A Bad Back

So a couple of weeks ago, I had a great Saturday. I got so much accomplished with cleaning and laundry. I went to bed feeling smug and satisfied with my homemaker self. However, it was when I woke up on Sunday, that all of my satisfaction came crashing down. I couldn't move. Any time I tried to move to get up off my bed, I was met with tear-inducing pain. In the past, I have had some back pains as a result of sleeping on the floor, where most Japanese beds are. However, this time, as a result of sleeping on my thin futon mattress on the ground and sleeping in contorted positions that would impress the cast of Cirque du Soleil, I had really done it this time. My back is no longer as springy and agile as it used to be.

My mind immediately rushed back to when I visited the doctor before coming to Japan and had to get a chest x-ray that was necessary for medical clearance for entrance into my job. The doctor looked at my spine and said that I had the spine of a 40-year old woman, not a 26-year old. I blasted myself for not having consumed that bottle of vitamins the size of horse pills. I eventually rolled over and rocked myself until I staggered into a semi-straight standing position. Panicked, I did what any normal 28-year old woman would do. I called my mommy and daddy. They gave advice to put some heat on it. Since I didn't have any heating pads, my mom asked if I had any rice and to seal the uncooked rice in a cloth and microwave it for a minute or two and place it against my back. It totally does the trick, by the way. I tried explaining this makeshift heating pad to the school nurse and her facial expression was a mixture of horror and polite confusion.

I eventually went to the hospital and had them check it out. I got medication but it was only for 30 hours and I knew it was something that would just need to work itself out. I ended up being floor-ridden for about a week and that was no fun. You would think that endless hours of watching every old TV show and movie would be exciting (hello Mighty Ducks, the Cosby Show and Polly (the 1989 film) - I was on a Keisha Knight-Pulliam bender). But I can tell you that it is not. I have always really liked my coworkers but they were especially kind during that week. I am a pretty lucky gal and I appreciated their help. They dropped by with food, did a pharmacy run for me and checked in on me. I am extremely fortunate to work with such wonderful, kind people.