Thanks for the advice mate, I completed a 120 hour course at a pain clinic a few months back and the advice has been really helping, just that some days the spasms just get to the point where i find it really difficult to breathe. I actually lost over 30kg of which i put in because i could not walk for a while. I pretty much have a similar condition to yourself, except that i have also have problems in both knees and have 3 knee ops already and neurological problems under my knee that is coming from my lower back.
I do exercises and stretch and walk several times a day but i am finding it hard to get off the narcotics as they help me get on with my day otherwise the pain is just too much.
ANd RE:footlongs, similar thing happened to me and the last time i got one and when i pulled it out to eat it one bread was empty and the other had all the filling, sloppiest sub i've ever had, went back, threw it on the counter and said can u make me one that doesn't look like shit, and also got the manager to make it, damn nOObs.