Back to Back

My back is finally feeling better tonight. I'm hoping it may be back to "normal" tomorrow (or as close to "normal" as it can get at this point). I twisted it somehow and have spent the better part of the weekend lying down and filled with painkillers.

I know how it happened, to some extent. On Thursday, I dragged home a set of papers for each of my five classes--that's a briefcase and another satchel full, one on either side, about 115 essays--and some of the pottery I purchased at the campus art sale. I should have known better. I didn't feel any pain that night, though.

I was still fine on Friday morning when I got up, but as I was drying off in the shower, I felt my lower back tense up. I knew I was in for trouble then, and I hadn't even moved in any unusual way. Foolishly, I went ahead and did my laundry for the week. All of that bending over and straightening up while loading the machines undoubtedly complicated things. I started my painkiller regimen that afternoon and kept it up at regular four-hour intervals.

Friday's highlight was probably the delivery of the annual package of Christmas presents from my mother. I had to tell the postal carrier three times to wait for me while I grimaced my way to the front door. The package looked enormous, but he swore it wasn't heavy. I asked him to put it down by the door while I signed for it. After he left, I used my foot to move it out of the way, and that's where it still sits today. I just don't want to bend down and pick it up yet.

Saturday was a day primarily devoted to lying down and staying under the influence of painkillers. I did watch some TV on Saturday, but since I couldn't bend down to pick up the essays I had put on the floor Thursday night, I accomplished very little of substance.

On Sunday, I had to get some milk and bread, something, anything to eat since I hadn't gone grocery shopping as usual on Friday. I managed to ease myself into and out of the car a few times, but there was no joyous feeling upon either entering or exiting the vehicle. When you have back pain, sitting still feels okay most of the time. Standing still can sometimes be all right. Lying down and staying very still is usually when your back is most at ease. Bending, however, that's another story. Walking can even be painful because you're moving your back in small but significant ways. Apparently, lack of movement is the key.

Throwing my back out did lead to a few other interesting moments. (That's an odd phrase--"throwing my back out"--as if it's somehow useless and must be discarded.) I got all kinds of advice from people in the laundry room and the elevator, all of whom had no trouble telling that I had hurt my back from the way I walked. Getting acupuncture, going to see a chiropractor, lying flat on the floor for a day: you name it and I was given the advice to do it.

But the oddest experience had to be getting dressed. It would probably make for a funny YouTube video if it hadn't hurt so much. You forget how much you bend to put on your socks and shoes. I almost went barefoot for three days just to avoid the pain. And I don't even want to tell you how I managed to get into my Underoos for the past couple of days.

Today I did go back to work. I just didn't know how I would get someone else to proctor a 7 a.m. exam for me, so I got up at 4 a.m. and trudged my way through the morning. I stopped the painkillers Sunday afternoon so I wouldn't continue to fall asleep about an hour after taking one of the pills. I turned up the seat warmer in the car (such a nice feeling). And I managed to stay seated for most of the morning and early afternoon, with only a few minor episodes of walking here and there. Tonight when I came home, however, it was back to lying down. I'm going to have to figure out how to grade papers while flat on my back, obviously.