I was going to write about a number of different things for today’s post, but everything changed on Monday mid-day. You see, for many years now I have had back issues (and I’m not talking about previously published magazines). For the most part my back doesn’t bother me, but every once in a while…whammo!
The thing about back trouble, if you are blessed not to have it, is that you can’t predict what will trigger it (except I haven’t, for years, picked up anything heavy without a lot of fore-thought). On Monday I had just finished a bike ride, and needed to move my car. Getting in the car was easy. Getting out was not.
I spent the rest of the day in bed sleeping in the universal bad back position, with a couple of pillows under my knees. Tuesday was better…I could get around the house on all fours when I needed to, and by Wednesday I was walking like a little old man…my upper body canted forward from the waist at about a 20degree angle. Thursday (the day I’m writing this) I felt pretty good getting out of bed in the morning, and thought I could do my church rehearsals. Everything was going well until I reached down to put my socks on…twang!
I hope to be there on Sunday…sigh…
<an aside…Many years ago I had an onset on a Sunday morning, about a third of the way through the first service. I finished it in some discomfort and was determined to get through the second service anthem, following the choir out as they recessed during the offertory. I made it…to the narthex (although the last 50 feet or so–down a side aisle–was done pitched forward at a run), where I laid on my back for about 30 minutes…everybody helped me get up as the sermon was winding down because it wouldn’t have been pretty for the congregation to exit to find me laid out on the floor>
One of the things I’ve noticed about having back issues is that once it starts, you become “gun shy” about making the wrong move. That only serves to tighten up muscles that need to relax in order to do their work. It has been my experience that it is only when I forget that there is a back problem that it truly goes away…and even with lots of experience, that’s a hard thing to do.
The other thing I’ve noticed is that it is hard to concentrate on anything creative, because you’re afraid that another episode will hit. So my grand plans for posts will have to wait until next week…
Remember…no matter what your age is…bend your knees.
My troubles started when I was living in Canada, and my first house had a flat roof (stupid, in snow country) with a false wall extending up a couple of feet from the roof (even more stupid…I can’t believe we were so cold weather naive as to buy that house). So in the winter I had to go up on the roof and shovel the snow up and over the wall…we moved away quickly…but not soon enough for my back.
It reminds me that we tend to take health for granted when we have it, and don’t give thanks enough that we do.
Got back troubles? I’m sorry. Don’t have them? I’m glad.
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