This could not have happened at a more inconvenient time. I’m going to be (even more so) out of the loop for the next week or so. It seems I have done myself some damage while getting ready for Thing1’s graduation. I’ve managed to to over-stress and inflame (because just doing one of them wasn’t enough – classic over-achiever) my right trapezius and sternocleidomastoideus (yeah, I had to look it up too) muscles. I'm knotted up like an over-wound rubber band.
Our oldest is graduating high school this Saturday and we are celebrating with an open house. To get the yard ready, I’ve been doing some directed landscaping. That has involved about 40 cubic yards of mulch, 150 yards of landscape fabric, and lots of shoveling and picking at the rock hard clay that passes for our front lawn. I’ve been at this since last Friday. This morning, it was all I could do to get out of bed. According to my doctor, I have a repetitive motion injury. Go figure.
I can’t cough, I can’t sneeze, I can’t even take a big breath with doubling over from a stabbing pain in my shoulder. I’ve never had a sneeze over-ridden by sheer agony before. I don’t recommend it as an antihistamine agent. I can almost guarantee that you won’t like it.
After the throbbing subsides, my muscles ache from what feels like fatigue. Being sore I can deal with, it’s the shooting pains that take my breath away that make me really uncomfortable.
The doc has me on an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer. I was hesitant about taking the muscle relaxer. The last time I was prescribed one (for my left shoulder), I had to stop taking it immediately. The first one knocked me for such a loop I couldn’t concentrate or focus. The comedic value for the wife and spawn was high, mind you. We’ll have to see how this one works out.
So, alternating hot and cold compresses for the shoulder and a week’s pass at lifting my arms above my head. Fab-o!
On a lighter note, and not in any way associated with the above rant, several people have asked about my manominations. Yes, it’s a direct reference to The Muppet Show’s Ma-Nom-Ma-Na song. Nominations are special and humbling. Manominations are all that and fun too! Plus, it makes the song stick in your head for days.
