Posted to Beer Lahai Roi by Lisa Laree
Near tragedy is the essence of humor, right?
My Sweet Babboo has been doing a BUNCH of travel. I got to go with him on one trip, but I was thinking that, while he was gone on one of these excursions this fall, I should just hop in my car and head up the road to visit my folks on the Indiana farm.
Last weekend was the last >3 day trip, so it was really my last chance. I hemmed and hawed about it, then did a couple of inquiries about time off, and someone to feed the cat...decided on Tuesday the 13th to drive up on Thursday the 14th and come back on Monday the 20th, because Sunday looked to be a windy, stormy day for driving. Called Mom Tuesday night to make sure it worked for her and it was a go.
But I worked all day Wednesday, did the small group on Wednesday night, and went home to discover I had forgotten the last load of laundry in the washer and had to run it through again.
It was midnight before I got to bed, and I had nothing prepped for the trip.
So I got a VERY late start on Wednesday, and hit crazy traffic in Nashville. Like, I-4 level of traffic. On paper, it's faster to go up I 65 to Indianapolis and then go west to the farm, but that 15 minutes saved is not worth dealing with the heavy traffic all the way to Indy. So I get off 65 just north of downtown and head over to Clarksville, TN and head up what used to be the Pennyrile Parkway but is now, mostly, I -69. MUCH less stress and traffic. Jump off at Elnora, IN, and run up to where US 231 comes in and take that all the way to US 40....through towns like Worthington, Freedom and Cloverdale. State Rd 75 to County Rd 300 and I can see the lights of home. Got in around 9 PM local time, with a stop for the Lord's chicken in Hopkinsville, and gas and coffee in Henderson. It felt like a long drive but I got caught up on one of the podcasts I listen to whilst driving.
It was good to see my folks, I slept in one of my brothers' old rooms in the basement, mostly because it was easier to get my suitcase down the basement steps than it was to cart it up to the converted attic that was my old bedroom.
Trees were just beginning to change.
But...Saturday night I went downstairs and took my before-bed meds (comes with being over 60) and drank all the water in my corksicle. I'd already taken off my shoes and was padding around in my stocking feet; I had some sandals that I wore when I got up at night, and before I was fully dressed, but...I was just going upstairs for more water and I didn't put my shoes on or stop to take off my socks so I could stick my feet in my sandals.
Cue ominous music.
Coming back down the stairs, on the 3rd step from the bottom, my stockinged foot slid on the carpet on the stairs like it was black ice and my foot went out from under me. I landed on my right lower back, HARD. Knocked the wind right out of me.
Mom heard me yelp as I fell and the clang of the travel mug on the concrete floor and hollered, "Are you all right?"
I was gasping for air, my back hurt, my head had a bump and I'd twisted my wrist slightly. I was afraid I had broken a rib. I finally managed to squeak, "I don't know!" as I slowly sat up on the staircase, gingerly rubbing my head and my wrist and my back, trying to assess what I had done. I actually didn't hit any bones; I had hit my back right at my waistline, below my ribcage. Soft tissue. Mom appeared at the top of the steps with her walker, trying to determine what I might have done. She was relieved that I hadn't broken an ankle or a leg. The bump on my head and the wrist pain were already fading when I finally stood up but the bruised muscles on my lower back were complaining loudly...I had to use the four-footed cane my dad keeps at the bottom of the steps to get up. I picked up my travel mug-- slowly, found a towel and laid in on the spilled water...slowly....and went back upstairs to get more water and an ice pack. Very slowly.
I took a full prescription level dose of ibuprofen before I went to bed. It was not a comfy night. My back didn't just hurt...the muscles spasmed every time I moved wrong. Which was almost every time I moved.
I had intended to meet my brother at church Sunday morning, but I sat at the kitchen table with my folks and watched the service online with an icepack on my back. 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, more or less, all day. Another night of trying to avoid setting off the muscle spasms. No way I was driving home on Monday. I got an extension on the PTO to recover.
Next day I pulled out the hand held e-stim unit I had thrown into the suitcase as a precaution against stiff muscles from the drive. Kept that going off and on all day. The worst were the involuntary movements...sneezing, coughing, yawning, hiccupping...coughing was the worst. Even a too-deep of a breath would result in muscle spasms. Thought I might try to go home on Tuesday, so I filled up my gas tank in the barnlot...I *could* get into the car and I *could* manage to drive ...but Monday was another restless night and I wasn't in shape to drive the next morning, even if my back hadn't been hurting. Fortunately, I had packed extra meds and clothes because...just in case. And, Tuesday was my mom's birthday, so I got to spend the day with her...with the e-stim buzzing my back all day. But I was out of medicine and clean clothes after that so I put out a prayer request for good sleep and safe travel, packed up everything, and went to bed.
And actually got a little over 6 hours of sleep...the best I'd had since Friday night. I loaded up and headed out...and almost turned around after the first 5 miles. Bumps hurt, right turns hurt, and it was very hard to turn and look over my shoulder. But I was out of clothes and medicine and ...I took a breath and kept going, choosing a route that had the fewest turns and merges.
It was a windy day, so that was a bit of a battle as I pretty much retraced my route from the previous week in reverse. But I wasn't in a hurry...and I had the e-stim going on the whole trip. Got home a bit after 6 on Wednesday and I have never been so glad to see my front door. First thing I did was pull out my hubby's red light therapy gizmo and wrap it around my waist for 20 minutes.
Slept really well, all things considered, on Wednesday. Was instructed by my superiors at work to stay home on Thursday and recover. More e-stim and red light. Took it easy. Had a rough night again...didn't really know why.
So, decided to finally run up to the urgent care clinic and make sure I was doing the right thing. The NP there told me I had badly bruised muscles, but it was not serious...she encouraged the red light therapy and she did give me a prescription for a steroid and a muscle relaxer to help get the inflammation down.
Managed to get My Sweet Babboo's birthday dinner on the table, with the help of the Princess. and we stayed up playing Jackbox online with all the kids, including the ones in Florida. Hoping to be able to drive myself to work and back without teeth gritting on Monday at this point, lol.
So...yeah. DON'T go down stairs in your stocking feet....but all things considered, it could have been MUCH WORSE. So...I am dealing, lol.
Hope to be back with the Heart study next week.
Here's a hopeful pic from the ol' homestead...
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