Wacky Wednesday

Z and I got up early to get him down to the orthodontist appointment this morning.  As we turned out of our street onto the main road through our neighborhood, Z suddenly said, "I don't remember the last time I stepped in gum."

I asked, "What made you think about that?"

He said, "My shoes."

He was wearing his new shoes that I picked up on clearance for $8 at Target the other day.  They're nice and they are similar to C's shoes so Z is all proud that his feet look like Daddy's.  They're nearly as big, too!  C wears 11s and Z's up to 8-1/2 men.

Okay then.

My brain has been equally wandering the last few days.  You see, I hurt my back -- strained my lumbar is the official explanation the doctor gave me -- when I took all nine kids, plus a friend, to the indoor pool last Wednesday. 

My baby-niece was not a fan of the noise in there and frankly, she was a little frightened.  She wouldn't let me set her down on the towel next to me, she just wanted to be held.  Her sisters kept trying to put her in the pool, but she wasn't having it.  So I sat there, on the concrete (because too many people were saving seats with their towels), holding E to calm her, feed her and put her down for nap.  We were at the pool a couple hours and while I did get up to check on the kids now and then, ultimately, it was too much time sitting, holding a baby with no back support.

It was about two hours or so after I got home that my lower back started aching.  I didn't really think about the sitting on concrete as a problem, till C asked me what we did that day.  Then I recounted the details and he said, "I'll bet sitting on concrete all that time didn't help your back."

I figured it would get better after some sleep, but gradually, each day, my back got worse.  Sitting was excruciating and the only way to tolerate the pain was to keep moving (excellent exercise program, no?).  After a couple nights, even sleeping wasn't working out because laying (or tossing and turning) and just climbing into the bed was moving me to tears.  Not the good kind.  I was becoming useless to the family.  I was getting really tired and stressed and I was snapping at everyone.

I don't know if you've ever had a significant back pain or injury, but it's amazing how something at the center of your body can effect every inch of your body down to your toes and fingertips.  Down to my mood!  I've been a mess.

Monday, I decided to go to the doctor finally.  She has referred me to a physical therapist, which I still need to call, and prescribed a muscle relaxer so I can sleep at night better with the pain.  I've been doing the stretches she showed me, taking Tylenol (I can't take ibuprofen), using our hot tub and a heating pad and for two nights, I've used the prescription.  Other than dry mouth, I haven't had too many noticeable side effects.  However, while the sleeping is better, I don't feel really all charged to get up first thing in the morning.  Too relaxed. Ha.

So while Z and I were heading to the orthodontist for the 8:00 appointment this morning, I was actually quite bummed out to get a call from his receptionist to tell us the appointment would have to be rescheduled because the doctor got sick.  I could have had like 20 more minutes of sleep?? 

Anyway, yesterday, I don't know if it was the prescription side effects or just my brain not working properly, but I had so many situations where I was in my own way all day long!  I kept tripping over our dog and man, that really hurts a sore back.  I couldn't speak right.  I couldn't read right.  Things just weren't making sense.  And a lot of little annoying things kept happening.  Sonic wouldn't honor our coupon properly and then when I dumped a milkshake everywhere in the car, they didn't offer me a napkin, but instead expected me to grab the rest of the milkshakes so I could hurry out of the drive-through.  Things like that. 

But so far today, most things have gone okay.  I mean, not counting having to switch things around that I'd already switched around to accommodate the orthodontist.  That was not what I wanted to do, but it seems to be working out okay.  We're halfway done with school already, unlike yesterday how we were only just started by this time. 

Does this post have a point or an applicable message for your life?  Probably not.  But I appreciate your listening ear, Readers.  Thanks for allowing me the space to brain-dump now and then.  I hope you're having a nice day and that your brain is functioning perfectly well.

And yes, my back is feeling slightly better today.  Not great, but better.  Sleep helps a lot.