Today, I have come to the conclusion that having cancer was an absolute doddle compared to pulling a muscle in my back! Of course, I was lucky - my symptoms were horrible but not particularly painful. I know others have a very different experience.
This morning, I leaned forward to put detergent in my dishwasher, stood up straight and - couldn't! After half an hour of yelping in pain interspersed by cursing, I managed to get upstairs, have a shower and get dressed. The pain subsided. I put on my shoes. I bent forward to tie up the laces... That was an error.
I have spent the entire day in agony. If I stand up, I can't sit down, if I sit down, I can't stand up. I can't climb the stairs, I can't bend to get anything from lower drawers, I can't raise my arms to get anything from higher cupboards. I had to ask a neighbour to pass me the milk bottle from my doorstep (that was embarrassing!)
Finally, despite regular paracetemol, the pain got so bad that I called the local GP surgery to ask for advice and to check I'm giving myself the correct treatment. Given my experience with my local GP surgery in the past, I have to be in dire straits to call for help! It turns out that I am, indeed doing the right thing, the pain is probably muscular and will start to improve in 24 - 48 hours. Meanwhile, I shouldn't move around too much (but I should move as much as possible once the pain improves), should continue taking paracetemol and should apply local heat - if I could get my hot water bottle from the low cupboard it lives in, I would do exactly that! Sitting up is better than lying down (good, I can't lie down...) and other than that, it's "Good luck with it!"
I do remember my father doing something very similar to his back once. I now know how much it hurts!
Strange how (relatively) minor things can seem so much worse than the really major ones, isn't it?
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