Twist and Shout
Last night we had a doubleheader softball game; the regular one at 8 p.m. and a makeup game at 6 p.m. to account for the game we didn't play a couple of weeks back when the lights didn't turn on. I was up in the bottom of the 1st inning and on my first pitch I hit a towering shot to center. The fielder didn't catch the ball and I would have had an easy stand-up double. Would have had if I'd been able to make it that far. After leaving the battter's box I found I couldn't stand up without pain in my lower back. I managed to walk down to first but the pain wasn't temporary and I called time out and got a pinch runner in for me as I went back to the team area. If I leaned forward things were ok, but if I tried to sit up or stand up straight or lean back while sitting, I had some pretty strong discomfort. I tried stretching, but that didn't help. I stayed until the end of the game and helped Jessica keep score, but it was apparent I'd be unable to play the second game. Oh, the injustice! A doubleheader and I only got one at bat in the first game.
From there we stopped by the urgent care center to get checked out. I'd never had this much physical trouble with my back before. So the doctor asked some questions about how I got the injury and my health and what I do at work. I told him about my job and the 12 hour shifts and though it's not overly physical, it's no desk job. He listened to my breathing and my heart then checked the reflexes in my knees and just above the heel. Then he felt my spine from top to bottom, but everything seemed fine to him. I had back x-rays taken to make sure there wasn't any damage to the spine, but those were fine. I most likely suffered a pulled muscle from a rotation injury when swinging the bat. I was prescribed some muscle relaxers and acetaminophen. As far as work he said I'd be fine to do so once I felt fine myself.
I was hoping after taking my medication and some sleep I'd be able to go back to work today, but twice I woke up overnight and had to get up from bed because I was unable to find a position that was comfortable. So at 5:30 I called in to the lab at told Mark, the lead on my crew, that I'd not be able to come in today. My cousin Jessie is getting married in Cedar Rapids tomorrow and I'd gotten someone to cover my shift (which I why I worked on Tuesday night, to fulfill the shift swap), but it looks like instead of going to that I'll just be taking it easy at home tomorrow as well to make it back to work on Sunday.
Good news is that though I'm not able to work today, walking around it a bit easier than it was last night, so progress is already apparent. Even if I'm not close to 100% by Sunday, I can probably arrange it that I just stay in the lab that day and the other two will pick up on sample collecting duties and I'll do more of the analysis.
From there we stopped by the urgent care center to get checked out. I'd never had this much physical trouble with my back before. So the doctor asked some questions about how I got the injury and my health and what I do at work. I told him about my job and the 12 hour shifts and though it's not overly physical, it's no desk job. He listened to my breathing and my heart then checked the reflexes in my knees and just above the heel. Then he felt my spine from top to bottom, but everything seemed fine to him. I had back x-rays taken to make sure there wasn't any damage to the spine, but those were fine. I most likely suffered a pulled muscle from a rotation injury when swinging the bat. I was prescribed some muscle relaxers and acetaminophen. As far as work he said I'd be fine to do so once I felt fine myself.
I was hoping after taking my medication and some sleep I'd be able to go back to work today, but twice I woke up overnight and had to get up from bed because I was unable to find a position that was comfortable. So at 5:30 I called in to the lab at told Mark, the lead on my crew, that I'd not be able to come in today. My cousin Jessie is getting married in Cedar Rapids tomorrow and I'd gotten someone to cover my shift (which I why I worked on Tuesday night, to fulfill the shift swap), but it looks like instead of going to that I'll just be taking it easy at home tomorrow as well to make it back to work on Sunday.
Good news is that though I'm not able to work today, walking around it a bit easier than it was last night, so progress is already apparent. Even if I'm not close to 100% by Sunday, I can probably arrange it that I just stay in the lab that day and the other two will pick up on sample collecting duties and I'll do more of the analysis.