I call Livvy my Emotional Support Doll and she is. This is where she’s sitting right now, on the coffee table just to the right of my chair. She’s keeping me company because I threw my damn back out again yesterday. Unbelievable.
We were getting ready to recycle and stop by the grocery store. I had insisted on going along with Don because I didn’t want him lifting heavy bags of trash. We had to get this done before the snow today, which, as I write this, is falling heavily. Crap. Anyway, I bent over to fix a cushion on the green sofa and I felt it go. Just a simple movement and bam! I mentioned it to Don but continued on to gingerly bag up the trash and carry the recycling bins to the car. By the time we got to the grocery store I was walking pretty slowly and carefully.
Fast forward to this morning. I could barely get out of bed. I woke up before Don and I didn’t want to disturb him as sleep has been hard for him lately because of his shoulder. I wasn’t sure I could navigate everything, but slowly, I did. Now I’m ensconced in my chair and Don – who is also in pain – is taking care of me. As Don said, we’re the walking wounded.
And we’re getting 4-8 inches of snow today. Cue my scream.
It will all start to melt on Monday but in the meantime, we may ask our other neighbor if she would be willing to use her snowblower on our driveway – we’d pay her, of course.
I have officially had it. With my back, with winter, with the world.
But ibuprofen is helping, thank goodness. And my faithful heating pad. Yes, I used ice yesterday, as well.
Okay. I’m off.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
I am so sorry you are in pain. What does the doctor say? Do you need more intense pain meds?
Will your driveway just melt if you get a warm up soon? We have black asphalt on our drive and the sun melts the snow, if it is not too heavy. We are to get warm weather starting tomorrow. Today the temps are to get in the twenties with wind chills below zero. We have been enjoying the movies on Amazon Prime and TMC. Take care and I hope you find relief.
Damn….I feel your pain. Literally. I twisted my back getting out of my friends’ little car. Taking Aleve and hot showers and in a real funk for multiple reasons. Hopefully this storm will pass us by with not too much snow accumulation but what the hey…. temps will be in the 50s next week.
Trying to maneuver around house without doing any more damage. Mentally feel like in my twenties, but these old bones tell me differently. Hang in there Claudia.
Oh Claudia! I’m so sorry about your back. You two are having some bad luck lately. I know it’s hard for both of you, but just let things go. The snow will melt. Have you ever seen a doctor about your back? Perhaps some physical therapy would be worthwhile.
We have just a couple more days of cold and it is supposed to hit the 60’s by Thursday and Friday plus rain to get rid of this snow (I hope). Spring IS coming!
Feel better
I’m sending healing thoughts your way for both you and Don.
I so understand as a person who has chronic back pain and throws mine out of whack also. Its horrible and I can’t do much of anything when it happens. Ibuprofen does help and yes the amazing and forever my best friend heating pad. Rest up!
I am so sorry you guys are in pain and I’m hoping for relief for you both.
But I must admit that with my addled brain, I chuckled a bit. Around here, it’s The Walking Wounded most days and if we don’t laugh at us, it would just be unbearable. Wish I could send a video of two oldsters yelling and stumbling to catch up with a deaf, blind, and demented dog who can’t find the door to get out in time, crashing into walls and furniture, under tables where we can’t reach her, dribbling all the way. (And sometimes it’s not just the dog.)
Hopefully, this weekend’s snow will be the last in your neck of the woods for this winter. There’s an almost magical stillness with these snowstorms. And since you & Don were able to get out yesterday for necessaries, it sounds like you’re in a position to take full advantage of the peace and stillness of the snowstorm, and simply “be” in your sweet cottage.
Wishing you & Don a healing, calm, peaceful weekend.
Prayers…read…drink herbal tea…read…read…I am so so solo sorry for you…truly there are no words…
I’m so sorry for you and Don! As I mentioned previously, my daughter messed her back up also, doing puzzles of course! She is going for an MRI this week.
