For Lent I gave up watching television. I wasn’t obnoxious about it; if I was over at someone’s house and they had the TV on I’d just let it go and focus on something else. But I really don’t miss it … So much so that I’ve yet to turn it on again. So of course I now get this invitation in the mail:
Around here it’s all back treatments, all the time. Today I got the results of my MRI (abnormal disc extrusion between the L4 and L5 veterbrae – but yea, no surgery needed!), had more muscle work at today’s chiro sessions — yes, that’s sessions — got cleared by my doc and chiropractor to start Pilates on Tuesday and went swimming tonight for the first time in months. After my 25-minute swim my back felt fantastic. I actually walked like a normal person out to my car, instead of using the modified Charlie Chaplin impersonation which has been my preferred means of locomotion for the past two weeks.
Of the following four items, select which has bothered me the most today:
A) Discovering the wonderful drugs the doc prescribed for my back pain make me nauseous
B) Being woefully behind at work having missed yesterday for medical appointments and part of Friday for holiday as well as roughly 1/3 of last week due to back pain-related concentration issues
C) Sighing over my sloppy house (I hurt too much to bend over and pick things up)
D) Failing repeatedly to advance beyond level 6 on Angry Birds
The correct answer is “D.”
I’m drinking soda and eating crackers for the nausea; staying later to catch up at work, and starting to clean again (slowly.) But this game — Argh! I got nothing.
It’s another go-round of serious back pain for ol’ Aunt Jim. Since March 8 I’ve been seeing my chiropractor for back pain. This is a 10 or 12-year-old injury which flares up from time to time. Usually a few visits to Dr. Jones-McCaw take care of things. But it’s been three weeks, and after making seven chiro visits in seven days, and sleeping in 45-minute stretches last night, both she and I knew it was time for my second MRI.
Today I called in sick and got the works done. First, the appointment with my family practitioner, a great doc who’s seen me through this before. He immediately sent me for x-rays. (Technology has progressed since my last set. Then I had to carry the X-rays from the lab to his office. Today they were digital. He just logged on and checked them.) After he saw them I got the news I expected – degenerated interveterbral disc – and we scheduled an MRI for 2 p.m. It’s still the same sensation of being in a washer during all the cycles … agitation, rinse and spin. I should get some results in about 48 hours.
Being unable to bend means certain lifestyle adjustments. I turned a long box sideways and put the cat’s bowl on the inner bottom side and grasp the top side to lower it to the floor. Getting into my clothes is a form of aerobic exercise and requires extra time. And my house is a mess. If I drop it, I literally can’t bend over to pick it up unless I grab a countertop and execute an Arabesque penchée. Surprisingly, that ballet move adjusts the weight on my lower back (especially my sacrum) so I can bend over. Otherwise, not a chance.
But whenever God shuts a door, he always opens a window. Now I have a great excuse for hiring someone to clean out my gutters!
Notes from Aunt Gem 