Backpain in the Saddle

Sigh. We started back to working in the office a month ago. So while the commute takes some getting used to again, it is a new office which brings a little variety and change of scenery. It’s going alright on that front. It’s probably just a little surprising how easily you slide back into it after a year and half working at home. It has changed perspectives, expectations and priorities though. Which is good.

On another front, I’m getting older. Case in point, we rented a 15 yard bin last weekend just to get rid of some junk and make room in the garage for these new comically huge garbage and recycling containers that the municipality has recently started using. I spent last Saturday filling that up, cleaning the garage and chopping down branches on the trees in the front yard. All good. Until the next day when I had the audacity to reach down for a sock to throw in the closet laundry hamper and suddently my lower back locked up with piercing pain!

I’ve had some back pain before but it’s likely been a couple of years. You forget how painful and debilitating it can be. I spent Sunday largely hobbling around. And it wasn’t really until today (6 days later) that I actually feel mostly normal. It was a week of cringing and wincing every time I had to stand, or sit. Driving to and from work with heated seats was fine except for the getting in and getting out parts - which were frankly painful and embarassing. But I thought it was important to keep moving. It’s easy to start unknowingly changing your behaviours (and not in a good way) to avoid the possibility of pain. I only needed a few ibuprofens the first couple of days to help out but it’s so easy to see how people get addicted to pain medication. And I can only imagine the misery that chronic pain can be. When you’re relatively healthy it’s so easy to forget how different it could be. It makes you value what you have. A lot.

Anyway, this is just a check-in. As most of these posts are. But it’s good to write something. Lately I’ve been trying to subscribe to the idea of just starting something for 2 minutes and then letting momentum override my tendency to procrastinate. It’s remarkable how well that works… for writing and for a lot of other less desirable things. It’s something I’ll definitely keep trying. Cheers.