Saturday, December 3, 2011

It's going to be a long weekend

There's nothing like, when you are already in chronic pain, injuring yourself on top of it.  I don't mean the tendency that I fight to not overdo it, I mean the accidents that happen that just add insult to injury.

Insomnia and marriage don't always mix well.  If I were single or if Hubby worked 3rd shift, I would wake up and turn on the TV in my bedroom or flip on the light and read a book, but that isn't possible when the person sleeping next to you has to be up bright and early to work.  Instead I get up and make my way downstairs so as to not wake the man and usually our Auggie hops off the bed and follows me while Harley-girl stays upstairs as long as she can snoozing.  Yesterday morning I got up and went to leave the room, turned around to get my glasses and tripped over Harley.  She had evidently decided to join Auggie and I for a change.  She yelped and I jumped then quickly picked her up and gave her some loving.  We often carry her downstairs because she is a little timid since she fell down the stairs a few years ago on her own.  So we started down the stairs and when I was about 3 from the bottom, I missed a step and down we went.  I held onto her until I hit the floor and she panicked and twisted away which means she dropped to the floor from about a foot up.  As I let go of her I flailed out my arm and smashed it on the corner of the wall separating the stairs from the living room.  I was sitting on the floor, holding my hand with my other hand, trying to check on her without moving too much because my hip and butt were screaming from hitting three stairs and the floor.  Hubby holler down to check on  me (nothing like waking him up when the intention was not to) and I wasn't too sure if I would be getting up from that spot and Auggie was jumping all over me as if he was checking me out to see if I was okay.  In the meantime, Harley had shuffled off to her crate to hibernate.  My biggest fear was not for me, but that I had caused her to hurt her back again.  I got up on all fours and crawled over and half into her crate and did a full body check before pulling myself up and making my way to the kitchen to start my coffee.  When the hubby came downstairs he checked on Miss Harley and got her to come out so she could go outside and do her business and at that time she was walking a little hunched over- as was I.  We looked like two little old ladies. After she made her sojourn outdoors, she came back in and went directly to her crate and pillow, not even waiting for a treat.  By the time I left for work she was back to sleep and snoring.

I worked until about 1pm.  By that time, my everything was stiffening up and I couldn't sling boxes any longer, plus I wanted to check on Harley.  I came home and she was up in her daddy's recliner, happy as a clam.  I, on the other hand, debated whether or not to make my way back upstairs or try to nap on the couch.  Fortunately, I chose up because apparently my phone started blowing up within 20 minutes of going to sleep.  I slept for a couple of hours and by the time I woke up bruises were evident on my hand, my rear end, my toes (I have a feeling 1 or two are sprained or broken) and a bit on my back and beyond that, my hip was hurting.  I wasn't allowed to wallow though because we had to be at Whole Foods before 7 to get a particular Christmas gift so I took a Tramadol and off we went.

By the time I tried to go to bed the first time, I was feeling pretty beat up.  It took until midnight for my regular meds to kick in so I could relax but eventually they.  I tried to get comfortable enough to sleep but that only lasted 2 hours before I was up again, stiff and sore.  I have to go into work today and I almost wish that it had not been unreasonable to go in when I woke up at 2:30 because I would have gotten a lot more done then than I will later.  I am already fading so I think a nap will be in order as soon as I get home.  Sunday we are driving up to Florence, KY (just outside of Cinci) to get some more Christmas gifts and then-hopefully it will be nap time again.

The lesson from this?  No more carrying dogs down the stairs.  

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry that you fell. I hope you feel better really soon. It does add insult to injury when you already have chronic pain. Take care. *hugs*

:oretta

Anonymous said...

My name is Loretta. It doesn't look like it though.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the fall. I'm with you on not carrying things downstairs any longer. I don't trust myself to do it.

I'm a life long insomniac and the best thing I ever got for it is a kindle with a cover that has a light on it. I can read at night, in bed and not wake him. There also are the little book lights that work pretty well for midnight reading.

Heal quickly.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the fall. I'm with you on not carrying things downstairs any longer. I don't trust myself to do it.

I'm a life long insomniac and the best thing I ever got for it is a kindle with a cover that has a light on it. I can read at night, in bed and not wake him. There also are the little book lights that work pretty well for midnight reading.

Heal quickly.

Nsna Lorna said...

sorry about your fall !
i started following your blog cuz i also live with incessant pain, insomnia - and strive to NOT let it all make me a "gloomy gus" !
... seems our suffering HERE can't be compared to what God has is store for us ... that's GOOD to remember !
- i am in a W/C full-time, my little poodle manages to always be right under me
and not get hurt.
~@^+^@~ thanks for sharing !
lorna

Jules0705 said...

Thanks gals! It's nice to know I am not alone in this. It often scares me how much my balance has changed.

Loretta- it's nice to meet you!

Phat50chick- I have a Nook with a reading light and my iPad which is backlit. I love them both! The funny thing is- I use the book light for my Nook up there sometimes- but I never think to bring the Nook up! Don't know why I don't. I am going to try that this week.

HI Lorna- welcome! I am glad your poodle is okay despite being under-foot! You are so right- what is happening here HAS to be preparing us for what comes next. :-)

Hayley Cafarella said...

Injuries on top of chronic pain are awful! I have found that chronic pain makes me vague and clumsy and then I am much more likely to injure myself and the cycle goes on and on...I am so sorry to read about your fall. I hope that you are able to recover and feel better soon x

Remicade Dream said...

I recently fell down the stairs too - with my kid! It's no fun at all to have these injuries on top of our other issues!

I got my husband to spray some non-slip stuff on the stairs, since they are wood and very slick. And I think I'm also going to stop carrying things.

Feel better!

Jules0705 said...

Haley and Remicade, gosh, I hate that there are so many of us. I agree that RA has affected my balance. My son and I talked about this when we he was visiting. We wanted to go to a neat zipline in our area but- they have these "challenge" bridges that you have to go on to get to each zip. Those involve a lot of balance- so that was the end of that. :-(