Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Bend over and pick up the soap

Something happened to me on Sunday night.



It didn't happen that though. I was picking up something from the backseat of a car, bending over just a tiny bit. That's when it happened. A shooting pain in the small of my back and I could hardly walk. It took me 20 minutes to walk across the parking lot and up to my appartment on the second floor. So all I did was take a few aspirin and then I went to bed thinking it would be better in the morning.

At 4am I woke up needing to pee. So I tried getting out of bed. That proved to be quite difficult and very painful. I ended up on the floor crying from the pain and for not bringing my trusty iPhone with me. It was still by the headboard.

Anyway, I decided trying to stand up and stagger to the loo. It proved impossible. I got shooting pains and back spasms when I lifted my body off the floor. So I spent the next 2 hours crawling from my bedroom (over the doorsteps - ouch) and into the bathroom again attempting to get up. It just wouldn't happen. So, I slid on my back to the kitchen and spent a good 30 minutes getting the aspirins off the kitchen counter and a glass of water by raising just enough off the floor to get it one step at a time. Work through the pain, I told myself.

It was tragic comic of sorts because by 7 I still hadn't gotten up. So I slid back into my bedroom and spent 30 minutes getting my iPhone from my bed by using hangers and other items I had convieniently left on the floor. Then I called my boss and told him the situation and sent a text to a colleague of mine.

At 8am I called the doctor



and he didn't know quite what to do with me. I pleaded and he made some suggestions, and told me to call back later if it didn't work. It didn't. So he decided to make a house call. Let me just say, I have a pretty hot doctor man! Wow! Not bad, at all. So he was going to perscribe something for me



I got the good drugs! He gave me 4 morphine tablets and perscribed some other pills for me. He also helped me get up, and I could then go to the loo. Which was lovely, because it was noon. He was lovely and told me to stay home from work and come into his office on Thursday (tomorrow) to hear what's going to happen. He thinks it's a cracked disc in my back. However it could be a slipped disc. That would be a nightmare though. I'm not sure how I could deal with that.

Anyway I've spent the past few days on my back, with the TV on and playing with my iPhone. Especially bejeweled Blitz for iPhone and of course the new discovery from yesterday Angry Birds



Right now, I'm on my side typing on my laptop which is not very comfortable. I need my pill, and then I'm off to bed haunted by this

6 comments:

  1. See an osteopath/physio to get it realigned and get a good massage to take it out of spasm. Then start a gentle yoga class to help you strengthen the muscles around the vertebrae. Ruf used to regularly get a slipped disc, yoga seems to have sorted it.

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  2. Oh my word! Poor 'Petra! All that time spent holding in a wee (I hope to gods it was a wee?). I hope your back is better very soon. Sounds like Ms Cake has some sage advice.

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  3. Dear Pete,
    I feel your pain... having had back problems for years as a consequence of a history in Nursing
    Before the days of workplace health and safety.

    Get some specialist advice...

    I tried all the Natural/Alternative/Complimentary Therapies over the years with only minimal relief...Until I finally got referred to a Specialist and as it turned out needed surgury.

    Your spine is too important not to
    have it properly assessed.

    If there is no major damage and the cause is rectified then the alternatives are now working I'm finding.

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  4. NIGHTMARE!! I hope you're on the mend - and I second the yoga advice; my back's never been better since I started doing it.

    But first, obviously, let it rest and heal.

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  5. Joanna Cake: At the moment I'm following the doctors orders and doing very gentle back exercises and spending my time either lying down or standing/walking. But that's excellent advise. Thanks. Will most definately be taking it under consideration.

    IDV: It was wee. Thank god for small favours.

    Princess darling: I'm happy to hear that you are feeling better. Surgery is no laughing matter, especially not back surgery.
    I seem to be in very good hands.

    Tim: It was a nightmare. Actually, with it being almost a week ago I'm finding myself a little traumatised by the situation. I was pretty helpless and I like to be in control.

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  6. So sorry to hear about your back. That is one of the most painful and debilitating places to get an injury! I hope you're getting better. I'm glad your Doctor made a house call and has a plan to get you up and running again.

    Take very good care of yourself, and eat chicken soup!

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