BACK to blogging (you'll catch the pun.)

I’m baaaaa-aaack.

Yeh, I know. I promised to be better about blogging. I promised I wouldn’t let weeks (okay, months) pass between entries. I promised shorter, more concise entries so I could keep up with blogging with ease.

I lied.

Life just got in the way over the past six weeks. That said, some of it's interesting, so let’s see if I can recap…

If you’ve my read earlier entries, you’ll know I’m a fan of griping about whatever is ailing me at the time. Some might think I’m a hypochondriac. The truth is I just get sick a lot and I DON’T HANDLE IT WELL. Blogging helps. Everyone can relate to not feeling well, ‘cuz we’ve all been there.

Well, back on Thursday, July 24, I started feeling a weird twinge in my back. I hadn’t done anything to over-exert myself, so it was a mystery what was causing the annoying little pinches I was feeling.

On Friday, the pinches had turned to a steady ache. I made it into work, but I was seriously looking like an old, OLD man walking around the office.

Saturday morning arrives and I can barely move. I had to get Bill’s help to get out of bed and over to Norwalk Hospital. I was in agony.

Let me sidebar here for a sec and say I have new-found respect for people who suffer with back pain. I’ll admit I’ve always felt that these people should just suck-it-up and tough-it-up. “My poor achin’ back” is a cliché for a reason, right? Wrong. Back pain sucks. It’s entirely debilitating and it makes life just miserable. And the worst part is – as you’re about to read – that the medical community doesn’t know a blinkin’ thing about how to treat it in most cases.

Anyway, I get to Norwalk Hospital on Saturday morning, get checked in and get going with some tests. I also get an IV painkiller… something I recommend everyone should try someday. Yep, flying without wings, folks.

As it turns out, I’ve got all – and I mean ALL – the symptoms of kidney stones. Sharp pain on one side. Quick onset. I’ve even got (skip to the next paragraph if you’re squeamish) blood in the ol’ urine sample.

Of course they do a CT scan and guess what turns up? Nothin’. No stones, no nothin’. They give me a scrip for Percocet, the name of an out-of-network orthopedist and discharge me.

Now, keep in mind that I’m supposed to fly to Portland (yes, Oregon) on Tuesday night for a convention/vacation, so I’m feeling stress. I do not, under any circumstances, want to cancel my trip.

On Sunday, I take it easy and, by the end of the day, I’m up and about a little. Pain’s there, but it’s definitely starting to subside.

Monday, I’m back to work, but the pain has returned. Not nearly as bad as Saturday, but it’s definitely there. I leave work early and see the orthopedist. He takes x-rays and twists me like I’m Gumby, dammit. He finds… nothin’.

I gotta tell y’all… there’s nothing worse than being in agonizing pain and having everyone tell you they can’t find the source. It’s sorta like water leaking into your house but no one can find the hole in the roof.

Tuesday arrives and I decide to go on the trip. I’ve got a muscle relaxer, pain-relief patches and a ton of Percocet. Besides, the idea of sitting still for a five-hour flight actually sounds inviting.

Of course, the flight is delayed 3.5 HOURS getting out of Kennedy. No matter. I’ve got painkillers, dude.

Thankfully, the pain subsided and didn’t stand in the way of me having an awesome time in Portland. I kept the physical activity to a minimum, but it was a totally enjoyable trip, nonetheless.

The Moral of the Story? They still don’t know what caused all this. I have a freakish back, I guess.

* * * * *

Coming tomorrow…details of the Portland trip.