Tylenol and ice packs

It's been a few days, hope you didn't miss me too much. I had a good excuse.

So Sunday I've got a full slate planned - clean the bathroom, clean the gutters, mow the lawn, pull some weeds - when, as I'm spraying Tilex in the shower, I feel that twinge on the right side of my back, about half way up.

Oh, nuts.

I've had back problems since college. As a software engineer, comes with the territory. Then a couple years ago, it really turned on me. I had just got out of bed and was on my way to have some cereal, and I slowly sunk to my knees like I'd been shot in a cheesy old western.

A short-term disability stint, some physical therapy, two months of pain and immobility, and a cortizone shot later, I was fixed...sort of. I have a herniated disc. Every six months or so, it tightens up and I go on the shelf for about 48 hours until I can get it loosened up. I think I've tied it to my muscles being cold (I hadn't used the heater until Monday, too late), but I guess if I got off my duff and exercised more it wouldn't be so bad.

This time was a little lengthier than the last couple times. I didn't feel at all well until this morning. It was actually pretty brutal Monday and I was starting to worry that it wasn't improving.

The worst part of it, strangely enough, is not the pain. It's having to remember to move deliberately so you won't trigger shooting pain down your sciatic nerve, and the added effort needed to do the most menial tasks. A trip to the bathroom can require a Herculean effort. I guess one of the positives is I work up such a sweat just moving around, it's a great workout.

Also, when every muscle in your back is flexed all at once, trying to walk with any kind of posture is tiring. Then your shoulders start to hurt from trying to keep them back so you're not walking like Igor or Quasimodo. It doesn't help when your company has a shareholder meeting and you have to park 150 yards from the door. (Hey, I'm a shareholder too!) It took me 15 minutes to get to my office this morning from the parking lot.

Did I mention driving? I tried to drive to work Tuesday and after 10 minutes (I hadn't even got to the freeway), the pain in my leg was so bad I had to retreat back to my home office. Not comfy at all.

Luckily, the Lord cut me a break and it didn't rain this week when the showers blew through. Which means it's gutter cleanin' time on Saturday.