My Prescription

10:14 AM 11/23/05
`     Last nite was another one where I retreated to the sofa, and couldn't quite finish some important household projects  .... let alone do anything outside that should have been done with more snow predicted.
     I finished up my food prep/freezing enough to get my kitchen back to normal.  Then, I found out that my freezer section was not working.  Hoping that it was that ice had built up inside ... I did a major defrosting.
     That doesn't sound too physical ... but my back had pain all day.  I was wondering if it was either a cumulative effect of several days of doing a little snow removal each day ... or just the final push the day before yesterday?  OR .... ?
     So, I slept pretty well ... decided to "get up" about five am ... which usually means going to go back to the sofa several times while getting loosened up. 
    The severe pain is gone; mostly I just have severe muscle-type aches & pains in my mid & lower  back. 
    Could my aspirins ... which I used to take to relax ... contribute to a funk/blue/despondent mood sometimes?  Or, is it just that I am so overwhelmed trying to catch up on all my tasks, and then, have to give up until my back says so?

7:07 AM 11/26/05
     Thanksgiving day and the next, I went out of town for a family visit ... which means that mostly I laid around and did NOTHING.  That means that my back is feeling relatively pain-free.  There is some stiffness and minor aches as I get "loosened up" for the day ...      So again, the prescription to alleviate  back pain & agony is just  for me to become a couch potato ... and, improve upon that even further by sipping gin all day to keep my back relaxed ...  MAYBE I COULD LEARN TO LIKE THAT!

5:41 AM 11/27/05
          I had a long, fairly sound sleep ... woke up a few times trying to find a comfortable way to lie in bed.  Now, aside from the usual muscle-type stiff & sore ... I am sitting at the computer, afraid to get up right away.  I got a terrific, painful kink in my left hip & lower back ... made me think for a moment that I might not ever be able to get out of the chair again.  Right now, my back doesn't actually HURT too much ... tho when I move around, there is pain in my lower ribs, and the base of my neck ... and ... my lower back.  These areas can have independent soreness &/or pain.
     I took three aspirins ... certainly wish that I had some gin to relax that back.  I don't know when I'll be able to try to get back to bed!

9:12 AM 11/27/05
     Well, I did sit here at the computer a long time ... the awful cramp & pain went away, and I did start to move around a bit.
     My back is still stiff & sore, but, much better than when I first got up!
     There usually seems to be no direct, immediate cause & effect to either the pain or relief.  I am trying to figure some out.
     Besides my findings that the couch potato/sipping gin system is the only consistantly effective procedure ... another fairly consistant observation is that I have noticed that whatever hurts most often seems to be the ONLY problem at that point in time ... NOT ...  it is only the one more noticeable.  ANOTHER: The pain often "spreads" UP my back ... when my neck hurts ... everything else is also unbearable.  My lower back is just about never "normal".  The worse it feels ... pain begets tension, which begets more pain, which begets even more pain.  This ends up expanding the area of discomfort/pain up,  up, up my back progressively.  However, each of the three or four areas of problems often act independently, also.  I haven't gotten it all figured out yet!

1:38 AM 11/28/05
     After a few hours of sleep, I needed to move around a bit, & take a few aspirins.  I had left a lot of things undone last nite, so, maybe I'll be up early and do them.
     Right now, my lower rib section is the main problem ... it is at the moderate ache level.

10:12 AM 11/11/05

 

10:12 AM 11/11/05
     I meant to go back to bed ... instead sat down in front of the computer.  Hope I can get going on this, perhaps my last nice day, for outside work.

               

                          

     I had taken four aspirins and rubbed some liniment on my lower back.  Just sitting here, it has maybe helped, because now the main area of severe discomfort has moved to my lower ribs ... which are really bothering me now.

6:12 PM 11/11/05
     Here I am ... not feeling as much pain as I'd thought ... been taking aspirins four at a time all day.  Supper is cooking.  I have yesterday's dishes soaking; the water is cold now.  I'm not sure I'll be able to do the dishes.  Usually when I sit or lie down ... I cannot get back up for hours.

2:12 AM 11/14/05
     The last time I woke up ... the pain across my lower ribs was just awful; this time my whole back is just extremely stiff & sore.  I had slept soundly; I hope to get back to sleep now.  I had more aspirins, and some Aleve.

11:56 PM 11/16/05
     Yesterday was awful; I ruined my back several times ... had to give up and take to to sofa several times.  We had a foot of snow and I had to clear off front and back steps ... plus do some more things because it had snowed a foot, but things were not frozen down.
     I never did get started on shoveling at least the snowbank at the end of the driveway so that it wouldn't freeze into an ice wall.
     Needless to say, I had many doses of four aspirins at a time ... plus a few drinks to try to keep my back loosened.

11:26 AM 11/17/05
      My back isn't too bad so far today; I have to go try a little snow shoveling .... some aspirins FIRST!

