The Subjugation of Pain

Today was fun. I mean that, actually. I was saying it sarcastically, but until it wasn't, it was.

Mal and I were playing one of his favorite new games, Scare and Seek. At one point, I'd hidden behind the laundry room door. Whenever Mal's looking for me, I "meow" to let him know when he's getting colder. I'd sounded for him just as Rudy came around the corner and meowed back to me. Mal came down the hall and said, "I heard it twice!" Rudy meowed again, and this time walked back behind the door, under my legs. Mal came around the corner and asked, "Rudy, have you seen my mom--- AAAH!" as he came face to face with me. It was pretty funny.

Later, though, we were playing Thunder Hollow Crazy Eight demolition derby. Mal rides on his little sit-on tricycle scooter, and I ride on a plasma car. Although you propel the plasma car by turning the steering wheel, to get started, I usually push off with my feet, otherwise Mal, who is totally foot-powered, gets away from me. Today, the car shot out from under me and I landed flat on my tailbone.

Have you ever injured your coccyx? Because I have. In high school. And I felt shots of pain for more than ten years after that injury, and after several months of chiropractic adjustments.

Anyway, suffice it to say that I'm pathetic right now. But the interesting part of all of this, to me, is another element of back pain.

For the past two or three months, I've been having increasingly strong sciatica down the back of my left upper leg, similar to where it was when I had a ruptured disc. In fact, I can feel in my back where the problem is. It's getting more debilitating, but I can avoid it by having my lower back well supported... Except when I'm nursing on my left side, which is how our beds are set up. Oh well. It's a work in progress.

Anyhoo, after I hurt my tailbone today, when I was sitting on the couch, I did an experiment, crossing my left leg over my right, in a position I know hurts the sciatica. I was vaguely aware of that stress, but the new injury "quieted" the previous pain in a noticeable way.

I'll be interested to see how it feels when we go to bed tonight. Don't worry. I definitely learned a few years ago to listen to my body telling me to cut out something that's hurting me. But I can do a little light experimentation, right?