Thursday, March 12, 2009

Karma Bit My Back

Background - BJ has a herniated disk in his back. It's his L5, I think. There were a lot of times, especially with the kids, when the fact that his back hurt has been really, really irritating to me. I've wanted him to hold one of the girls and he has said, "I really can't, my back..." and I have been really annoyed. Like, how dare he have a sore back when I need his help taking care of these kids? What the heck? It was so inconvenient of him.

I wasn't always a shrew about his back... I gave him a massage so good that he fell asleep, with lotion and everything, when MG was just a couple days old. I can't even tell you how much time I've logged rubbing his back.

But sometimes the whole back thing just ticked me off. It seemed like an excuse.

I had no idea.

I woke up fine this morning, but somewhere around the time we came downstairs I did something to my back. And it hurts. A lot. It's radiating down my right leg, all the way to my knee. I can barely walk.

I took the kids to campus today for MG's language study, and getting from the car to the building and back was torture. Claire wanted to be carried, and I had to grit my teeth and do labor breathing.

I have a pretty high pain tolerance, especially after giving birth twice. This is so, so bad. It hurts less if I lay on my left side with a pillow between my legs. It hurts less if I sit on the left side of my rear end and try not to move. But with two little kids, I can't just sit all day...

And BJ has been a saint - he came home for lunch, cooked, brought me a plate, told me not to mess with the dishes, then came home and right now he's making dinner and I can hear him cleaning up the plates from lunch. All I have to do is sit here and try not to hurt, and enjoy my guilt.

I'm sorry, Honey, for all the times I rolled my eyes at you about your back behind your back. I honestly don't know why you continue to put up with me. This is just one more example.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you going to go see a chiropractor? They did wonders for me when I had a subluxated rib; it was instantaneous relief! Feel better, k?

Anonymous said...

I have been in the care of a fabulous chiropractor on and off for years... anything to avoid surgery. Back pain can/will ruin your life if you don't address it. It will go away, I promise but now you know to address it so you're prepared for next time. Yes, there will be a next time, unfortunately. They'll give you wonderful direction on how to lift, milk, laundry soap, laundry baskets and children properly to help prolong and avoid further trauma. Bless you, rest, ibuprofen alternated with tylenol every couple hours helps too.. heating pad or ice packs... alternating will help or aggravate... experiment, a lot. Love you,
Connie

Charlotte said...

I'm not a "holistic" person by any means so for me a chiropractor was pretty exotic concept when I threw my back out when K was 6 months old.

My doctor was out so his office referred me to a chiropractor and Holy Moses was she fantastic. She took x-rays and found my hips and spine were all out of whack from my pregnancy. Six sessions (each session was followed by a massage) and I was more than good as new.

I hope you feel better soon. I back hurt just reading your post!

Rob Monroe said...

I say suck it up. :o)

(Just kidding of course, but everyone else is suggesting something useful, so I have to detract.)

Jen said...

It depends on what is causing it for what will cure it. If it's a strain or a minor thing, all the other things suggested will help. If not (like in BJ's case) a case of BenGay, a 4 hour massage, a hot tub, and all the ibuprofen in the world won't matter. Trust me. I'm the back pain queen. Hope it's not major. Try to avoid sitting, and don't lift a thing. Keep the pillow between your legs. Take it easy (yeah right). Sucks, doesn't it?