Laying Low

In response to my lack of posting being related to a wild wedding party, I can only say "I wish."

My back was a little tender the Thur & Fri before the long weekend, but that is nothing totally out of the ordinary if I had been dong something I don't normally do (like digging in a sewer hole for 8 hours like I did earlier in the season!) When I got up on Saturday, I couldn't put my socks on. I had to stand up in the wedding on Sunday at 4pm in Winnipeg so that wasn't a good thing to be feeling on the day before the wedding.

We left Morson and by the time we got to Bergland, I was too uncomfortable to drive. We had a lot of time in the truck before we got to Selkirk (manitoba) that night, but it loosened up a bit as the day went on.

I couldn't sleep that night, waking up every hour or so in pain. Sunday was even worse when I finally did get up for the day so I was worried about making it through the ceremony and pictures. I managed as it loosened up a little bit and then left the party shortly after the program of speeches ended. Took a trip to the Selkirk ER for a jump start on what might be wrong so I could get back to work on Monday.

After an x-ray and a look over, the Doc thinks it's a muscle spasm and ordered some rest and a a shot of anti-inflam to go with 5 days worth of the same thing in pill form with 2 per day. It helped that night and Monday and we came back to the lake on Tuesday.

By Thursday, the anti-inflams weren't doing anything and we had to try something else because now Dad has blown the entire week from work covering for me. Head to Rainy River ER with the hope of finding a better solution. Doc suggests T-3 to tell the muscle there is no imminent danger with the idea it will relax a bit.

Seems to help and after a couple of days of that, I get back on the tractor for the first time on Friday, since the previous Friday. I gingerly pulled a boat out and hoped maybe I was through the worst of it. I did some more resort duty on Saturday and then tested it with a couple of hours of fishing on Saturday night. (If I can do tractor duty, then I can fish...right?) It held up ok and then did a little fishing again on Sunday without any further trauma.

It's feeling a lot better and I'm pretty much doing everything I would normally do, albeit with a lot more caution in my movements. I don't think I would want to be a shoe-polisher full time right now, but I haven't take anything for 3 days so that is a good sign.

I've been very lucky over the 18 years I've been doing this kind of work. Only one other time I was laid up for an extended period.

I have a new appreciation for those many guests and friends that I've met up here that have had back issues for years. As long as it holds up through the end of the season and muskie trolling, I'll have some time to get it fixed up. It's always a concern when you can't easily find someone to fill-in if you can't do your job.

Already have had a lot of people telling me to take it easy and be careful. I'll do my best!

Sorry to hear that and I know what you're dealing with. Missed a couple weeks of work myself two years ago. Anti-inflammatory pills, Vicodin (sp?) and stretching helped. That has to be the worst pain other than major burns to go through. Glad you're up and fishin/workin again. Hope to be up next weekend-see ya then. Bob

I just can't imagine having it hurt to tie your shoes almost every single day. It really was no fun.

Vicodin huh? That's the good stuff. I'm glad I didn't have to get anything more powerful than T-3. I would probably have had nightmares about the resort burning down or something. I have enough crazy dreams about bad things happening here without the help of a powerful narcotic to make my mind race.

I was hoping the Doc would say it was stress related and order me to get more relaxation (FISHING!) than work, but no dice. Of course, there isn't much about muskie fishing you could call relaxing, except those 5 mins after you let one go.

Doctor, wife, mother, friends have ordered me to take it easy so I'm afraid I'll have to postpone the wash, wax and vacuum detailing of your crestliner til at least 2011 to be on the safe side. :rolleyes: I'll pencil you in for September of '11; tentatively of course!

I'll keep the minnows lively for you though. That doesn't take much effort.

sounds like a deal-take it easy