Bad news first. I've done my back in. This is really the first time in a long time that I've actually been able to sit at the pc for any length of time to post.
Don't know what I did, perhaps slept awkwardly? All I do know is that a couple of weeks ago (yes, it's been going on that long now) I realised that my back left shoulder area was hurting. As per my usual way of dealing with illness/injury I just thought it would go away. How wrong can one be? Over a week later it was no better, worse in fact so I decide to have some massage therapy and see if that would work. Hmmm.... no.
I woke up the day after, last Friday, to find that it was a lot worse. This is apparently expected and wasn't too surprising. What was surprising was the fact that I couldn't even sit back against a chair or sofa - and the bruising was awful (don't worry Corinna, I have all faith in your massage talents, it was my fault for leaving it so long!). Saturday saw me a little better which was good as we were all off to see The Lion King in London (more on this in a later post). However, a long drive, just sitting in the car, followed by 3 hours sitting in a theatre do not do anything to help a bad back and by the end of Saturday I was in agony.
Things then just rapidly deteriorated over the weekend and by this Monday I was in so much pain I truly didn't know what to do with myself. To add to this on Monday I noticed a large fluid swelling at the top of my spine - I looked like one of those old fashioned humped teddy bears. Not. Good.
Corinna, bless her, popped around on Monday and urged me (read nagged) to ring the doctors for an emergency appointment. No luck. She then strongly urged me to (read strongly nagged) me to call the chiropractors and see if I could get an emergency appointment with them. Again no luck. Luckily I had already made an appointment for the doctors a week or so ago, routine checkup, so had an appointment for early Tuesday morning all set up.
Then on Monday night a weird thing happened. I was lying in bed deciding how I was actually going to get through the night, praying constantly, when after about 20 minutes or so I felt a strange ripple effect moving up my spine culminating in a weird 'popping' sensation. It really was a sort of 'puff/pop' feeling. Very odd. No pain involved. And then I just knew that whatever had been causing the additional chronic pain over the weekend had sort itself out a little. I must have really put something out of place but the lying in the correct position (and I'd like to think the prayer) must have allowed things to somehow slot back in to place.
Anyway, I've now been to the doctors and am doped up on diazepam and dichlofenic (don't kill me if the spelling is wrong!) and am feeling slightly better. I've also been referred to the Swindon Chiropractic Clinic and have, so far, had a couple of sessions with the not so lovely James - okay, he is lovely but not so after he's just spent time cracking your back!
So now (after a short break to stretch and de-kink) some good news. I'm getting better. Slowly, infuriatingly slowly for my mind, but getting there. We were supposed to go and see some good friends this weekend but I really can't face the 2 hour drive so they are coming to visit us instead. Yay! A lazy weekend, bbqs, dipping in the pool, bouncing on the trampoline (not me doing that of course!), spent with friends. What could be better?
Well, my new computer perhaps? I've got a iMac which is helping me feel better about my back! It is gorgeous. A fabulous 20" screen, fabulous graphics (looking at my old pc it just looks so old fashioned now), packed with cool gadgets (loving my little remote which works iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie etc.), it is just the coolest thing - even Richard is loving it and Kat is also looking at it very covetously! I think we could very well become an Apple convert family.
The new operating system for it, Leopard, looks like a must have too! Obviously I will need to expend a little more money on some Mac software, it's inevitable as I need some things, like Photoshop obviously, however the Apple software is great. I'm holding off for just a little while longer, until I get my student uni card (more about this at a later date too), as you get student discounts on software so it will make the wait worth it. There have been times when I've thought "oh, how do I do this?" but Apple has a great site that tells you how to get things done so no problems so far. And if I do have problems I know a lady who can (MaryAnne....?).
I'll keep you up to date with how it's going but at the moment all I can say is. It. Is. So. Cool.
