Back injuries are the gift that keeps on giving
I BrokenCoccyx learned several years ago just how intricately involved the back is to the rest of the body. Broken butt bone and three herniated discs after playing US football (not the FIFI stuff)changed my life.

This past week is an illustration. Last Wednesday, I developed a terrible cough. Not so bad, drink lots of fluids, wash my hands, I'll get through it. Then, after a bad windstorm, a friend asked me to bring my chainsaw to his place to segment some windfall trees.

Well, a 22 inch chainsaw is just an extension of one's manhood, so I agreed. After four hours, I realized that holding a heavy tool (even one as cool as a Jonsred chainsaw) for that much time is REALLY bad for the low back. Cue two days of laying on ice packs, walking like Igor and a muscle relaxant induced coma.

Then the cold came back with a vengeance. The cough would bug the back in its previous state, but once exacerbated, every cough resulted in a knife-stab pain in my lower back. Each sneeze resulted in a twist and a knife-like pain in my lower back. Some coughs would literally bring me to my knees in pain.

Add to this the need to work to pay Mr. Tax Man, and no days off. I was the office gimp and the pain of the repeated, "why are you walking funny" questions only added to the misery.

Finally, after two days of not being able to sleep (doze off, cough, scream, wake up, repeat), I was able to get to see the doctor, who prescribed heavy antibiotics and codeine cough medicine. The druggies out there are saying "Score!"; I say "Nay!".

Antibiotics and codeine cause intense stomach upset, which cause puking/gorping/calling ralph/technicolor yawn, etc. Imagine vomiting up the little food you've been able to keep down in the past few days, then the bile, then an alien life form, complete with all the heaving motions that wrench the back even worse. Still haven't slept, still have to work, still have "a hitch in my giddyup."
( BrokenCoccyx doesn't mind if you grope on, Thu 5 Aug 2010, 15:46, Reply)