Back Out

So…imagine my surprise that when I took a break from my blogging this afternoon (ok, to be honest, I had the idea for my blog but had not yet put proverbial pen-to-paper…my as-yet-undiagnosed ADD may be why I am having trouble getting my writing done; or perhaps it simply due to the high levels of sugar from the Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark I made a couple hours ago…thanks so much to Lizzi for mentioning it to me today so I HAD to make it. Again.); I saw that my blogosphere friend Dyanne had posted about getting older. 

(BTW Today is her birthday so please stop by her blog and wish her a happy one!)

I wish my post was half as joyous. Mine, too, deals with the issue of getting older. And while Dyanne is apparently getting better as the year go by, I am simply falling apart.

I could not be kidding you less.

I am 2 ½ months shy of turning 40 (no parties please; but I will accept cash and/or gift cards to Target or Starbucks…just in case anyone’s asking…), and there are days when I am not entirely certain that I am going to make it…in one piece or even in multiple ones.

I have some issues; some of which are not fit to print, so I shall not even allude to them. However, there is one I feel compelled to share. This is a very serious subject so put on your “about to receive somber news” face right now before I begin.

My back…it’s really not what it used to be. (Think: The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be...same idea.)

You know you’re getting old when you throw your back out.

To be honest, it is something I thought could never happen to me (until it did about 7 years ago for the first time and has happened a few more times since then; once when I picked up a gallon of milk from the trunk of my car. No laughing…I told you this is serious.).

It has happened again this year.

Not just once but twice.

And honestly not just twice in a year.

I have thrown out my back twice in the span of about two months.

Twice.

TWICE.

In two months.

Want to know how?

By sitting.

I am certain that those of you who know me in real life will be surprised that I sit much at all, other than at my computer. And to be fair, I do tend to sit at my computer kind of a lot.

But it’s not the sitting at my computer…because that is rarely (if ever) for long stretches of time.

These injuries are from (you may have guessed it already, you astute readers, you) sitting for long stretches of time.

So…let’s think back to my calendar for the past couple months…when have I spent copious amounts of time sitting? That’s right…I did spend quite a bit of time in the car on vacation.

Now, I LOVED vacation (Feel free to search my posts for the 16...yes 16, posts I wrote about this year's vacation; it was a quest...a quest for fun...movie reference anyone? It's kind of a gimme, actually...). I had a lovely time and wouldn’t have changed a thing; OK, maybe I would have made it longer so we didn’t have quite so much time in the car on some of the days. But at the time, that’s not what I would have said. When I’m ready to get somewhere, I don’t stop and take the scenic path…I take the direct, no unnecessary stops route.

If you know me at all, you know this is truth being spoken right here. I would never be anything but forthright.

And I know Miss Jackie & Bill (who took care of Indy...and yes, there are 22 posts including Indy...but I only included the most recent...while we were gone) probably did not want us to extend our trip; in fact, I am quite certain of that.

But looking back, it might have been a back-saver.

Might.

But doubtful...considering what happened just a few weeks later.

The second injury was just a couple weeks ago, during the course of our Foster Care License training. 

Those two days of several hours each (9-4:30 one day and 9-6 the other) …sitting in hard, plastic, unforgiving chairs.

Perhaps I should have taken a pillow to provide myself with the lower lumbar support to which I have apparently become accustomed…or maybe just simply need. If I were accustomed to it, I probably would have thought to bring a pillow…but I digress.

Now…are you ready for this? It’s not so much that I have thrown out my back. I have knocked my …drumroll please…my tailbone out of alignment.

My tailbone.

Out of alignment.

TAILBONE.

How is that possible?

The second time my chiropractor snapped me back into place (ok, not really…it was through a series of precise manipulations based on knowledge he has learned over many years of school and practice…but it still feels like he’s just snapping it back in place), his question to me was, “So, are you taking a break from sitting for long periods of time now?”

He got an eyeroll.

On an unrelated note, I’m not sure where the PBA get their insolence.

I’m sorry…I can’t talk about this anymore.

Best that I put it all behind me.

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