As I've mentioned before, I spend the majority of my day sitting in a recliner. I have a barbecue grill sitting on the deck on the back of my house. The distance between the two is approximately 25 feet. As long as I am sitting in my chair, with my feet up, and my head supported, my pain level is very manageable. But if I get up and walk around, that all changes.
Today is Memorial Day. As is the custom with many people on this holiday, we are having a barbecue. I got up from my chair, walked the 25 feet to the grill, and moved the ribs from the grill to a platter. I then opened up the package of hamburger patties, and started putting them on the grill. At this point I’ve been standing for perhaps five minutes. By the time I got eight burgers on the grill, I could feel my back start to lock up, and it became difficult to breathe. It feels like someone has wrapped my lower back in a vise and is squeezing as tight as they can. With my daughter's help, I managed to get the last burger on the grill, then I hurried back in the house, washed my hands at the sink (while holding on to the sink for support!), then collapsed onto one of the dining table chairs. Took a few minutes to catch my breath enough to stand up again, then went back to my chair and sat down.
There is very little I can accomplish in the five minutes or less I am able to stand. Even with my walker I only last about ten minutes. And if I try to push it, I end up too exhausted to do anything at all. Should I pop a pill to take care of the pain? I could, and I do occasionally take tylenol for arthritis, but I am unable, due to stomach problems, to take NSAIDS, so the only other pain control option is narcotics. I'm trying to put off jumping that bus as long as possible, as there is almost no exit once you're there. Instead, I use heat & cold therapy, stretching, and isotonic exercises. They help a little, but mostly, I just put up with it.
Pain sucks.