Physical therapy helped a lot when I had back problems. I do stretches before I get out of bed each morning, bend over properly, and sit properly. Prevention is the key, I guess.
Sending a prayer for you both and hoping this is truly your last snow!🌼🌸
You may deem yourselves the Walking Wounded, but it sounds as if one of you is barely walking. You have researched and figured out what you should do, and others have offered suggestions, so I won’t offer more. I will offer wishes that you and Don both heal as quickly as is possible.
As we get older, it becomes critical that one of us stays healthy and mobile. I hope both you and Don Can you get some help with the winter chores so that you can heal physically and emotionally.
Claudia,
I HIGHLY recommend a physical therapy evaluation. Not only would it help acute flare-ups of your back, it would also work to strengthen your spine/back to prevent future injuries. “Throw your back out” is too generic. You need to find out what the dysfunction is and what you can do to treat/prevent it. PT has been a lifesaver for me.. Please think about it. 🤝
I hope I didn’t sound harsh.so not my intent. I care about you- you have been “part” of my daily life for years 💞 I only want you to get some relief. Take care my dear…Don too.
I find that life can be challenging at times but if you ride the wave and take it easy, things usually have a way of sorting themselves out. Look after yourselves Claudia and Don, it will soon be spring.
I am so sorry for your poor back. Every single twinge reminds you of limitations that chafe. And all from a deceptively simple movement! Then a snowfall adds insult to injury. Life totally sucks sometimes and hissy fits are sometimes completely appropriate.
Dr. Livy will see you through. I’m adding my voice to those who say working with a PT can be just exactly is needed, not only to rehab, but also prevent future twinges.
It sounds as though you are doing all the right things now. I sincerely hope you are feeling a little better each day!
Claudia, I’m on the ibuprofen, too, but for my head(aches) and not the back. I’m so sorry you’ve hurt yourself. These things betray us as time marches on; like, why now, what, why; sometimes to never figure out how the pinched nerve or pulled muscle even happens. I guess in a way it’s good it’s snowing or you’d be even more frustrated of being sidelined and not getting to do what you want to in the outside world.
I know exactly why my headaches are back after five years: TENSION. One example: Fourteen nights straight of completely interrupted sleep due to my psycho-rescue Aussie Shep who can’t sleep more than five hours and would rather be outside at 4am; oh, and he refuses to pee/poop in his own yard and will ONLY ‘eliminate’ if he’s on a leash and on a walk, which is insane at 4am for my husband. Our calls to the rescue facility’s trainer go unanswered; we just need some advice of how to get this dog through one good overnight indoors (we have no choice; as a foster ‘parent’, we are required to keep him indoors overnight; we would anyway because that’s how we roll).
At least he’s finally quit trying to destroy and climb over everything in the house to get to windows; his roaming and pacing indoors is greatly improved which means his anxiety is less. Except for the nights when he wakes up seemingly terrified and NOTHING settles him down except to go walk some nervous energy off; again 4am might be great for him, it’s not for us! I’m even overlooking his biting (cross between a nip/herd-instinct and a break-the-skin kind of bite; not pleasant, I don’t need tooth dents although there’s never blood; he gets a loud OUCH from me and a firm NO; trying to figure out his triggers for this); I JUST NEED SOME SLEEP.
When I’m stressed and tensed, my jaw locks up, my neck freezes up and, in the old days, the only thing that worked was physical therapy and drugs, so I’ll start with the prescription ibuprofen although I do NOT like to take it because it interacts with other stuff I have to take; but, shoot, xtra strength tylenol just doesn’t do it for this and I imagine it doesn’t for you either; of course it’s more than pain, it’s inflammation. My mom knew an old lady who had lifelong migraines and she’d still only do aspirin with black coffee. Oh well.