7:17 AM 11/18/05
     IF ... STRESS is a contributory factor to back pain ... I am doomed.  The hard-drive on my cmputer crashed; I have lost thousands of photos, as well as  much stored data that must be replicated ... some that cannot.   I am using my elderly laptop as a substitute ... is is soooooo sloooow that it literally makes me scream.
     BUT, COMPUTER is so far down on my list of things to  be concerned about ......
     I have been doing my exit strategy ... eg. opening my driveway so that I may EXIT ... on the installment plan.  In a few more days, I may be able to get out!
    STRESS: these cute little kittens are driving me mad with their exuberance, need for attention and FOOD ... and I need to find new homes for them.  BUT ... IF I CANNOT GET OUT .... NOBODY CA  N GET IN!  I have to shovel my way out to the road!
    I slept fairly well last nite ... in between trying to find a comfortable position for my back ....
    When my back hurts ... the WORST is when it hurts even when I'm lying or sitting.  The reality phase comes when I try to get up and actually do something!
     THEREFORE ... when my back hurts thru the nite, it is serious!  I have decided to forego the coffee this am ... and had four asprins and liberal doses of liniment, external & internal ... I am starting out slow by sitting at the computer ... hopefully relieving some stress by setting up this old laptop to accept my printer, camera, scanner ... etc.  All of which will probably make it sllllllloooowwwerrr than ever!

1:24 PM 11/18/05
     After being awake a lot in the middle of the night ... I slept like a log until NOW!  I usually never sleep this long!  My back is happier now than it was last evening when I couldn't walk or sit or lie without pain.
     The problem is that I still must do some sort of shoveling today.  Hiring someone to remove the snow is not in the budget!

6:57 AM 11/19/05
   I had another good nite's sleep; no bad pains, except when I try to bend over or move around much.  I'll just go thru the usual loosening up phase.
   I MUST GET THE DRIVEWAY SHOVELED WELL ENOUGH TO GET OUT TODAY!

10:43 AM 11/19/05
     I took some aspirins, been mostly sitting ... I feel ambitious ... will try to get something done!

6:20 AM 11/20/05
     I give up trying to sleep; I've slept off & on thru the nite.  My back had enough of an ache to keep me rolling around, trying to get comfortable.  Then, I tried to force myself to get up and finish my dish washing that I had only started last nite .... DIDN'T.
     I am sitting at the computer to have a change of position ... probably will stay up ... short of sleep again.  I had some aspirins thru the nite ... should take some more.

12:00 PM 11/22/05
     I had finished shoveling the last of my driveway ... just pushing the scoop ... not using a shovel ...   I did a little each day.

     My back sure hated that, and made me suffer.  For the past two days, I have spent a large part of each day on a sitting-down project I had ... and ... that made my back hurt as much or more than the snow removal!
    The worst pain was/is across my lower back ... my lower ribs are very stiff & sore.  I've been taking aspirins, falling asleep early, getting up  VERY early ...
    My housecleaning is SO FAR BEHIND!  When I was working, and hurting, I could hire someone to help me here  

... but, that is not in the budget any more.                 I don't know if I'll ever catch up!

         

             

     Perhaps worrying about all that doesn't help my back, either!

L o i s
Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond (my journal)
Finnish Links

Who's Gonna Du'it?

3:14 AM 11/7/05

    I've spent several hours trying to loosen up, trying to find a comfortable position in bed.  My mid-section/rib area has pain; for a while, between my shoulder blades hurt, too.  AGONY would aptly describe my situation.
     I just took three more aspirins.  I slept pretty soundly for quite a few hours when I first laid down early last evening.  I left my dishes & cooking mess all over the kitchen; a pile of laundry on the floor, on its way to the washer.  This means that before I can attend to anything for the day when I finally get up in the morning, I have to finish yesterday's unfinished work!

8:55 AM 11/11/05
     That was an excruciating 45 minutes!  I made up a to-do-list while still in bed ...

PUT ON MY BOOTS
START COFFEE POT
SOAK DISHES IN SINK
TAKE PILLS
FEED CATS & DOGS

     I really had to talk myself thru finishing this list ... took four aspirins, rubbed some liniment on mylower back.  While still in bed, my right hip had hurt worse ... when up ... my left hip hurt worse ... making it impossible to reach something on the floor or walk upright.  The rest of my back is stiff & sore ... but, with the other pain ... I don't really notice it.
     The problem is that with the weather forcast, there is some minor touch-up painting to do (some I can even do sitting down) ... the other stuff can wait if it must, except for the caulking.  The afternoon will be short ... I must lie down again and rest up for it.
     When I was working (towards the end, my bad knee made me a cripple) ... I could afford several ladies several times a week to help me with these things ... now, I cannot.

     My laptop computer isn't as accessible; I haven't been making as many entries.

Moving SLOWLY

2:44 AM 11/6/05
     FINALLY ... the horrible cramping pain in my mid-back & ribs went away!
    I did practically nothing physical yesterday; my back felt fairly comfortable.
     It feels good to sit in a chair & bend my back back-wards ... aches, but, feels good.

