Back at ya

I shoveled snow last Sunday that had to be the heaviest snow I've ever moved. It was really wet to begin with and was also beginning to slush up, so it was even wetter. Basically I shoveled two inches of slurpies. The result? Back pain.

I wouldn't have shoveled at all but the stupid pugs can't stand snow or getting their feet wet so I figured I'd clear off the deck. I didn't shovel that much area but apparently did enough to wrench something. I have never in my 50 years hurt myself this way and I'm pretty annoyed that it happened. Wait, I take that back. Once when I helped R tear down and rebuild a rock wall, I was sore for a couple of days. But I think that was my shoulder.

Anyway, it wasn't sore until Monday morning when I tried to get out of bed. It still hurts today. I was going to bring our heating pad to the office this afternoon and sit with it on my back but I couldn't find it. So I ended up leaving work about an hour and a half early, stopping at the drugstore, and home to my new best friend, a Walgreens Moist/Dry Heating Pad with four heat settings. I only need one though -- HIGH. I love heat!

My real concern is that I need to get well before this weekend when we head to a wedding in Iowa. I'll spend about 13 hours in the car over two days so a twingy back would not be good. I got up this morning determined to walk my normal outside route. I did it, but since the wind chills were sub-zero, I didn't really warm up which didn't relax my back that was aleady stiff. I'm sure it was a very dumb thing to do but my philosophy on pain is to work through it if you can so you stop thinking about it. Unless you can actually leave work and go home to a new heating pad. Then you should do that instead. Aaaaahhhhhh.

I also turned on my electric blanket. I was toasty which is hard to obtain when it's super cold outside.

Guess I'll get up and get something to drink. I want to see how my back is doing and I'm probably developing bed sores. I also think my ibuprophen wore off.

Ta ta!