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!