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I'm not sure which was worse -- the fact that I was writhing on the floor in blinding pain, or the fact that Ben was patiently standing next to me waiting for me to finish so we could walk out the door and get him on the school bus.
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Back in 1987 I was working at Godfather's Pizza. I walked around the corner into the dishwashing area one afternoon and stepped on some ice that a co-worker had spilled and had neglected to clean up. I landed flat on my tailbone, knocking the wind out of me, but beyond that I didn't think much of it at the time. I carried on with my shift, found the person who spilled the ice, and told her what happened so she would understand why you really have to clean that kind of thing up immediately. I think it was the next day when I started having trouble sitting comfortably, and then gradually half of my left foot started to go numb. As it turns out, I had herniated a disk in my lower back and pinched off one of the nerves to my left leg. Before long I started having serious muscle cramps.
There is one evening I remember vividly, a few weeks after the fall, when I was at the college getting ready to watch some cult movie that someone projecting in the media center. I was just walking along the hallway when all of a sudden the muscles in my mid-back cramped up like never before, sqeezing my chest in a vice grip and dropping me to the floor in agony. As I lay there I could feel the muscles in my back rippling all along my rib cage, and breathing was nearly impossible. For a few minutes I honestly thought I was going to die right there on the spot. Fortunately it eased up after a few minutes, and I was able to take some muscle relaxers and do some stretches to work it out.
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This morning I was getting Ben ready for school. Sara had already left for work, and I was putting Ben's jacket on and getting ready to walk out the door when he very specifically took my by the hand and took me over to the refrigerator. He had nearly finished his juice, and apparently did not want to run out on the school bus. I opened the fridge, took out the jug of juice, and was just about to open it when all of a sudden I got that same sudden. vice-grip muscle cramp around my rib cage. I dropped to my knees immedeately, screaming in agony. I vaguely remember Ben giving me a funny look like, "c'mon dad, we're gonna miss the bus...". I was too busy collapsing flat on my back, somehow both suffocating and hyperventilating at the same time. I felt the muscles rippling all along my rib cage, contracting like a boa constrictor. I think Ben was very concerned about me, and just didn't have any way to express it. He stood right by me, looking down at me trying to figure out what was happening. After a couple of minutes I forced myself up, and lead him out to the car.
Not surprisingly, we missed his bus at the front of the apartment complex. I was going to have to drive him to school. For the entire drive my back was still cramping, although not as badly as the initial wave. At one point I had to pull over and rest for about five minutes. I finally got him to school and handed him off to one of his teachers.
I am back home now, with a heating patch strapped around me trying to loosen up the muscles. I have also taken a muscle relaxer. Four hours after the initial spasm, I am finally feeling moderately ok, although my back feels like it is poised and ready to cramp up again at any moment.
But hey, other than that it is a beautiful day.
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Back in 1987 I was working at Godfather's Pizza. I walked around the corner into the dishwashing area one afternoon and stepped on some ice that a co-worker had spilled and had neglected to clean up. I landed flat on my tailbone, knocking the wind out of me, but beyond that I didn't think much of it at the time. I carried on with my shift, found the person who spilled the ice, and told her what happened so she would understand why you really have to clean that kind of thing up immediately. I think it was the next day when I started having trouble sitting comfortably, and then gradually half of my left foot started to go numb. As it turns out, I had herniated a disk in my lower back and pinched off one of the nerves to my left leg. Before long I started having serious muscle cramps.
There is one evening I remember vividly, a few weeks after the fall, when I was at the college getting ready to watch some cult movie that someone projecting in the media center. I was just walking along the hallway when all of a sudden the muscles in my mid-back cramped up like never before, sqeezing my chest in a vice grip and dropping me to the floor in agony. As I lay there I could feel the muscles in my back rippling all along my rib cage, and breathing was nearly impossible. For a few minutes I honestly thought I was going to die right there on the spot. Fortunately it eased up after a few minutes, and I was able to take some muscle relaxers and do some stretches to work it out.
-------------------
This morning I was getting Ben ready for school. Sara had already left for work, and I was putting Ben's jacket on and getting ready to walk out the door when he very specifically took my by the hand and took me over to the refrigerator. He had nearly finished his juice, and apparently did not want to run out on the school bus. I opened the fridge, took out the jug of juice, and was just about to open it when all of a sudden I got that same sudden. vice-grip muscle cramp around my rib cage. I dropped to my knees immedeately, screaming in agony. I vaguely remember Ben giving me a funny look like, "c'mon dad, we're gonna miss the bus...". I was too busy collapsing flat on my back, somehow both suffocating and hyperventilating at the same time. I felt the muscles rippling all along my rib cage, contracting like a boa constrictor. I think Ben was very concerned about me, and just didn't have any way to express it. He stood right by me, looking down at me trying to figure out what was happening. After a couple of minutes I forced myself up, and lead him out to the car.
Not surprisingly, we missed his bus at the front of the apartment complex. I was going to have to drive him to school. For the entire drive my back was still cramping, although not as badly as the initial wave. At one point I had to pull over and rest for about five minutes. I finally got him to school and handed him off to one of his teachers.
I am back home now, with a heating patch strapped around me trying to loosen up the muscles. I have also taken a muscle relaxer. Four hours after the initial spasm, I am finally feeling moderately ok, although my back feels like it is poised and ready to cramp up again at any moment.
But hey, other than that it is a beautiful day.
