Sorry for not blessing you all with a post this weekend. For those of you that have known me for a long time (or even those that haven't known me that long) you know that I've suffered from pretty bad back problems for quite some time. Basically it has been an issue for me since I was in HS. Well, I had another 'episode' so to speak on Saturday morning, and was essentially out of commission for much of the day and a good bit of Sunday too. I know that I promised you all a series of lists to get started, but just as in life...things change. So here is what life has been like for me for the last 36-48 hours.
Back spasms really suck. They hurt. And I don't mean in a 'ouch I walked into a door and bumped my head' way. No, uh-uh. I mean in a 'holy God I feel like I was just electrocuted' way. There are spasms, and then there SPASMS! I had the latter. And I kid you not, it really does feel like being electrocuted. I can make that comparison because unfortunately I've felt the juice of a 220 outlet once before (not the full blast obviously or this blog would only be able to come to you compliments of 'Dragon Naturally Speaking' software). They are debilitating, so much so that for me in this instance I was actually unable to walk or for that matter even stand upright for most of the first day. (I actually got to the point that I was using a rolling office chair as a walker because I had to get around the house. That must have been a sight!)
According to WebMD, "Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. It comes in many forms, from lower back pain, middle back pain, or upper back pain to low back pain with sciatica. Common back pain causes include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Many people find relief from symptoms of back pain with pain medication or pain killers."
I guess if you call Motrin a painkiller, then I used pain killers to cope. See, the problem with back pain like this is that it is basically all muscular. The muscle decides to reach out to all his friends and everything else around and grab hold of them and like Scorpion in Mortal Kombat and say "COME HERE!" So the painkillers will do little to help sometimes because you just have to wait until the muscle group is done holding its' little 'come together party'. Fortunately for me, after a good bit of the day had already passed, it did subside a little. I was at least able to limp around the house. I say limp because this instance more effected the left side of my body/back, so I was able to use one leg a lot more than the other. And I happen to notice in the mirror that I was standing in such a manner that it looked like my entire upper body had literally slid 4-5 inches to my left in relation to my lower body. I looked awkward. And more so when I tried to move. You want to define NOT FUN? Try functioning with this (or any severe injury for that matter) with three kids ages 5 and under. Then throw in trying to prepare for out of town guests and family and you are really screwed.
I happen to be a believer in chiropractic-something that I know some out there don't do. But I've been using chiropractors since I was 11 years old. They do help. They DO know what they are doing. Just like any profession, you have good ones, and you have...not as good ones. I've been pretty fortunate with those that I've used. I chose not to seek help this time, mainly due to the fact that it was a weekend and there were none around to help! If it persists a few more days then I likely will have no choice but to go and get treated.
Another thing to add is just how much something like this hurts the rest of your family and those around you as well. Your spouse gets stuck having to do EVERYTHING and your kids don't understand why you can't pick them up or get down on the ground and play with them. It is very difficult to manage the pain and discomfort when hurt like this, but sometimes even harder to manage the emotional toll on both yourself and your loved ones.
I will throw out the disclaimer that this problem is merely temporary. Well at least this instance of this problem is temporary. Back pain/problems don't see to ever go away. But I highlight the temporary thing because there are certainly many people out there that have more serious conditions, permanent conditions that make thier lives extremely difficult all the time. I have no desire to take anything away from what they go thru, but rather illustrate how hard it can be to function like this.
That is all I have to pester you with on this one today. Thanks again for taking the time.
Until next time-
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