Progress = Pain

3:42 PM 9/13/05
     Oh My God ... Owie ... Defeat!

     Earlier, I had a welcome phone call that signified that I will be getting out-of-state company to help with the painting project....

     This prompted a spat of cleaning.  Since I was already behind from yesterday, being physically unable to even clean up my dishes/supper mess, etc .... I tried to catch up.  BAD CHOICE!  
      All this meant was to finish a kitchen mess, lots of dishes ... mop up a spill, bag some cluttter ...
     Now ... Owww ...
SO ... I had to abandon several precepts.  I took three extra strength Excedrin.     I mixed a giant gin/milk drink.  I took a sofa break.
      I made the rule that I'm not supposed to drink during the day ... and,  not supposed to drink when I'm planning upon climbing the ladder, etc.   OH ... WELL!
     I'm sure that some doctor somewhere might be persuaded to prescribe a "muscle relaxant" ... but, I prefer to avoid drugs.  Gin works wonderfully ... I don't want that to become addictive.  What is addictive is the relief that it brings.   The side effect is that it may hamper the safety of projects on the adjenda .... so ....
     The break & the gin did achieve relief ...

5:56 PM 9/13/05
     Oh, well ... my "medicine" did work ... I'm relaxed ... I do not hurt.  I've been caulking, repairing the old siding.  Not strenuous by any stretch of the imagination.
     Earlier today, I called on a part time job ... I'm SO BROKE! .... It's not going to work.  I still have my CDL (comercial drivers license).  I love to drive.  I am on  Social Security Disability because I have physical disablilties.  I am worse than broke.  I am in the red.  This job was just on call for driving a rural mail route on an "occasional substitute".  I have a large "reliable car".  I could endure "lifting, one time, at least two 50 pound trays of mail per route".  I could manage driving a mail route.  WHAT I CANNOT ENDURE IS "two hours on my feet sorting mail" per route.  SORRY.... CANNOT DO!
     It is cloudy and threatening.  I am physically OKAY.  I must keep on working so that I can take advantage of being "physically OKAY".

10:46 PM 9/13/05
     After a very long nap ... I had laid down because I was in pain (& agony) ... I woke up because of pain, mostly in my neck & shoulders.  I worked it a bit loose ... hope to get back to sleep.  It certainly helps to keep my back relaxed.

Since 1976

6:23 PM 9/11/05
     Uh, Oh ... now I've done it!  I was doing absolutely nothing strenuous ... some walking around, working in the kitchen, fixing something with power tools, etc.
     I felt just fine today.  WHY? I hate to think that it was because at the end of yesterday, and during the night I had some gin to keep my muscles relaxed?
     So ... I just gobbled four aspirins and one 12 hour Aleve.  I'm out of gin.  It's time to go lie down again for a while....

9:35 AM 9/12/05
      This morning, I've been "getting out of bed" for at least two hours.  Slept fairly well last night, was up for a while in the middle of the night ... took several doses of aspirin, too.  Several times, I was rolling around in bed, just trying to ease the pains.
     Now, a little kitchen putzing, & I still cannot stand upright ... it's really starting to hurt ... esp. my lower back ... moderate pain ... but, gripping.  My upper back & neck has some pain, too.

  8:15 PM 9/12/05
     Stayed busy on my projects today ... nothing strenuous ...  some moments of emergency sofa time ... tried to use my walking stick as much as possible.
     I did go get some more gin; took some after the threat of rain chased me in ... I've been sitting eating or lying watching T.V. for several hours.
    My upper back has only residual discomfort.  Walking still aggravates my lower back a bit.  Earlier there were some worrisome threats of kinks/twinges in my lower back.  The relaxing makes so much difference in the pain level.

9:02 AM 9/13/05
     Was up a while in the middle of the nite ... overall, I had a fairly good nite's sleep.  That's always a plus.  When it hurts enough to wake me up, it takes a while to find an acceptable position & get back to sleep.
     It took about two hours to get in gear this morning ... I have severe aches, moderate pain.  At first, I couldn't walk upright.
     I want to take a nice hot bath a little later, the next time I need a break.  Right now, I'm hoping to do some things I just couldn't finish last nite ... like the dishes, tidy up, etc.  EVERYTHING LOOKS SO MESSY!
     The problems that I had getting going this morning & the household clutter reminded me of way back when ... I had the first two of my back injuries in 1976.  The first 6-8 years were unrelenting pain, but, I had kids to support.  Often, I worked one, two, three jobs at once.  To make matters worse, people would complain that my house was messy ... not because I was sloppy or lazy ... but because I would poop out after a 12 to 18 hour day!