Thanks to the many readers who sent me get-well cats and other messages of sympathy for my baking yak. The Daily Back Report: it’s better than yesterday, but it’s not going to be an overnight cure, so I am still in a lot of pain, and hope the injury will be healed when I do my first book event two weeks from today. Sleeping on my back, which I never do, is the hardest part. Still, I am taking care of my posture and trying not to reinjure myself. Do I sound like an old man?
Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili and Cyrus are going to have a constitutional:
Cyrus: When you finish washing we will go for a walk.
Hili: Just give me five minutes.
In Polish:
Cyrus: Jak się umyjesz, to pójdziemy na spacer.
Hili: Daj mi jeszcze pięć minut.
When sleeeping on your back, try putting a thick pillow under your knees (which should then obviously bend slightly) – I find it relieves pressure on the lower back 🙂
Dearest Dr. Ceiling Cat……..reality check……being of the dreaded medicare age doesen’t make you young no matter intellect and mass of accomplishments nor does it give you immunity to an owey in your back…….just sayin.
Dear Dr. Moto,
Did I say I was immune to the ravages of age? I was just kvetching!
PCC
Oy!
b&
Don’t you just love it when the doc tells you to be patient? Once you’re healed up you might want to see a physiotherapist to teach you how to move better and how to strengthen the back muscles. Strong muscles are the best protectors against back troubles.
In two weeks you’ll feel a lot better, perhaps not completely pain free, but the excitement of the book event should help. 🙂
‘a’ patient would seem more appropriate! 😉
Not only that, but I’m 5’8″, so I have to be a LITTLE patient. I’ll be here all week, folks!
🙂
… you look taller on the interweb!
😀
Don’t lose weight, or you’ll be a little LESS patient…
I think the measure of sounding old is something like “Sonny, you don’t know what hard is! When I was your age I walked ten miles to school barefoot, in the snow, uphill both ways.”
cue 4 Yorkshiremen quotes…
Ah – I delayed replying & you got in there! 😉
Sheer bloody luxury!
http://montypython.wikia.com/wiki/Four_Yorkshiremen_sketch
…and here it is LinkText
Bugger the Yorkshiremen – it sounds just like my mum!
(I should point out that in NZ the primary definition of “bugger” is “A polite version of f**k.” It also has several other definitions completely unrelated to sodomy or homosexuality.)
Obviously a large part of your work is carried out whilst sat in front of a screen which unfortunately is not good for backs. One possible thing to consider once you have got over the current bout of pain is to set up a standing desk (set at an appropriate working hight for you) so that at least some of the time you can work standing up. I wouldn’t necessarily advocate only working in a standing position but alternating between seated would probably be beneficial.
I use an old projector stand for this purpose which works out at exactly the right hight for me and has sufficient room to place the laptop and mouse.
Whether you go for this or not I wish you well and a rapid recovery – back pain is dire.
A good office chair is important too, expensive, but a good chair lasts for years. A sitting ball is nice too, switching between a regular chair and a ball helps strenghtening the important muscles.
I’m using a ball cushion on a regular office chair, that really helped with my tension headaches. Sadly I have no room for an extra standing desk, those adjustable desks are a bit too expensive for me at the moment.
Here office chairs have an ergonomic rating. An expensive chair doesn’t mean it’s good ergonomically, but a chair with a high ergonomic rating is always very expensive. Im lucky enough to have the best available here, but it’s worth it. It makes a big difference.
It makes a difference too what a person’s injury is, and not all lower back pain responds to the same furniture obviously. Body type also makes a difference. Personally, I can’t use a standing desk, and ball chairs aren’t much better. If you can, consult a professional (who will usually be a physiotherapist) when choosing a chair.
Regarding UK election – & cats –
Paws to vote! Councils use kittens and dancing robots in election drive
http://www.localgov.co.uk/Paws-to-vote-Councils-use-kittens-and-dancing-robots-in-election-drive/38637
Purr-fect!
You don’t sound old at all, you’ve just been young a bit longer.
I’ve always had back issues. My entire spinal column assembly needs replacing. Maybe a few extra vertebrae could be inserted to make up for my short legs.
Glad you’re making progress even though, as it always is with backs, it is slow.
For back pain, I’ve had success using Robax*cet, but last time I tried to get it at a U.S. pharmacy, they not only didn’t carry it, they told me that it had an ingredient that required a prescription. This, of course, does you no good, but it is amusing for those in countries for whom it’s an over-the-counter commodity.
I *completely* sympathize with your back problems – I have a bad back as well. Am currently waiting for doctor’s office to tell me my prescription for Schedule I pain meds is ready. I asked them for a refill on Tuesday, ran out of pills completely yesterday, and currently can barely sit up. Oy, move over!
By the way: *love* the Hili Dialogs!
Out of curiosity…are you the same SkyEyes who used to frequent USENET? Brenda at the UofA, as I recall…?
b&