My body is falling apart...one piece at a time

Sitting in a chair once more at PT. This is the end of week 2 of 8 weeks. As my Twitter followers know...I threw my back out in late January from just coughing. Originally, I hurt my lower back at work back in July of 2009. I was lifting heavy boxes and compensating for my neck/shoulder injury a few years back. BAM! The back seized up and the rest is history.
I re-aggravated the neck/shoulder in October of 2009. Once again, I was working. I couldn't seem to catch a break. I started PT and was doing it fairly consistently until August 2010. At that point I was cut off and I've been making due. Then with that fateful sneeze I laid myself up for 4 days and a trip to my doctors.
So far, the PT on my back seems to be helping. Unfortunately, it has aggravated the neck. We're trying to put as little stress on it as possible. I had PT Wednesday morning. That night my neck/shoulder were tight and I had a horrible tension headache. Headache is gone now but the tension is still there. Praying they don't torture me too much today. I don't want another tension headache and the additional pain that comes.
Update:  Yep, I was tortured.  We agreed to adjust the one exercise that is similar to a push up with a hold count of 10 seconds.  It puts too much stress on my neck.  But there is now added torture.  I have to get up on all fours with my back like a table.  I have to alternate raising my left arm out in front of me and then the right.  10 times each.  Then the same with each legs.  If that isn't bad enough the final one is where I where I stretch out the right arm and the  left leg at the same time and then alternate it with the opposite....10 times each.  Oh the torture of it. The good news is that I didn't feel like I was straining the neck area as much. 
The major torture came when my therapist did this really light pinch/roll across my lower back.  It shouldn't hurt.  I'm so tight it felt like he was either pinching my with all  his might or giving me shots with a needle.  Thank goodness we have a good relationship because I told him numerous time that I hated him and that he was taking pleasure in my pain.  He knows I wasn't serious, but damn that hurt a lot! He says it's really tense.  It does feel looser since his torture.  Now I have to drink lots and lots of water he said because he released something in my skin and I'll dehydrate easy.  So, I'm on my third glass of water. 
Hoping next week brings less torture.



A new day

Today was better than yesterday but not great.  I had a new therapist today at PT who doesn't know my routine.  I really didn't feel a sense of accomplishment after leaving.  My shoulder area is tender where he rubbed some knots out and also the lower part of my shoulder blade.  Ugh.
Husband had to take a drive with his boss and a fellow store manager so they could be reprimanded for shrink results.  If his next inventory is bad he goes on a 45 day action plan and can be terminated.  Extra scary since I'm stop out of work.
Praying tomorrow's a better day.

Busy, busy mommy!

I have to tell you, yesterday just flew right by without even a, "How do you do?".  Wow!  I was busy from sun up to sun down.  I had my normal routine of getting the kids up and ready for school, made sure my son was ready for his class field trip.  Then I was off to PT for an hour of torture on my neck.  After that I ran to the store for dinner ideas before heading home to start it.  I decided on BBQ pork so I got the pork ready and into the oven before relaxing for a whole hour.  I got the kids from school, came home, shredded the beef and added bbq sauce to it and set it to simmer on the stove.  Then I was off again to pick up my daughter's girl scout cookie orders and distribute a few to close friends and family.  We had a yummy dinner, that my husband actually made it home for since he didn't have to go to a work function.  Yippee!  It's the first time we've had dinner together during the week in a long time!  Thank you God!!  It was a nice change of pace. 
Yesterday was a fun filled day for my second grader because not only did he have a field trip but last night he had a special event called Camp Read A Lot and it was only for his grade.  He hurried through a quick shower.  That was quite an accomplishment for him!  He had a few minutes to relax until we were off once again to pick up his friend and head to the school.  They had 5 fun stations that the kids got to go to...all in different parts of the school.  We did campfire sing along (they had some great fake campfires!),  storytime, scavenger hunt, fishing (for words) and the grand finale for our group...sequencing a story about how to make S'mores.  Yum!  Each child got their own S'mores.  The perfect end to a perfect night.  After that we dropped his friend off and then I had to convince him to unwind and get ready for bed.  It took a bit but once his head hit the pillow he was out like a light!  The house by that time was so quiet!  Everyone was asleep, so I just sat for a bit, relaxing and enjoying the silence.
I did have some trouble sleeping because my neck and shoulder got really tight from all the day's activities.  I was up early.  My mom came to watch the kids and get them off to school so I could go to PT.  Unfortunately, I had to go get gas because the car was on empty.  Once I filled it up a nice customer pointed out that one of my tires was flat!  Ugh!  So, I go to turn the car on to move it to the air pump and what should I discover?!  The car won't start!  Grrrr!  Thank God for a nice employee who actually approached me and offered to jump it.  After a few tries it started.  I moved it to the air pump, put some air in the tire and left it to run while I went and got myself a much deserved coffee!  I called PT to tell them I was on my way and would be there shortly.  The great news is...the air held in the tire and the car started.  So far now, all is well and I pray it stays that way.  I'm off to get my son from school and take him to the ENT and then out to lunch.  Tonight is the Father/daughter dance for girl scouts.  I hope my husband will make it home in time and stay awake for it.  Poor man.  I love him so much.  Personally, I can't wait until we can fall into bed together tonight.

Here we go again

Well my physical therapy for my neck has finally be authorized.  I have been out of pt since early February. That was for my shoulder.  I guess I had meant the number of what comp terms as allowable visits.  Then the nurse in charge of my comp case wanted me to go to another specialist to have my neck checked.  After she reviewed my case file she decided that maybe the herniated disc in my neck is causing the pain in my neck and left shoulder.
It's now been over a month since we started down this route.  Finally everyone agrees, including the IME doctor.
Let's see how I'm feeling later tonight and tomorrow after my first PT session in months.