Cold Spaghetti

I’m hurt. I have no idea what I did to cause the soreness and stiffness that found me Saturday morning; I assumed that the head cold I’ve been fighting off was the culprit. Not being a complainer, I moved a little slowly all morning but didn’t gripe or make it an issue. And then, on the way home from our diaper re-stocking trip at the Evil Empire, when I reached back to take the cardboard insert out of Will’s newly purchased Spiderman lunch box, it happened. It was so violent and sudden that I may have passed out for a moment. Paul quickly pulled the car in surprise asking if we needed to head to a hospital. It wasn’t that he hadn’t notice my limping around all morning — he confessed he assumed that an unpleasant bathroom episode that was in the works — but he was not expecting my lower back to suddenly burst into flame right in the bucket seat.

The spasm was the first of many. Collectively, they knocked me at least partially out of commission for the weekend. No bed rest… walking, stretching, lying with legs raised, heating pads… everything we can think of that is good for the lower back. Kids can’t take care of themselves, no matter how hurt Mommy gets. And I love Paul to much to dramatically insist on a weekend of rest and recovery.

A troublesome fact: this is not the first time this has occurred. The previous time (a few weeks ago) also coincided with a head cold…. so, can viruses trigger severe lower back pain? Can this thing come back to ruin yet another weekend?? (Satchmo Fest and White Linen night were both missed to much disappointment.)

Although walking with a tilt — hip to one side, shoulder to the other, not unlike the zombies in the ‘Thriller’ video — I am generally getting around. Saturday afternoon, I still managed to get down to Thumbelina to get a few things taken in before our trip next week. Whether or not this bold move was the cause I don’t know, but Sunday morning hurt worse. Getting around was almost impossible for most of the day. I didn’t attend a birthday party with the kids and spent most of the day on the living room floor trying to keep my back as straight as possible, testing how close I could come to various Iyengar yoga poses. I’m impressed I feel as well as I do tonight.

This morning, I swore I would find a doctor and been seen Right Away on Monday. The resolve is wearing off as my limp subsides. After all, is it really necessary to see a doctor for lower back pain? If I make more of a commitment to work my back more, then won’t it just go away and never bother me again? If it’s acute, I wouldn’t bother thinking about it, but could this be a repeat performance brought on by a similar virus… and therefore, something chronic? (Can back pain really be connected to a virus like this, though? Seriously?) Without doubt, my feelings are a wonderful example of my bad habit of NOT practicing what I preach regarding Health and Medicine. (Another in-the-moment example: my extreme overuse of OTC painkillers to get through the weekend.)

There is one lesson to be learned in all of this, though. The lesson is that my Mom deserves some serious props for being Very Right. Because sometimes, I am totally my Dad’s daughter.