This is not fun...

I woke up last Saturday morning with a horrible pain in the small of my back. I spent the day sitting on the heating pad trying to get some relief. Sunday I had a little relief but the back still hurt. Same thing Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. Had a lot of trouble shelving books on the bottom shelves. Even more trouble getting up and down but the pain was tolerable - until today. Normally independent, I learned to ask students to pick things up for me. Had a lot of difficulty shelving books. Really doesn't help to have an over abundance of books to shelve and no offers to help.

Anyway, the pain got so severe this afternoon I placed a call to the doctor. Her advice: no bending, lifting, stretching or twisting. Also, apply ice to the area at least once an hour.

Ice - not heat... I should have known better

No bending, lifting, stretching or twisting - that is my job: pick up book off rack, turn (aka twist) toward shelves, bend over to shelve on bottom shelves, turn toward rack and repeat. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday. If I make it through the day at work tomorrow I will have the weekend to recuperate. I would take the day off tomorrow but the work will still be there next week - only worse.

I haven't worked out at all this week. I missed Zumba, aqua fit and working out on the treadmill, recumbent bikes and cybex machines. At least I knew the right thing to do on this count.