The TV is off around here for most of the day and the headline news doesn’t make for great bedtime sleep either in the evening when we finally do tune in; I seem to cry daily for Ukraine. Makes me feel that I have no reason to complain about anything compared to what those brave people are going thru; but, in my own daily life, again no comparison … however, besides the dog I have a lot of other stuff going on and one begins to know when overload could be a sinker so I’m somewhat pleading ‘uncle’ at the moment but I’m hoping things get better next week. I’ve been sidelined for a month, just a mile radius from my house, and I need to get outta here; see something diff, take a drive, see the ocean. Thing is, I can’t take the dog out of town per written agreement although there’s one canyon within city limits which I’m sure must be heady with wildflowers, so that’s a plan as you can drive several miles back into that little ‘valley”. Soon. Please. My one vacant hillside ‘lot’ in town is just rampant with gorgeous blue-purple wild lupine; March seems early; but it was all that December rain we got, yet not a drop since in SoCalif where I’m located.
(I mean, with the dog as it is now, we sure as heck can’t leave him home alone, inside or outside, not when he’s still so unsettled [for as much as I’m yearning for the sea, but that’s a short trip out of town which is a no-go, as said, for him {not unless we adopt him}]. We really borrowed a lot of trouble with this lion/horse of a big dog but it now seems impossible to take him back unless we could be guaranteed he’d have some great ranch life somewhere, chasing and barking at the coyotes under the moon; his favorite thing right now is to lay sprawled on top of me and lick my whole face when I’m taking a rest on the sofa, which is really scary for me since he’s unpredictable, but he’s really vocal and responsive and getting better on the ‘bonding’; for instance, if he thinks I sound distressed, my voice, he’ll whimper in concern and come sit on my foot wherever I am, and he also does that if he is feeling uneasy about anything [he runs to me, not my husband!]; he just has the most endearing qualities for all the flaws; we’re trying to hang in there [what has this dog been thru; what has been his life before us???] although some of our friends think we are completely nuts; but my husband’s in love, he is so patient with this dog and really, really likes him; and the dog thinks my husband hangs that moon.)
My, I’m wordy again. Anyway, healing thoughts winging your way for both you and Don; maybe with more consistent weather in Spring and daily activity not hampered by cold/ice/snow, you’ll be back to yourselves in no time!
Once one thing goes wrong, it all seems to cascade! Take care of you both and rest up.
Claudia, I am so sorry . CRAP is a perfect descriptive word So I will join in and scream CRAP ! Praying healing prayers for you two .
Great title for today’s post!!! Oh, I hope you are feeling better. This aging stuff really is….crap!!!!
We are supposed to finally start warming up into the 50’s and even low 60’s this week. I will believe it when I see it. Turned clocks ahead tonight so at least we will be able to enjoy the later sunsets. I am one of those who thinks it may be time to stop messing with the clocks and keep them as is all year. But, of course, wiser folks than I will debate that for probably another 50 years or so. Reaching solutions just doesn’t seem to be something our government is capable of doing.
Well, you and Don keep resting and heating and taking Ibuprofen. Hopefully the snow isn’t too deep, and the warmer temps ahead will melt it quickly. Take care.
Just read this post! And so sorry about your back. I was standing in line at the grocery store–and this was 40 some years ago–I had one foot on the bottom rack (where you put your sodas and beer, etc.) , looking out the front windows at the beautiful day. Not moving. AND WHAM!!! Out goes my back! So I know where you are coming from. This wasn’t the first time it went out and has not been the last time. Finally after about 30 years I got a cane to hobble around with when it happens, and that helps some after a few days of lying in bed. Take it easy.
I am, Tana. Don is making me rest, though, as you know, it starts to drive you crazy!
Stay safe.
Well, I am catching up — and yikes. That sounds grim, Claudia. I will check today’s post and hope that you tell me it’s somewhat better and that your snow didn’t materialize, or at least in any major way.
You two have had enough.
Yes, we’re really ready for a break!
Stay safe, Jeanie.