11:13 AM 11/6/05
     I'm starting out slowly; my mid-back is still stiff & sore.

  6:17 PM 11/6/05
     EMERGENCY ... THIS REALLY HURTS!  I'm afraid to stop & sit down.  This is stupid ... just how strenuous can squeezing the staple gun be ... & sitting down, pulling little nails out?
     I made sure that I made my supper, fed all the little critters, and took four aspirins, and made several stiff gin drinks before sitting here at the computer ....
     I wasn't going to take any gin, but, I feel that I MUST relax my back.
     I have severe pain across my lower back.  My rib section is cramping & in moderate pain.  It feels good to arch my back backwards.  I am doing some stretching/relaxing exercises.  Sitting here at the computer, I am having threatening little twinges in my lower back.

     I didn't do any prolonged or strenuous activities today.  Am I just supposed to stay in bed all day?

     Gotta go have my lovely supper ... sorta pre-fab.

TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT!

12:20 PM 10/30/05
     I wish I'd been able to finish another half hour of my painting project yesterday.  My back just hurt too much.  But, now, it will rain today and for several more days.

 

  3:32 PM 10/30/05
     I spent several hours caulking and touch-up painting ... about as strenuous as icing a cake.  Towards the end, my back hurt so much that I had to take some sofa-breaks ... and some aspirings and some gin to relax my back.  I cannot take gin if I am to be climbing on the ladder, or anything risky.  I just had to force myself ... talk myself thru finishing what I had to do.
     Then, some friends came over wanting me to do something on the computer for them.  They had to wait until I had a sofa-gin break.

12:23 PM 10/31/05
     I DID IT!  I DID "ALL-THE-ABOVE"!   Good thing my sister called me about 10 pm ... I talked for a while, telling her that I was hungry ... hadn't had supper yet ... and some of my kitties still needed to be fed.
     I eventually dragged myself out of bed ... made supper, and fed the kitties ... even washed the dishes and set up the coffee pot for a "love-myself-in-the-morning" treat.  This was achieved by taking four aspirins and several hot toddies.  I hadn't really wanted to take any more gin ... but, that was the only way to calm my back.
     Now, finally, I am having my gourmet chile ... and, another hot toddy ... hope to have a good nite's sleep!

4:52 AM 11/2/05
     This night was a re-run of last night ... my back was so ruined that I just barely got my evening chores done, had supper, and laid down.  Again, I woke up after midnite ... couldn't find a comfortable spot on the bed, and spent several hours trying to losen up and get the courage to get out of bed.  Then, I took four aspirins and the last of my gin.
... There was severe pain across my lower back ... at first my right hip hurt the worst ( usually it's my left hip).  Now, I'm  still not walking upright well, but, a lot of the pain hase supbsiddedsddddddddsssssssssssssssssss
(drifted off to sleep again.)

5:07 AM 11/3/05
     I've been awake for many hours ... don't think I slept much all nite ... tho I had a long nap last evening when I laid down ... actually, caved in to my back pain.  The pain is mostly in my lower back.  When one part of my back hurts so much, I don't even notice what else hurts.
     I didn't have any gin last evening, just some aspirins. I hope I'll be able to get around when it's "time to get up".  I cannot walk upright ... lean over to the right, extreme pain in my left hip area.  I cannot pick up something off the floor.  The pain does not go away when I sit or lie down.

10:08 AM 11/4/05
     I SURVIVED ANOTHER BAD NITE ... I retreated to the sofa just after dark ... did as much as I could first, knowing it might be hard to get up again.  I bribed myself with gin ... hoping to relax my back to reduce the pain.
     Several times during the night, I had four aspirins at a time, and some more gin.
     The back pain took over my whole back; especially in my lower rib section and between my shoulder-blades.  It hadn't hurt there for quite a few days.  The base of my neck has moderate pain when rolling my head/neck around ... but, not the stabbing pain there I'd had for many weeks a while ago!

              I am trying to figure out how to appease my back.  

•      Number one cure for my lower back is just to spend all my time in bed.  That tends to stiffen up my whole back, tho.
•     I take aspirins and whatever, hoping to reduce inflamation, and, therefore, pain.
•     When I've overdone it (according to my back) ... I take some gin to keep my back muscles from tightening up and causing pain, which causes more tightening and then more pain.
•      I haven't gone to physical therapy lately, partly for economic reasons ... try to at least do some loosening exercises periodically thru the day or nite.
•      Applying liniment seems to help.
•     I'm going to try something else: going to go back to wearing my cowboy boots more ... like around the house, even ... instead of slipping on a pair of tennis shoes.  I used to live in these boots before I had to quit work.
•       I'm never sure if my "facets" (injections) are helping ornot ... like ... would it be worse without?  I'm never sure of a direct link betweeen the pains and either causes or cures!

L o i S
 Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond (my journal)
Finnish Links