Ed drove me to doctor’s office, I was seen immediately. Wore a mask and gloves. Ed waited in the car. They were super nice. I lay face down on a table with a spongy mattress. Doctor questioned me about the pain area, about a three inch deep band between my shoulder blades. He injected me three times at various intervals, covered the area with tape and I was free to go. These are steroid injections. He said the benefit wouldn’t kick in for a while. My x-ray had shown that n addition to the stenosis and scoliosis, I had some arthritis in the spine.

We needed stuff from the market and I did the shopping and was not so proud that I didn’t use one of the carts for the disabled. I careened around the market like a crazy person but I got everything,

Well, relief didn’t kick in for a good 40 hours. The day after I was still racked with severe spasms, and was utterly exhausted. I forced myself to empty waste baskets and take the trash out, forced myself to load the dishwasher, but did not wash the pots and pans. I hate waking up to a kitchen that isn’t perfect. Tough. My night time routine was also severely cut back. I have a checklist of things to do that keep me looking 60 instead of 88, and I did the bare minimum. I did zero workouts, no stretching, no jumps, no treadmill, no push-ups. This is the worst I have ever felt in my life and I wondered if it was my future. Very depressing.

Today was mostly the same, couldn’t take 5 steps without wanting to collapse. I went out to get our paper from the lawn, and draped myself over the hood of the car for a few minutes. I spent the afternoon in bed watching old movies. Then we finally got delivery of the prepared dinners I signed up for two weeks ago. (dinners for 2 for 7 days). I chose the shrimp with peppers and broccoli to have and heated it, and made potatoes because Ed must have potatoes with everything. And along about 9 o’clock, I began to feel human. It’s a trick, I was thinking. Well, it seems the relief is finally kicking in. I am encouraged. I won’t be leaping tall buildings in a single bound as I used to do in class, but being without pain is really special.

xx, Teal