Hoping for a better day...

7:55 AM 8/7/2005
     What a difference a day (night) makes~!  My back was so wonderful the past few days that I couldn't believe it. 
     BUT ... Getting up this morning, I shore did believe it was MY back!      But, in analyzing ... so as to have something to tell the doctor at the Pain Clinic when he asks "how'm I du'n?" (which is the purpose of this journal) ... I should categorize the way my back feels.

•     PAIN ... Just pain on their scale of 1-10 ...  (reserving 10 for childbirth & ripping limbs off) does not cover the range of describing the owies.
•  PAIN   
• ACHE   
• SORE   
• DISCOMFORT

These would be some categories ... which would be further broken down for comparison.
     Just plain sharp pain is one thing ... a gripping ache can be harder to ignore ... and make it imperative that you immediately seek the solace of the bed or sofa!
     Sometimes, it makes no difference whether you are sitting, lying down, standing, or walking.  Sometimes, sitting will bring relief -- sometimes only lying down will do it.
     SO ... THIS MORNING ... ON MY FIRST FORAY OUT OF BED (I did sleep pretty well last night) (without the Tylenol P.M.) ... I cannot stand upright ... that should be one of the descriptive check-off's.  Tho intense & not a sharp pain, or even "gripping ache" ... I still cannot stand up straight.  It is more of an extreme soreness ... as tho I had been piling rocks all yesterday ... a sore & tired feeling.
     I just took some heavy-duty Excedrin and both internal & external liniment ... and am going back to bed for a bit.  Let's see how that works ... SOAKING IN A HOT BATH WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD THING, TOO.  

11:56 AM 8/7/2005
     Been just lounging around so far today ... feeling sorta okay.  It is still a bit difficult to stand up straight, but, it is more of a stiffness than any sort of pain.
    I didn't take my tub soak yet; I am headed outside to finish the staining of the wood decor for the lower patio.  That will be simply a sit-down job ... should be a good choice of activity.        Hoping that keeping my back relaxed may be the answer ... pain medications don't do too much good.  

6:13 PM 8/7/05
        About an hour ago, I dragged myself off the sofa.  My flowers on the lower patio were wilting in the hot sun, or, I wouldn't have gotten up.
     My left hip hurt so much: PAIN that I could hardly walk, much less stand up straight.  I hobbled around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame ... then, sat down and forced myself to finish up putting the stain on the lattice trim.  I didn't clean up, nor paint the trim strip ... just headed back in.
     It had only been two hours since my Excedrin Plus ... so ... I'm just sipping on a really stiff gin & milk... RETREAT BACK TO THE SOFA!
 
8:03 PM 8/7/05
      IT WORKED ... I even did some of my P.T. exercises ... am getting around fairly well, with not too much discomfort.  The only problem is that the day is nearly over ... what can I hope to accomplish at sunset?
     I don't want to keep using gin to achieve relaxation; don't want to get a prescription drug for muscle relaxation.  Maybe I will invest in some Papaya, tho, I've heard, it has gotten to be expensive.
     
9:02 PM 8/7/05
     There, I have been up and about with discomfort instead of pain ... getting a few small tasks done.  I had a few aspirins; I will take some   Tylenol P.M. later.  Of course, no more drinks now...  

 6:31 AM 8/8/2005
     I've been awake for a little while; I'm headed back to bed ... slept well. My back is at the "discomfort" level; it is hard to stand up straight.  

Optimistic

6:37 PM 8/4/05  

I HAD A FLASHBACK ... to the era of 1976 and beyond ... when my back problems began & actually were at their worst.

     Being anti-alcoholism ... I facetiously refer to my "liniment" ... and "for medicinal purposes only"... but, it is not really funny.  I remember grabbing my bottle of gin, when my back got really bad, and chugging it straight ... definately not delicious!
 
TODAY, out of desperation, wanting to do something besides watch T.V., I had a few stiff doses of my "internal liniment".  WONDERFUL RESULTS!  No drugs, no P.T., no chiropractry ... but, now, all the tension & resultant pain, aches, agony, and immobility have subsided.  I am doing some fix-it tasks, not watching T.V., and have a feeling of accomplishment vs a feeling of hopelessness

  2:06 AM 8/5/2005

     Not too early of a bed-time ... but, hoping to get to sleep now. I had a hot, soaky bath.  I put upon my back lots of Wintergreen liniment, which I poured upon a T-shirt... plus ... rubbed in some "Icy-Hot" liniments.

     I even took two Tylanol P.M.  My back feels better than it has for a week or more.
     Let's see if I can sleep thru this "night".  I had some chicken noodle soup, and am sipping on a glass of milk. 
     This afternoon, out of desperation, Ihad a couple of stiff gin drinks to relax my back.  The result was marvelous relief!
     I did a few of my P.T. exercises ... wondering if I ought to go to the chiropractor, which the doctors never advocate?
 
11:22 AM 8/5/2005

      I did get a restful sleep last night, woke up twice, but, did go right back to sleep. I feel rested.  
     Starting out slowly ... put on a lot of liniment, going to have some internal liniment (usually reserved for the evening, but, the Tylanol PM makes that a no-no)  and, maybe do a few more of my P.T. excercises.
     I cannot stand up straight yet today.  Across my hip area was the first problem,now, my lower rib section is stiff & sore.  There was a severe "klink" there earlier that made me grunt loudly.
     I do feel a bit more ambitious ... having gotten such a restful night.   It remains to be seen if I can follow thru on that!

12:54 AM 8/6/2005

     Such relief ... blessed, marvelous, heavenly ... It's hard to believe that I had more than a week of misery, and now to have a day of relative ease with a minimum ofpain, and a much relaxed back!
     Remembering: in 1976, when I had my first back injuries, I can just picture myself grabbing the gin bottle out of desperation ... and the blessed wave of relaxation & relief that washed over me.  It was always such a distinct release!
     So, this past day ... waking up after a nice nite's sleep due to the Tylanol P.M., I decided to try the muscle relaxing technique ... cautiously ... only during the first part of the day.
     It did work!  I accomplished quite a bit; I actually felt impelled to do some of my projects!   AND ... did not suffer for my activities! 
     I fell asleep watching T.V., then got up about midnight and took my two Tylanol P.M.  Now, I have a vague ache around my hip area, but that's all.  I am looking forward to another good nite's sleep now.

8:37 AM 8/6/2005

     Lookie at me ... feeling not as much pain as usual ... been up half an hour ... going back to bed.  My neck & shoulders are stiff, and a slight ache in my middle back.  I'll rub on some liniment, take a coupla aspirin, & sleep a bit more.

 

9:21 PM 8/6/05

     Now, what a wonderful day!  Just about no aches and pains ... did a little of this & that around the place.  It felt so good not to feel so bad.  I cannot believe that I am acutally standing upright, so straight, AND NOTHING HURTS!
    I think that I will not take the Tylanol P.M. (with the sleeping aid)  ... don't want to get dependent upon any of my "medicines". I don't want to have a drink with that, either,  I plan upon having a milk & gin as a nightcap.