Out of the Woodwork

Molly's vet called to tell me that the histopathology tests were negative. I never doubted it for a minute. Whew...go Molly! She is healing well, although it will be months before all her fur grows back in. I will start trying to remove some stitches next week, but I think my vet probably does needlework in her spare time. Those stitches are tight! I won't mess with them - if I can't get to them easily, the vet will have to get them out.

Last year I had some problems with an intercoastal muscle on the left side of my back. I had probably cracked a rib in May or June. I was diagnosed with an inflamed muscle in November, and I had to take 12 Motrin a day plus 3 Flexeril a day. The Flexeril tends to knock me out if I take just one. It works well, but it makes me very sleepy. The pain and location felt the same, so I decided to just go the same route for treatment.

I counted the pills out very carefully. Four of these, one of those, four of these...by Saturday night, I was on the medications for several days and I was very tired. I thought it was odd, but the pills looked much alike so I was very careful in sorting them out.

Friday and Saturday I had trouble just moving at all. Any slight movement and I felt like I was being stabbed in the back. It felt like a very angry little muscle was just clenching itself, but I had no idea why. I just tried to make it happy. I put on ice regularly, and moved as little as possible. I read more than a whole book a day, just trying to sit still and let the medication make the muscle let go.

Sunday morning I was ready to walk as usual, so I took the 4 Motrin and skipped the Flexeril. I figured I didn't want to take it when I had to drive. Before I got the full 20 miles to the mall where I walk with Late, I was tired. Sleepy. Slightly confused.

I started walking, and told Late that I was sleepy. I tripped a few times. She commented on that, since I tend to be very sure footed. I felt weak, tired. Sleepy. After an hour or two, my vision became jumpy.

I was too tired to give it much thought. I just walked and chatted the best I could with Late.

Eventually it hit me that there was A Problem. I must have made a mistake with my medications. I tried to think, but it wasn't easy. The pills looked alike Saturday night? They really don't. Both are round, one is bigger, one is yellowish, one is more orange-ish. There was only one possibility. I had taken FOUR Flexeril at once instead of four Motrin. Oops.

Oh my. That explained why I got dizzy more than once. I felt close to blacking out a few times. We stopped to eat, as usual. I played with a salad. Even my tongue was rather relaxed.

The pain was letting up quite well. It should have, with an overdose like that. I cannot believe I did that! A simple error, but honestly, I would have assumed 4 Flexeril could be a fatal dose on someone my size.

It started to sort of wear off by the time we were leaving. I drove home, and didn't even take a nap. I haven't taken any Flexeril since. That scared me.

So, Sunday afternoon I decided to stop at the clinic and have a doctor look at my back. Hmm, 4 men waiting to be seen. OK, I will wait - they are usually quite fast. I grabbed a mazagine. The men looked startled.

Ah, I had "Men's Health" in my hand. They really looked upset. I smiled, and sat down to read up on the Other Side. They resigned themselves.

Forty-five minutes later, one man was called in. I got up, went to the desk, and said I was leaving.

Child had crawled out of the woodwork and called me while I was trying to eat the salad. She and her boyfriend wanted to take me to dinner. I said yes, of course. I had to get ready to go out, and I wasn't spending the evening in the clinic.

I got ready, and child came over with her boyfriend. They brought me a nice card and some beautiful flowers. We went to dinner. Child and I talked non-stop, catching up on the last several months of our lives.

When we got back, she opened my pantry. That was a sign for me. She wasn't looking for food; we just ate. I asked her if she was planning to go through every drawer, cupboard, and closet again? This is what she did before when she had come back after having estranged herself. She laughed, and said they better go before she did just that. No apologies, no explanations. We don't seem to need them.

Today after physical therapy I went back to the clinic and was seen within 5 minutes. X-rays were taken. They obviously were training a new tech. She had no idea what she was doing. I found myself on my back on an x-ray table with three women reading a chart to figure out how to do the x-rays. After a while, they decided my bra had to come off. I already knew that, but was waiting to see when they would figure it out.

Doctor said I have a bone spur on a vertebrae. He wanted me to take Skelaxin and Darvocet. I accepted the Skelaxin and refused more Darvocet. He was confused. Don't people who complain of back pain want pain pills? No thanks. I have already learned that if I take the pain pills I will do things that cause more damage.

If the pain isn't gone by Monday, I am to see an ortho. I don't see why it would be all gone, but, I will wait until Monday. Hopefully a few days after that I am off to Arizona. Not sure, since once again I don't have tickets yet.  

He said to put heat on it instead of ice. That means go to Arizona, doesn't it?