This was not a good morning. Because of my spinal stenosis,
I have some stretches to do before I get out of bed each morning. Today, as I
swung my legs into the first stretch, I felt strong pain in my back. No bed
lumbar twists this morning. I tried the standing twist, gingerly, but I couldn't
feel the stretch nearly as well as I should.
At my
podiatrist appointment, I reported the tender spot under my second toe, and the
podiatrist gave me a silicone “cushion” to wrap around the toe and lift it off
the ground. In the office, it merely felt uncomfortable, which I put down to not
being used to it. But after I left and walked a few blocks, the silicone device
pressed more on the ball of my foot, causing pain and throwing my gait off.
The upset I
felt was partly because of the pain — but it was also because I knew, when I
went home, there would be no Jack to rub my back and make it feel better, and
no Jack for me to bounce off my feelings about the silicone device. I was
overcome by sadness, and had to sit down on a bus shelter bench and cry. I’m
not the kind of person who cries in public, and fortunately, no one stopped to
ask if I was all right. And after a few minutes I was. Went home, took off the
silicone, have sat with my back flat against my chair all afternoon.
I
will be all right, but aches and pains alone are no fun.
