For the past month or two, my back has not been cooperating. Because of this, I pretty much have stuck to home/work and errands with the occasional drink at a non-crowded bar with very protective friends.
But yesterday was a GORGEOUS day after all this snow and I was feeling the cabin fever. I texted a friend for brunch and after we took an Ingress constitutional,winding up at the Washington Monument. All told, more walking than I've done in a while.
I took a bunch of pictures and posted them on Facebook. Someone replied the the photos and said "I hope this means you were out and about in today's nice weather and feeling better!"
Yes. The weather was PHENOMENAL. As for feeling better.... I don't really know how to address that. People often see me have a good day and think that I'm magically cured. Or worse, they see me on a good day and think I'm exaggerating the bad days, or that a bad day isn't lurking in the shadows.
Ask anyone with a chronic disease, injury, or pain, that there are good days (where you have the energy to do things and a body that's on board), bad days (where you have no energy and/or a body that is not with the program), and days that are in-between.
There are days and events where one must make a calculated risk: we may not have the energy, we may not be feeling well, or we'll know we'll pay for it after, but there's something that's worth the expenditure or after-effects. For example, I'm going to a 2Cellos show in April. I know that sitting for that long will not be fun, but I'm real excited for the show.
4 comments
I'm glad that you had a good day, and I hope you have more good days in the future and also that your back will heal. The people who think that you're exaggerating what you're going through are the people who don't understand. It's better to be with people who are supportive and kind, because their support will make you feel better.
Reply@NW: Well I say the same thing to all the people who don't understand/think that I'm exaggerating: One day, when you have back pain, you'll think back to this moment and understand.
ReplyI wouldn't wish chronic pain on anyone to have that understanding, though.
There was an image going around the interwebs a while ago of a woman standing up out of her wheelchair to reach a high shelf at a supermarket. People were making fun of it "A miracle!" like why was she even in a wheelchair if she can obviously stand up when she wants to. What they didn't realise is that being able to stand up for a short time (and maybe only on a good day) doesn't mean that you don't need to spend 99% of the time NOT standing. It's like watching me sprint for 5 seconds and assuming I can do that for an entire marathon! And you being able to go out occasionally, and likely pay for it later with extra pain, doesn't mean your problems are over.
ReplyI too hope you have many more good days. And that you get lots more nice weather.
@Natalie I've been that lady in the wheelchair! I could walk, but it was very, very painful at the time. I felt like such a faker and thought people would judge me for using it. People say you shouldn't worry about others judging you, but that's much easier said than done.
ReplyRobby, I'm not sure if you've had this, but I had so many people at work tell me that I was "too young" to have surgery. I didn't even know what to say to that. I think my response was "Well, it's happening!" I should have just gave them blank stares. I have so much respect for you and what you're going through, which is much more than I know anything about. Sometimes people can be really stupid (me included). Sometimes they also just don't know enough about the situation.
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