodox path. You have to follow a path; otherwise, it becomes a little bit new-age, a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/the-path-i-follow-is-still-an-orthodox-path-you-have-to-follow-a-path/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [The thing I regret most about my life are those inane photos of me with icons. They used to come down here and dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/the-thing-i-regret-most-about-my-life-are-those-inane-photos-of-me/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [We seem to have lost our contact with the primordial: the idea of - call it divine revelation as opposed to something that's learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/we-seem-to-have-lost-our-contact-with-the-primordial-the-idea-of-call/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [I think I've been very lucky all my life because the writing and the faith seem to go together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-think-i-ve-been-very-lucky-all-my-life-because-the-writing-and-the/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [My consultant keeps telling me sudden death could come at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/my-consultant-keeps-telling-me-sudden-death-could-come-at-any-moment/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [My way towards God has been to write music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/my-way-towards-god-has-been-to-write-music/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [Every woman I have known has actually deepened my spiritual awareness. Even if I have been a selfish man and treated them badly... There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/every-woman-i-have-known-has-actually-deepened-my-spiritual-awareness/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [The music is something outside myself that's also inside myself... Music and a sense of another presence always went hand in hand. Even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/the-music-is-something-outside-myself-that-s-also-inside-myself-music/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [In his late quartets, Beethoven introduces an element that shouldn't be there, that should be left for meditation, though I love them. I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/in-his-late-quartets-beethoven-introduces-an-element-that-shouldn-t/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [I think there will always be a possibility that God doesn't exist because He is infinitude and into that infinitude must come that possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-think-there-will-always-be-a-possibility-that-god-doesn-t-exist/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [I don't hate pop music. I liked the Beatles, but then, I knew them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-don-t-hate-pop-music-i-liked-the-beatles-but-then-i-knew-them/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) > [I've written a very long piece of music recently, the 'Veil of the Temple,' which lasts about seven hours. It's really a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-ve-written-a-very-long-piece-of-music-recently-the-veil-of-the/) [John Tavener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) [Explore all 23 John Tavener quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was having these terrible back pains, and then one day in Switzerland, things got very bad. My wife Maryanna called the hotel doctor, but I don't remember any of this, I was out of it. I had an operation, and I was nearly lost.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Tavener" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-and-then-one-day-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-and-then-one-day-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/john-tavener-25398_bad_i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-a_2764047.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/john-tavener-25398_bad_i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-a_2764047.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/john-tavener-25398_bad_i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-a_2764047.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was having these terrible back pains, and then one day in Switzerland, things got very bad. My wife…” — John Tavener", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Tavener", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tavener/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was having these terrible back...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-and-then-one-day-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tavener/i-was-having-these-terrible-back-pains-and-then-one-day-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```