…yesterday, shoveling snow. By noon, I was walking like the witch in Sleeping Beauty—could not straighten up. Didn’t hurt too much if I just didn’t straighten up. On the bright side, it was the opposite side from the sciatica in my right hip/leg from that nasty fall I took, oh, back when we were living in Spokane Valley—I caught a blade during a fast-traveling (for me) crossover and flew outward, sort of on the straight line tangent of the circle I was making, and went smack! flat out sideways. That is not a nice way to fall. The lower back didn’t like it, and subsequent years have reminded me of that moment—it was the day after Bloomsday Run and I was skating with tired legs and deeply blistered and sore feet. Well, what would I expect, eh?
So that’s the right side. Yesterday all pain left the right side and I was bent double on the left hip, so something shifted in that piece of dubious genetic engineering called the sacro-iliac joint, where the spine and the hips have a sort of vague connection mostly governed by tendons and muscle. It’s the weakest part of anybody’s makeup, so far as what they’re born with. When it’s out, ain’t nothin’ happy. And it gets ‘out’ from falls, or just because as you get older, you have all those accumulated insults: to paraphrase my father when I turned my trike over—“You’re going to remember that one when you’re sixty.”
He was right.
Well, I decided a day of no-functiong-brain would be an improvement over marginally-functioning-brain and unable-to-stand-up. So I took a prescription muscle relaxant, and went to bed (a Sleep Number bed, adjusted to 100, or ‘brick’, as opposed to 35, where I usually like it.)
This morning I lacked the energy to get out of bed, or do much more than take aim with the waterpistol when Shu decided to do an unfed-cat dance atop the air purifier. But I got up. Jane’s buzzing around full of energy. I am not. But I am able to stand upright again, and I’m just going to take it very easy to day and do minimal lifting. I may clean up the fish tank. Or do some other chore that requires no brain. Scraping pink coralline algae off the glass is relatively mindless, requiring only the ability to see the color pink, and the grace not to knock the corals loose from their perches. I think I can do that.
It stopped snowing last night, has warmed, and is melting a bit off shoveled sidewalks. This is good, because more is coming.
Ohhh… I’m sorry to hear about your back problems! Pain is SO demotivational! And taking it easy is a very good idea! If you get too carried away, you could make it worse! 🙁 Boy, you and Jane are definitely under some kind of voodoo curse, or something, it seems! *lol*
I’ve found that a chiropractor is a great help with that nebulous sacro-iliac joint and other back problems, though. I haven’t been to see mine in a long time (he lives in Olympia), but when I was going when needed, I didn’t have much problem with my back at all.
Now, though, luckily EFT can help get things back in place, if you can figure out what’s wrong, of course. This can often involve figuring out the emotional ‘why’, if the condition is chronic and just won’t stay tapped away.
EFT can clear that emotional stuff (it’s original application actually) as easily as anything else, but it can be much harder to figure out, thanks to that pesky little thing called denial. So I’ve been sliding by, although there is this spot from my tail bone to my hip that I haven’t been able to figure out. 🙁 Hence, I can totally relate to your suffering!
My grandma always told me that kind of thing too.. although she said 50. I took her words to heart and was very careful. In fact, I’ve never done things like ice skate, or martial arts or sky diving for that very reason.
But still, life happens and so do car accidents. Those really can whack your back out. So despite my care, I still do suffer, but at least no where near the level I saw my grandma suffer with her back problems.
And yay, the snow is nearly gone here! The rain we had yesterday melted the foot+ into about an inch, with the roads all being clear. Hopefully, it will stay that way, which would be good! I am not fond of being under house arrest! Maybe sweetie and I will go catch the just out movie, “Red Tails”. 🙂
Anyway, good luck with your low-to-no-brain function day! Glad to hear your back has improved a wee bit at least. 🙂
Yeah, tell me about being a biped in a quadruped skeleton! You need to find a good “punch doctor” (chiropractor) within sprinting distance to keep your back sorted. Better yet, get a physical therapist to give you some exercises — I was always told strong “core” muscles is the best protection your back can have.
We’ve got a great one, Dr. Shane, and he could fix this—except he’s 70 miles away over icy roads. We have our own neck traction unit, which is great—but this is lower down. There are some positional exercises that can put it back in, once the swelling goes down…which is my problem right now. If the muscles near the left hip weren’t hyper-tense I could pop it back in with a wiggle—but ain’t nothin’ wigglin’ right now.
Hum… You’re right! Making a visit to him right now might end up with you needing a lot more than a visit to the chiropractor! Can you say tow truck/hospital/ambulance…?
But anyway, good luck with getting the swelling down. Ice? Ibuprofen? Maybe a gentle massage? Hopefully you’ll be wiggling again soon!
I have to keep reminding myself (especially in winter) that ice bags are my friend when I get in that condition.
Oh do take care! That sort of thing is miserable!
We’ve hired the guy next door — with his snow blower — to take care of things things year. I had a couple of those ‘oh, I’m going to be very ill and pass out’ moments while shoveling last year. The only good thing going this year!
One thing after another! Ice. Alternating with heat when the swelling goes down. Ibuprofen. Very careful exercise. Lots of doing-nothing. Some nice friendly witch doctor to break this miserable cycle!
CJ, what does Dr. Shane think of the inversion tables? I’ve read where some chiropractors use them, and they’re much safer than the “gravity boots” that I have. It might help relieve some pressure on certain joints, as well as help straighten you out. Usually no more than 15 minutes on the table, especially if you have high blood pressure. Just a thought.
Hope your back gets thrown back into position soon and you’ll be able to do what you need to do.
I have a weak S-I-J ever since the days of carrying so-called portable computers around for work when they weighed 15 pounds or more – I even had a shoulder bag for my original sit-up-and-beg Mac. My back would continually put me in witch mode after lifting things or even just sleeping in the wrong position … until, three years ago, I started on Pilates, since when it still locks up from time to time, but can be settled down with ten minutes of homework exercises. [NB Studio equipment based Pilates, not mat classes with twenty being tortured by a sadist at the front!]
All sympathy – a car accident in my 20’s massively damaged my spine from L4-S1, and as I age, back pain becomes quite limiting.
You’re doing the right [painful as all get out] thing. Do keep moving, as you can.
The good news is that the torque that threw my back out and gave me a helluva stiffness on the left side, top of hip, CURED the perpetual, unremitting ache on the inside and outside of my right leg and hip, so I count it a good trade—especially since the left side stiffness is beginning to relax. I think running the snowblower while wearing the S-I belt amounted to a brutal but accurate adjustment, and I’m glad.
There are times I read your blog of what you and Jane are up to, and all I can think is, “you need a hug!”
Yeah, so much for a reserved, all-business demeanor. Heck with it.
Lol—accepted.
You know, thinking about that ‘like the witch in Sleeping Beauty’ line makes me think there may have been a reason why all those witches were always in such bad moods.
I’ve been hearing about the crap west coast weather — snow, freezing rain — what’s next, hot hail? One friend had her flight back to Seattle canceled because SeaTac was shut down and so was I-5. How are you guys holding up?
If you find that you are just sore all the time try rose hip capsules. I have arthritic bone spurs on my spine and sacroiliac joints from decades of sitting behind desks. I take 3 rosehip capsules of a morning and 2 in the afternoon and prefer them to meloxicam and other antiinflammatories doctors prescribe.
Many thanks—maybe some rose hip tea. 😉 Sounds good on a winter day.
Let us know how you go. Do you want to trade snow for rain? We’ve had 12 inches in 24 hours.