Back Trouble

Ahhhh, basements and house projects - they've finally succeeded in trashing my back. Friday morning, forty-five minutes after waking I realized I was in serious trouble as I couldn't move without crying out in pain. It was the morning after I finished pulling up the basement carpet and tried to scrape carpet glue off the floor, it was the day after Dave left me alone with the kids while he traveled to Estonia and it was four days before my workshop for the Red River Valley Writing Project, Authors as Mentors, was to start. We survived the day - I took Advil and tylenol and wrapped packs of ice around my back. We went to Bernadette's and as the kids played in the pool, I sat in the jacuzzi tub with hot, hot water and jets blowing on my back.

We survived Saturday too - starting with a giant get well card from the kids and with more Advil and ice packs. By afternoon I switched to my leftover pain pills from my foot surgery. Michelle picked up some groceries for me. Still lots of pain - but we survived. I figured it had to be better by Sunday morning.

By Sunday morning when I still wasn't any better I called my mother-in-law to see if she could watch the kids. She said yes, that she'd be there as soon as she could. I hung up the phone and burst into tears. My babysitter for the week cancelled because of an unexpected death in her family. Bev took the kids, I got some muscle relaxants from my doctor, and Kim took all my stuff and said she'd do the first day of the workshop - not to worry. I slept and slept.

Monday I got out of bed in 10 minutes versus the 30 minutes from Sunday and the 45+ from Saturday. Carmyn and Pam brought me pizza and filled me in on the morning workshop. Theresa took the kids for the entire day and I rested. Nicole came through for babysitting - I'm set for the rest of the week.

Now it's Tuesday and I'm a little better; I didn't even time how long it took me to get out of bed into a standing position but know it was less than ten minutes. I taught the workshop this morning (even on the muscle relaxants) and came home and slept while the kids watched Scooby Doo. Dave is back in the states - and should be home in a couple hours. I plan on resting, resting, resting. Thank goodness for family and friends - thank you everyone.