Stuck

It’s been four days since I managed to hurt my back. I damaged the fibrous connections that surround your disks between the vertebrae. The bottom line is the inflammation is keeping me in bed. I’ve been able to stand for a few minutes and shuffle a few feet. To type this I’m on my side with my laptop sitting on a waste basket next to the bed. My good friend and chiropractor Dr. Paul Bove has made two house calls to fix me up. He truly has healing hands and has made a big difference. My wife has been the one to do all the other nurse duties. Just to clarify, for the first two days I was truly confined to my bed. The image of this conjures up a few questions. Part of my bedside equipment includes a large empty Gatorade bottle. I didn’t have to… well, you know, until day three and I was able to take care of things solo. I did need help to get to and from the bathroom. Eating “sideways” has been at the very least, messy. Sandwiches are not meant to be eaten horizontally. The first two days were the worst. The pain was enough to keep me from concentrating on anything, reading, writing, watching a movie. I have been able to stick to my “no TV for a month” challenge.
Yesterday I managed to read Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. It is her story of walking the line between sanity and insanity. At 18 she went into a mental hospital and spent the next year and a half finding what most of us call reality. I was struck by two things; first it confirmed what I’ve always suspected. The distance between crazy and sane is short. Second, Kaysen gives the best description I’ve read of how our minds keep us from going nuts. My wife and I watched the movie ( movies don’t count for my TV challenge) and as usual it’s not as good as the book.
My big goal for today is to take a shower. It’s funny how much I miss my daily routine stuff. The past few days have had plenty of irony as well. Four days in bed and I’ve only been able to sleep a few hours. This has also has been the best weather we’ve had all summer. The up side has been some extra time with my family. I’m sure they see it a little differently but I’ll take what I can get.