Grom Family Reunion

We spent Saturday at the Grom family reunion in Marinette.  After a day at the Anderson cottage, we took a ride on the Peshtigo river with Jeff's cousin, Scott and his family and his Uncle Ron and Aunt Shirley.  It was a beautiful cruise up the river and Chloe's first time on a pontoon boat. 

My Back Pain - Chiropractor

I went back to work on Monday.  I started the day in the gym like I did every day but only this time I wasn't working out - I came to use the handicap shower stall that had bars and a seat.  It felt fabulous to wash the back of my hair.  Since the injury I could not lift my arms above my head and now I could sit and lean forward to let the shower run over me.

I got to work and everyone was surprisingly sympathetic.  I had some critical projects to complete but they were behind so as it turned out, I didn't miss anything. I was glad no one was disappointed that I was off. It was a little embarassing walking around with a cane (yes, I took my doctor's advice and got one, it was very helpful).  I completed the short-term leave of absence forms that were required by my employer and handed in my work release that gave me permission to work 6 hours a day so I could go to the chiropractor. 

After two weeks of this new routine, I was feeling a little better although I still had some real issues.  Most of the back pain was tolerable but I still needed the cane because I tended to trip over things since I could not feel my left foot. The chiropractor explained that the bulge in my back was pressing on my sciatic nerve causing the lack of feeling, numbness.  He started to do adjustments on my ankle as well as my spine and he gave me some stretching exercises to help relieve the numbness.

My Back Injury

We had such a great Memorial Day party and I still didn't have everything cleaned up so I thought I would finish up before getting ready for Tuma's wedding.  There were tables to be put away.  I picked up the long narrow oak table from the deck and stepped down off the deck and I heard a pop.  It was a nagging in the back kind of crackly sound that brought on a strained icky feeling.  I set the table down and called Jeff for help.  We took it into the garage all the while listening to him lecture me on asking for help earlier.  I tried to push the stiffness I was starting to feel back in my brain and carried on. 

I got dressed for the wedding.  As I bent over to put on my shoes, it was back and took my breath away.  A sharp sharp pain.  This was not good.  We went to the wedding while I tried to deny the aching. During the beautiful ceremony I struggled to concentrate.  Every time I had to stand, it was brutal. 

After the wedding, we went over to Sobelman's with BJ, Lauren, Eric and Val and hung out.  I started to feel a little better but I was still uncomfortable.  At the reception, we got a table and went to the bar.  Just standing at the bar was becoming brutally painful.  I went to the table and sat and was uncomfortable. It was becoming brutally obvious that this was going to get worse.  I got more wine.  We ate, drank, danced, drank and danced some more.  I found myself in excruciating pain everytime I moved.  So I stopped moving which was even worse.  We had to go. 

As we said our good-byes to everyone, I waited outside on the curb while Jeff got the car.  While I was waiting Eric dropped his beer bottle and a shard of glass landed right on my big toe. I bent down to yank it out and it was like opening up a gusher.  I had the most difficult time bending over to take the glass out, the pain in my back was that bad.  Pulling out the glass should have been painful but my back hurt so badly, I hardly noticed.  And I hardly noticed the puddle of blood on the ground from my gushing toe.  Jeff ran inside and grabbed some napkins to stop the bleeding while I got in the car. 

We got home and I could not sleep from the pain. By morning, it was so bad, we went to urgent care over at the orthopedic hospital in Franklin.  After a brief visit, I left injected with a pain killer and a prescription for more pain killers.  We filled it and went home. I've never had such long-lasting severe pain.  I rested all day with the hopes that I would get better soon. 

We had a wonderful week of with BJ and the wedding was the finale of the week.  Prepping for going back to work was difficult because of this pain.  I decided to get to bed early to get up fresh for the work day.  Only I could not sleep, could not get comfortable. The pain was excruciating and we went back to the hospital only this time we went to the emergency room. It was midnight and I knew I couldn't go to work in the morning, it would be too painful. The doctor told me that the difference between urgent care and the ER is the type of drugs that can be prescribed.  This time I got another injection of something much stronger and two prescriptions to take home. 

After a night in the ER, I was not going to work.  I spent Monday all drugged up and by the end of the day I knew I was in some real trouble. After another sleepless night, I called my doctor Tuesday and got an appointment for Wednesday.  I went in severe pain and I could not even stand up straight.  The doctor explained (like the others before her) that there is nothing much that can be done for back pain.  She took an x-ray and said there was some arthritis in my back but nothing uncommon for someone my age.  She suggested I get a cane to help take the pressure off my back and she gave me a week off in the hopes that the pain would subside.  She also suggested I consider seeing a chiropractor stating that there have been studies that show they can help relieve intense pain.

I made a chiro appointment for the next day.  They did an x-ray of my back while I was standing up.  They found a bulge in my spine. I had an adjustment and some nerve stimulation therapy and felt a little better.  I made another appointment to come back again.

The entire week was a blur of medication induced sleepiness and severe pain.  I don't know if this is ever going to end and it is exhausting. I spent most of the week sleeping on the couch, slumped over because it was the only way I could get comfortable.