Stupid Things I Have Done: #348

photo courtesy of Bing.com; sky courtesy of God

Yesterday I found myself lying by the pool under a cerulean sky.  The sun had not reached its apogee, and the air still had that early morning feel.  The concrete’s warmth seeped into me slowly, toasting all the parts of my body that ached.  Soon the sun would creep over the roof of our house, and I would spend the rest of the day doing—doing what, I wondered.

Not my pool...someone else has it.

I trailed my left hand through the coolness of the pool’s water, wishing I had thought to put on a suit and go swimming.  Instead I was lying on my back and thinking one particular thought.

‘What the hell just happened!!’

I do not swear, even under the most extreme circumstances, and then only when I am alone.  At that moment, I was in too much agony to summon up more than some sincere moans.

Accidents usually happen quickly, like the strike of a rattlesnake.  This one was a true slow sprawl, but one that I could not veer away from or avoid.

The events leading up to this were so uninteresting: the pool needed water, and I went outside to turn on the spigot.  Then I noticed that the strainer basket had some stray leaves that needed to be emptied.  I knelt down on both knees and reached into the strainer, pulled out the leaves.  This is when everything “…went to hell in a hand basket…”, as my father-in-law used to say. 

Note: bruising down the palm!

When I moved to stand up, I forgot that my right ankle was kinda broken, and that it wouldn’t support me.  “OH, NO!” was all I could say as I sprawled gracelessly forward.  My right knee came down the two inches to the concrete, then the right side of my ribs, and finally my right hand.

Note: bulge below little finger

After I hit, I rolled onto my back, groaning in utter pain and in total frustration. 

That was when I noticed the sky.

Author’s note:  Ribs are okay, just bruised.  X-ray of right hand doesn’t show any broken bones that Dr. can see.  Just have a severe sprain, and OH-BOY-HOWDY, that hurts like nobody’s business.

My Back Gets Even

I threw my back out last Sunday (Super Bowl day, I think).  I had been writing since we got home from church, and had written most of Saturday.  Whatever.  But on Monday, 3/26, I discovered I could not move without being struck rigid with pain.  I slowly made my way from bed to couch with a heating pad.

What happened?  Scanning my actions of the past few days, the only thing dangerous or stupid I had done was…nothing.  In the past, my back has gotten even when I moved furniture, or did some reconstruction project that my husband had postponed.  (Those were really stupid things, like ripping out the boards under the sink, hanging curtain rods while balancing on the back of the couch.)  But this last excruciating back pain didn’t seem to have a source.

Then I looked at my computer chair.  It was cheap, about $39.00, and had no lumbar support.  I switched out the chairs with a better chair I had in my sewing room, and also tied some Healthy Back ™ support thingy to make it ‘Super Lumbar Supporter Chair’. 

I have also been aware of avoiding stressing out those whiney muscles, and using heat when merited.  I dug out a back support wrap once purchased at a medical supplies store.  It is uncomfortable to put on—involves Velcro and pulling one side to latch onto the other.  Makes me away of my blubbery tummy.  It is helping.

Today I put in a load of laundry, and didn’t freeze up in agony as I did it.  Things are looking up.  I also found some clothes I had been missing since Christmas.

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(What was I thinking?
OMG, this hurts!
Finish the .....sculpture already!  Do you think I can hold this pose forever?  Do you have any Motrim on you?)