Mrs. HM has fallen off the Diet Coke wagon. Or is she ON the wagon? That's a call to be made on a show about nothing. I'll have to review that episode.
What I mean is that I have not been getting my daily 44 oz Diet Coke! First of all, Man Owner of the Gas Station Chicken Store ordered the wrong cups, and I couldn't haul those fat flat-bottom cups in T-Hoe. So I had to do without from Sunday to Wednesday. But Thursday, the regular tapered-bottom cups were back! I enjoyed my magical elixir! I had one Friday as well. But Saturday, I didn't even make it to town.
I had every intention of going, until I woke up in my OPC (Old People Chair) with an excruciating pain in my lower back. I had a medium pain there when I sat down. I had the heater on, but the pain didn't warrant the vibrator feature, which is kind of loud with my head leaning against the chair.
I hobbled up the 13 rail-less basement steps. Washed the previous night's dishes. And went to bed for another 90 minutes, thinking that lying on my side would allow that back to unspasm. It did not! I could hardly walk when I got up. Sitting at HIPPIE at the kitchen table was agony. I had to talk in phrases, gasping in pain in between, while conversing with The Pony. He volunteered to give me one of the hot-packs I had bought him to keep his hands warm at work. I don't think I could have kept it in place against the chair, since I was writhing every couple of minutes.
The cause of my back spasms must have been the four boxes I carried in by myself on Friday. I had a lot of cans to make chili. And onions, and bags of frozen chicken, and a giant jar of pickles. Two boxes were pretty heavy, and they were all awkward for me to carry out in front. Of course Farmer H arrived the minute I had carried them all into the Mansion. He's got a special talent for avoiding grocery carrying.
Anyhoo... temperatures were supposed to drop into the 20s, and the weather said 100% chance of rain at 2:00, when I'd be going to town. The ground was already soaked. Plus, I had a pot of chili to make, and the leftover fried rice to augment with onions and water chestnuts and baby corn, for The Pony's supper. I was not sure I could even walk into the Gas Station Chicken Store without something to lean on, my back was hurting so bad.
The pain lessened about 25% during a hot shower, but I was in no shape to be driving to town. I'm not sure which I missed more: my magical elixir, or my scratchers. At least I had a can of Diet Coke and one PowerBall ticket...
5 comments:
Are you suffering from sciatica? (Am I spelling that correctly?) That--when it rears its head--slays me.
I'm guessing the heavy boxes were definitely the problem. You are going to have to rethink your strategies. Instead of carrying things yourself, lean on the car horn until Farmer H makes an appearance to see what the fuss is about. Then you demand (request) his help, while reminding him that you have bad knees and are not getting any younger, so his help is needed with groceries from now on.
Take the offer of a hotpack and use a cushion to help keep it in place, the heat will help to ease the spasm.
Sioux,
No, it's a lower-back muscle spasm issue. There seems to be a family history of it. My mom used to get "down in the back." Her brother had issues, as did his daughter. However, when I reach back and massage the painful area, I hit one spot that sends me a shooting pain. Which might be like sciatica, but it stays in my back and doesn't shoot down my leg.
***
River,
I need to put the box on my shoulder instead of carrying it out front. Farmer H is always GONE, and returns home just after I get the stuff carried in. Maybe he's over at the BARn watching, and waits until he thinks I'm done!
On the rare occasions when I call from town, and he answers, he meets me out in the garage. I have finally persuaded him to carry the stuff to the side porch and leave it, THEN climb the steps and carry it into the Mansion. I even carry some of it to the porch if he has already gone up the steps. The bending over the chair to pick up the boxes didn't do my back any favors.
I don't have a cushion in my lair, but I could roll up my fleece blanket that I won several years ago at Sis's Christmas Eve Games.
If you have rice and a sock, you can make a hot pack. No sewing involved, just pour the rice in the sock and tie off the end. Microwave it in minute increments until it gets as hot as you want. DO NOT USE MINUTE RICE! My Kevin took my advice and he burned that sock up! It caught fire in his mirowave. His camper stunk for a month!! Just regular cheap rice and the good thing is that it wll mold to fit. If the pain gets so bad yo can't sleep, take two tylenol and 200 mg Ibuprfen together. As good as Vicoden!
Kathy,
YES! I need one of those! My mom gave me one that she got at the church bazaar. It wasn't in a sock, but in a tube of terry-cloth material. I don't know where it is, but I used it several times with success. I need to make one. With a sock.
I was using aspirin and acetaminophen. I try to stay away from the ibuprofen if I can, because it makes my hands and feet swell a bit. Probably not good for my blood pressure. I will use it in an emergency like my sinus nerve pain, though.
Last night I had on the heater AND vibrator in my OPC (Old People Chair). It helped a lot. Until I went upstairs to bed. Where I got comfortable, but the minute I got up to start my day, the pain returned.
Post a Comment