So yesterday, I get home from work and Tom tells me he needs my help, which makes me happy, because he rarely accepts help on his projects. That's the artist in him, I think.

Anyway, he needed my help lifting a heavy rock he'd found on one of his scavenger hunts through the countryside in his little Suzuki Samurai. (His latest project is building a stone driveway, just like the stone terrace down by our little pond and our front walkway…only multiplied by like a zillion because it's a long driveway! Crazy man.)

So I changed clothes and we headed off in the Suzuki, ultimately driving off the road into a wooded area. This huge flat rock rested about twenty feet away. As a team, we lifted it and carried it to the Suzuki. On the way, I felt a tug in my back, but we were almost there, so I just kept going and tried not to make any sudden moves or twists.

I forgot about it until this morning, when after one small movement I felt this TWANG where the tug used to be, followed by pain so intense it took my breath away for a minute.  So I called the man with tons of back pain experience  - Tom – and he reminded me we have an inversion table. 

I'm happy to say that after ibuprofen, ten minutes on the inversion table, ten minutes on a heating pad, thirty minutes of light jogging on the treadmill, and some careful stretching, I was able to go to work. 

Well, after I removed the mouse from the back floorboard of my car and tossed it into the woods, that is. 

And after I heard that one of my dear friends lost her mother unexpectedly yesterday morning. (Please keep her and her family in your prayers!)

 

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The rest of the day wasn't so bad. I had a request to purchase some photos, a positive reply to a writing job application I submitted, one of my posts was featured on the front page of GenerationFabulous.com, and I met a lovely couple at work who immigrated to Austin from Russia twenty years ago but still have fabulous accents. Oh, and I had an optimistic email reply for another potential job.

Tonight my back is still a little achy, but it's just a good reminder that my body doesn't like surprises. I need to work out every day, and I've been slipping lately. It's the only body I have and I need to take care of it. 

I hope you all had a wonderful day. (To my blog friends…I've been very neglectful but I hope you forgive me. Once I get these to-do lists under control again, I'll be making the rounds. I miss you! Thank you for coming by to see me, anyway!)


I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see. 

~John Burroughs


Sigh.

~me

 



 

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14 responses to “Oh, my aching back…”

  1. Gail Avatar

    Congrats on getting front page at Generation Fabulous. I have a feeling some big things are in store for you. 🙂

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  2. lisleman Avatar

    After wrenching my back a few too many times, I avoid the heavy lifting and am not too proud to tell others that I can’t lift heavy stuff. Just not worth it for me. Good that you worked the pain out. all the best.

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  3. silverneurotic Avatar

    Our friend has an inversion table, he tried to get me on it once but it looked kind of scary. At least I know where to go if I have back problems though.

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  4. Barbara Shallue Avatar

    I was kind of scared at first, too, but it's not bad. It doesn't give me as much relief as it does him, though. He got it for free on Craig's List!
     

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  5. Barbara Shallue Avatar

    I try to stay in shape for when he pops these surprises on me (I learned!) and I think that's one reason I recovered as quickly as I did. I really don't mind helping him. I'm just surprised he's able to keep lifting as much as he does! 
     

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  6. Barbara Shallue Avatar

    Hey, by the way, where did your comments go on your blog? Am I just too tired tonight to find them?
     

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  7. Barbara Shallue Avatar

    Oh, you're too sweet. But it was fun getting some exposure there!
     

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  8. ladyfi Avatar

    Urk – I hate back pain. Stretching and back exercises are something I do every other day.
    Hope you’re feeling more cheerful!

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  9. Barbara Shallue Avatar

    I had an episode more than ten years ago that made me try to do those exercises every day. I've kept up with it pretty well – I guess it's a good thing or I'd really be in trouble!! 

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  10. lisleman Avatar

    whose comments – yours or mine?
    Did the comment section not load? Disqus has issues at times. It appears to be working for me tonight. The other day a reader was reading it from a kindle or something like that and could not leave a comment. She went to the contact page and left a comment there. I didn’t know that page still had the older blogger type of comment section on it.

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  11. Hilary Avatar

    Back pain can be nasty. I’m glad that you were able to deal with it rather quickly. Congrats to you for all your positive happenings. Sad about your friend’s mother though. Best thoughts for the family.
    Reading back, it sounds like you had a lovely birthday.. and still such a young pup! 🙂

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  12. Wolf Pascoe Avatar

    I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see.
    ~John Burroughs
    Doesn’t seem he has any deadlines, though.

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  13. Barbara Shallue Avatar

    I can't believe I'm already 54 and a week!! Yikes! My back pain was a great reminder that I need to stay on top of my health and not take it for granted when I feel good!

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  14. Barbara Shallue Avatar

    The comment section didn't load. I wondered if it was just a glitch or something.
     

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