Well, this has been one heck of a summer! If you’re wondering where I’ve been, the answer is - I’ve been playing Cherry Ames. Specifically Chris (yes, the one referenced in the domain name) sustained a serious back injury. He has been bedridden for several months now, and we’ve been doing everything we can to get him to some level of functionality. He has herniated discs in his lumbar region which are impinging on his sciatic nerve and thecal sack (the bundle of nerves at the base of your spine), which translated into English means any movement - sitting upright, standing, walking - makes him feel like he’s being stabbed with knives. Sort of like the old school little mermaid story by Hans Christian Anderson (I wonder if she had sciatica?). It’s looking more and more like his only option will be surgical, so we will be heading in to the doctor in October for that evaluation.
Oddly enough, I haven’t gained any weight (no, really!) and Chris has lost quite a bit, though I’d have to say that’s as much muscle mass as anything else. And of course, he’s eating better - when you have to eat what someone else brings you, it means no extra salt, no sugar, etc. We’ve broken away from all of the white flour, white sugar, potatoes, etc because I was very concerned about the potential for diabetes; I won’t say it’s been cheap or easy, but it has definitely been an improvement.
Before this happened, I’d have to say I knew nothing about dealing with a back injury. Now I give joint compressions (a friend who’s an occupational therapist taught me how to do them), I know the difference between moist and dry heat, and I supervise as he does his exercises, trying to push those discs back into place. The amount of pain he’s in is like something out of an old horror movie. Hopefully, though, we will get him to a point where he’s functional again - soon.
