Things to avoid....falling down stairs.

Not a particularly fun thing to do at the best of times but doing it with a bad back is really really stupid! It happened cos I decided to go to WC Swing last night at the VFW. Usually they hold these upstairs so I go in through the front...which involves walking up stairs....tricky, but doable! But on Tuesday nights they hold the dance downstairs in the A/C room. So, I thought I'd be clever and go in through the side entrance, through the bar to the room. "Mind the Steps" the sign said. Of couse I will. Ooops, not quite. I have no idea what happened but i managed to slide down the stone steps on my back, head first....all the time thinking, this is not good for my back.

I landed. Managed to wriggle round so my feet were below my head and stood up. Somehow I dont think I had actually dropped anything. So dusted my self off walked through the bar, said good evening to the bar man and disappeared into the ladies. Sat down, checked myself out. Knee nicely bruised. Ow....tears! But that seemed to be about it. Wandered back through the bar, found Barb and we went upstairs - where they were going to hold the dance cos someone had "stolen" the room downstairs. Got up there, met Joe T, told them I'd just fallen down the steps and then burst into tears. So they got me a chair and a load of ice...for my back...think it must have been self-preservation...just kept going til I found someone to look after me and then collapsed totally. Sandy turned up and filled me up with Tylenol. More ice. More ice. Tried to stand. No way. Shooting pains all up my back. Sat down again. Phoned the chiropractor. Ice for 20 minutes at 45 minute intervals. Rest! OK.

Now had the challenge of getting home. There was no way I could drive. So Joe and Ed carried me down in the disabled elevator to Ed's car. Barb gave me a going-home present.....bread from Montana Mills!!! They got me in the car...somehow......totally pathetic, Joe had to do my seatbelt up for me (!) and Ed drove me home. Sandy followed in my car. At the other end we found the driveway virtually blocked cos someone was round looking at the house. Managed to squeeze the car up the driveway and then struggled out the car. Completely unable to put any weight on my left leg cos the pain up my back was so intense. So I shuffled along a bit with Ed for support. They got me in a chair, icepacked me (with the packs that I'd bought that very afternoon - how about that for good planning!).

Managed to get up to bed a bit later. Took more Tylenol and managed to get comfortable. Woke up this morning, still dressed and unable to move. Tried to get up to go to the bathroom. Cold sweat broke out and I came very close to passing out. Not trying that again. Spent the day sleeping, with ocassional breaks to answer the phone and take more drugs. Managed to find a really cool way to slide out of bed onto my chair so I could wheel myself round the room. Much better than trying to slide out of bed onto my knees - I got stuck and had to try and clamber back in...that hurt....lots!!! About 5pm I actually stood up, all on my own, well with the chair for support. Wooohoooo.

Joe called and then he and Sandy came round with food supplies for me...plus vitamins and other stuff to help relax my muscles. Thought about asking for a bedpan but decided the indignity was too much!!!! Feel infinitely better now....just got bruises all down my leg and across my back, my neck is stiff and my shoulders ache like hell. Still getting spasms in my back muscles and some shooting pains up my right side but I've been up for about 4 hours and the head seems to be surviving. Should be able to get to the chiropractor again tomorrow - Ed said he'd take me if I wanted to go - but work will have to wait for a while.

There you have it....who says my life is dull!!!