a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A Cardinal Day


To the doctor I went, all the way to Batesville, with two cameras and did not take one picture...see how pains effects you.

I had an "appointment" at eleven but I believe I was a work-in.  Normally I can sit anywhere, read and leave that room to get lost in the book.  Not today, I had chosen a book I had already read and then did not realize until I was into forty pages.  That's bad. Every one's visiting does not bother me, normally, but today was not normal.  I know the life history of at least three, no four visitors, not from them talking to me, but by them broadcasting into the lobby in very loud voices.  It was that pain again.

I finally got called back and was delighted I had not gained any weight, who cares if my side is falling off, if noises are echoing in my head, and I am in severe pain.  Everything is wonderful when the scales say the same thing as three months ago.

I had already made some conclusions of my own.  It was not my kidney because I had no other symptoms, it was a pulled muscle because an ice pack deadened it, and was feeling a little better since I had remembered to take some ibupropen.  Now, who knows why I did not take a pain killer the past two weeks?  I just thought it was my kidney and I did not want to give it more poison.  I know why I was in the valley, because I was in PAIN!  When all these dots connected, I felt a little better.

Doc comes in and I must say, I love this man!  He is also on the SWAT team and has this wonderful vehicle all decked out in light and sirens, the whole bit. When I was in the hospital, he apologized for being late to check on me because he had a SWAT call.

First he asked what was wrong, felt my back while I walked.  Asked me for other symptoms, like is there radiating pain, pain with urination, blah, blah.

Doc's conclusion is pulled muscle.  He also said my job was killing me, I was tough and pretty healthy (hefty?) and just a tad stubborn, like when he worked three weeks with a broken leg.  Couldn't figure out how he did it and kept working, just didn't feel right. Remembered he jumped a fence and finally went to a doc, it was broken.

He says you need off six weeks to heal a muscle this bad, but you already have had three weeks so if I could tell you what to do, I would say, stay off work three weeks, don't lift and rest.  WELL, y'all probably know how I answered that, I can't take off, I don't have help, I can call and see if someone can work.  Doc says make your calls, so I did and only have relief tomorrow and Thursday.  That is more than I had so Doc writes a slip for that.  If it doesn't improve, come back and the postal service will have to do without you!

So Doc gave me two muscle relaxers, one for work and one for nights.  Don't know which is which so will have to experiment the next two days and see which one knocks me out and go from there.

Here's the really bad part...who, in their right mind, would take this as a day off to shop?  Nobody!  The key words are "right mind".  I, forever the dummy, head to Walmart.  I am on a mission.  Do this and go to Tractor Supply to see if they have new boots.

I am telling you right now, I barely made it out of WalMart. By the time I loaded dog food, potatoes and DPs, I could barely move.  When I got to checkout, I was squatting in the floor in front of my buggy to relieve the pain.  Just because I went to the doc, doesn't mean I am healed.  Doc is good but not that good.

I had wonderful plans, I was going to eat out, shop for boots, maybe look at some other things.  Crazy Ginch!  I dragged a DP out of the Walmart freezer and headed home.

I can't wait for an unloader so I have to carry almost all of this in, freezer stuff, you know.  I left the heavy things for Andrew.  Then I ball up to wait for the sweet promise of muscle relaxers.

Den comes in with meds so I just pick one, don't care if it night time or day time one.  I must have relief!  Again, stupid me had taken nothing to dull the pain.

Relief, sweet relief!  I chose one that did not put me to sleep and here I am.  Not completely pain free, but pain dulled and typing.  Relieved it is only a muscle spasm in a strained muscle, I have named it, now I can defeat it.

12 comments:

Rudee said...

Well at least you know what your enemy is. Now you can defeat the beast. Pain is an awful thing. Now get that rest and STOP LIFTING!!!

Anonymous said...

YES, GET THAT REST AND ASK FOR HELP. I DON'T WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO SUFFER SO. HOPE YOU REST WELL TONIGHT.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Oh my. Somehow you need to heal. When my mom was postmaster she had to be on the job every day. she had no one for years to relieve her. It was horrible.

Somehow, friend, you need to let others do the heavy lifting for awhile.

Praying for you a quick recovery.

DesertHen said...

I'm so sorry for your pain! I know just how you feel!!! I lifted 75lb boxes of potatoes back in October...4 boxes of them. No help! Had to open doors to get to the storage room at work. Did I open the doors and prop them open before hand....noooooo, I opened them while holding the boxes! Stupid me!! Woke up in the middle of the nigth with a terrible pain on the right side of my back/ribs. Couldn't move, couldn't breath! It has taken months for it to feel better and sometimes if I lift something wrong, I still feel it! So rest, rest, rest as much as you can! I was a relief postmaster for several years in a small town here in Nevada. Before I came along, the postmaster never had any relief unless it was a holiday and she had the day off. I enjoyed my job and getting to know the people in that small town. I had plans to stay there and work into a more permanent job, but hubby had to up and move us to our current location. Things worked out well though. Take care and ((((HUGS)))

Unknown said...

Oh no! That's just awful! Give your body a break and let it heal, girl.

You have to get ahead of pain, otherwise it gets worse. Take it easy, let someone else go to the store, somehow the world will manage.

Hope your back to feeling yourself real soon.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

I swear there is nothing worse than a hurting back! Especially if you have to work. I am lucky, I don't. Retired. But..having pain like you are having and working...wow! I remember it well. Be careful. When you get older it just gets worse, as I found out!
Pushing it and not giving it rest...umm...not good.
Take care. Take it easy! :)
Mona

Lori said...

Back pain is awful. It truly alters your being. I've been there myself and it really won't get better until you take it easier and rest. Sending prayers your way.

Judy said...

Rest!!! Don't lift!!!

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Have you lost your ever-lovin' mind, girl???!!! Stop lifting! And listen to your body....it's talking loudly enough now not to be ignored. GAH!

Feel better soon, my friend!

~Lisa

Achieve1dream said...

Yikes you need to take it easy. Don't ruin your back (side?) permanently!

Maria said...

That's horrible about your pain! Maybe you should listen to the doctor?
My Dad is a rural route carrier and eventually had to have back surgery even though he had NO sub at the time. Guess what, they had to find him one!
Same for you deary!

Pat said...

Okay, here's the thing. You SHOULD NOT be squatting on the floor in WALMART, no less, in front of your cart. A) people might be thinking you are taking a crap or B) people might be thinking that you are just crazy or actually C) both of the above. I bet if I went to that website of photos taken of people at Walmart - I'd find your photo. Seriously. You've got to stop doing this crazy stuff or you are going to get your 15 minutes of fame. (The website is peopleofwalmart.com)

Hope your back gets better soon. Bad backs suck.

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