Wednesday, July 25, 2007

This Darn Back

           

    I am so tired.  I just couldn't get comfortable to sleep.
 

  Darn back.  I have mentioned before that I have 2 bulging disc's in between my shoulder blades.  The reason I had my breast reduction was to take some of the pressure off my back and hopefully get some pain relief.  It helps take at least 90% of the chronic pain.  But I still have pain at times.  Some days worse then others and this is one of those times.  If it doesn't get better in a couple of days I will have to see the doctor and see if they have gone past bulging and right into rupturing.
                  

   It is hard to describe the pain.  I feel like my back is swollen from the inside out.  Taking a deep breath hurts, the pain goes up into my neck and down to my lower back.  It burns, stabs, and just plain hurts.  Whaaaaaaaa.  

   Usually in the winter I soak in as hot a tub as I can stand but the thought of a hot tub bath in this weather doesn't appeal to me at all.  I alternate using ice, and biofreeze.  Motrin 800 mg 3 times a day and just take it easy.

    I am not sure if I will be able to work tonight.  The thought of missing 2 12 hours shifts makes me cry.  The thought of lifting or pulling patients up makes me cry.  What to do, what to do?

   Now I would love to say my co-workers will help me out, but bad backs are a nursing standard.  We almost all have bad backs after awhile so the sympathy level goes down as far as how many times you will be able to push your lifting off on someone else, LOL.  They don't want to end up at the pain level your at.  I can certainly understand that!  And Murphy's law will hold true that without them planning it that way I will get the heaviest patients on the floor that require the most lifting and moving around.  We have lots of equipment these days to help with moving and it works so much better then the old days, but for some things it just takes good old muscle power.
 

   So do I take tonight off also and rest my back giving me the rest of the week off?  Do I go to work and continue to stress the discs causing them to rupture if they haven't already.  Oh the dilemma.

    Well are you totally sick of the back pain entry, LOL.  Me too! Sorry.  I am feeling sorry for myself.  I will have to meditate and see if I can get cheerful again.  Look at something pretty to take my mind off of my poor poor pitiful body.  Lots of people are so much worse off then me.  I will not whine.  So here are some great whine graphics.
 





9 comments:

Anonymous said...

you're not whining!!
I say rest your back...
Lyn

Anonymous said...

please go to the doctor:) backs are nothing to mess with.

Deb

Anonymous said...

Personally, I'd put my back first and miss the shift. I was out for two years with bad discs....it was horrible and I never want that to happen again. So, yeah...protect your own health. JMO.
Pam

Anonymous said...

Ouch...  I'm sorry to hear that you are in such pain!!  Relax, and take the time off--take care of yourself!  Don't feel guilty about not being there at work!!  Take care - Julie :)

Anonymous said...

I'm all for taking the night off from work.  My back almost started hurting just reading about how much your back is hurting.  You need to take care of yourself before you take care of others or you will end up not being able to take care of anybody.  And don't feel guilty about it either!

Anonymous said...

Take the time off and rest your back, I usually ignore my own advice which is why I am aching from a frobromyalgia flare up.  Physio reckons it could be stress and worry about my SOs forthcoming op, and given the stress you are under - well who knows.  Look after yourself

Mary

Anonymous said...

i, too, am one of those nurses with a bad back.  it's been my experience if you don't take off, you may just aggravate it further.  hope it's better soon.
gina

Anonymous said...

Ugh, I have a couple of friends who have been nurses for years and have many similar back problems from lifting patients.  I know the feeling of falling apart.  I'm feeling it myself and have more appts lined up than I can handle.  Hope you get some of it fixed soon.  Chris

Anonymous said...

Awww honey I understand.  I got my back injury 6months into being a nurse when this 6'5 man decided to fall on me despite the fact that there was a 5'11 male tech on the otherside of him.  I just don't think life is fair, do you?  So I'll whine with you!  Waaaaaaaaaa!  Now, don't we both feel better?  De ;)