You know that post that I wrote about hitting the gym early in the morning? Yeah, well, I wrote that sometime last week and had it in draft mode until yesterday. Since I wrote it, my body decided to freak the hell out on me and well, I’m currently doped up on vicodin and muscle relaxers.
I don’t know if I hurt myself at the gym or if something else is going on with my body, but I am waiting for a phone call to have an MRI done ASAP. I have severe neck pain that has reduced me to bed rest. I think I may puke at any time and can’t stop crying because it hurts so fucking bad. I can’t move my neck, it hurts to cough, laugh, lay down, sit down, walk. Basically, it hurts to exist.
The doctor is concerned because I have a “significant deficit” of strength on the left side of my body, which is why I have to have an MRI and also a neurological exam.
(Phone call already placed to doctor regarding my options to be KNOCKED OUT during the MRI because hello? Am claustrophobic! Think I may die in there!)
I’m pissed off because I was told no working out until we figure out what’s going on with my body and well, I’m going to be speaking on a panel at BlogHer. A panel about weight loss blogs and I have been trying to damn hard to lose this weight and now I can’t even get out of bed without crying and saying things like “I can’t liiiiiiiive like thiiiiiiiiiiis.” Man, I’m going to feel like a big asshole on that panel. “I lost a lot of weight and blogged about it and haha! Look at me now!”
I know that’s not the point of the panel, but on a personal level, it’s hard to not feel like a jackass. (That said, if you’re going to be at BlogHer, I hope you’ll come see me speak, I promise not to be “Debbie Downer”. In fact, if you ask nicely, I may even do The Monkey for you.)
Anyway, I probably shouldn’t be writing anything while under the influence of legal drugs, so I think I’ll wrap it up for now. Just please keep your fingers crossed that nothing serious is wrong with me and that I’ll be back in the gym very soon because I NEED TO BE IN THE GYM, PEOPLE.
Yay, I’m the first to comment! Anyways, I certainly hope there is nothing seriously wrong. Being in pain because of your neck or back totally sucks. I’ve spent many a day in bed due to pain so I feel ya. Get better soon.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you and hoping you’re feeling better real soon!!
I’ve hurt my knee at the gym once. It really sux. I hope you feel better soon though.
Yikes, I hope it isn’t serious.
I also would take that as a sign from the Gods-that-Be to forget about those perky morning workouts and go back to the more sedate evening ones.
I was going to say that you probably strained something from all the glaring you were doing at the perky people, but then I felt sorry for you cuz you said it really really hurts and so I decided to just say: I hope you feel better soon.
So sorry you are in pain. That really, really sucks.
About the weightloss, maybe you could lie and be all like “ummm… I used to weigh 350 lbs, so this is quite an improvement.”
I’ve been debating saying that to people, oh, and also that I’m 45 and pregnant. That way, instead of thinking I’m a 35 year old chubbie, they’ll think “wow, she looks great”.
My gosh I am so sorry! Gah–I just had Brody and then gall bladder surgery and loved the relief that Percaset (or however the heck you spell it) brought on!
I hope you feel better soon. If you need to drop out as a judge in my contest, I totally understand.
xoxoxoxoxo
I am so sorry you are down for the count. Don’t worry about your panel– I am sure I am just one of the readers who are really inspired by what you have accomplished, and not because you were perfect at it– but because you had backslides, too. I also started working out with the 5:45 crazies up at Jazzercise (and your journey was a part of the reason why!), and I know how those perky women can be… Hope it turns out to be a tweaked nerve that vicodin and a wiw bit o wodka can fix!
Good God Y, just take care of yourself! We want you healthy and in one piece and not walking semi-sideways favoring your right side like some humpback palsy victim with a limp. Whatever your weight.
Crossing all appendages for you.
I hope you are back on your feet and back in the gym soon.
In fact, if you ask nicely, I may even do The Monkey for you.
How about the Worm? How nice do we have to be for the Worm?!?
/get well soon
//enjoy the drugs
That sucks, I’m sorry to hear you are in pain. But you have pain meds! Yay for pain meds!
Anyone that has had real struggles with weight loss will know completely where you are coming from with the ups and downs. Don’t add that stress to the mix, you’ll do just fine.
I hope you feel better soon.
Oh, I hope you feel better soon! I have never had an MRI, but that tube scares me. Good luck.
Hope you feel better soon. I had that kind of pain with numbness and loss of strength on one side and it turned out to be a herniated disc, hurt to breath, no fun at all and excruciating pain.
Thank God for pain meds, get well soon!
Eeek! Y! Keep us posted. And also? My 2 year old is a pro at MRIs (with sedation)…she told me to tell you they are easy breezy. No worries. 😉
I’m thinking of you. I know pain and it’s just not cool.
No thumbs up for the pain.
Thumbs up for the drugs!!!
I request a private showing of The Monkey. Also that you share your stash of Vicodin.
Crossing my fingers for your swift recovery and return to gym. Hopefully you will be dancing The Monkey very soon.
Hope you’re feeling better soon Yvonne. I can empathize with where you’re at.
I slipped and fell in the bathtub a few years ago and had the worst pain of my life, even worse than labour and two c-sections. I was hospitalized for severe pain for four days then followed up with the chiropractor for two weeks. The joint where my pelvis joins my spine was out of place from my fall and was causing me huge pain. Demerol didn’t even touch the pain but anti-inflammatories like Toradol made it better. The chiropractor helped immensely and it might be something you might want to consider since it sounds like you may have twisted or bent the wrong way during your work out. There are some chiropractors who use a small hand activated ‘thumper’ to help gently adjust your vertabrae into proper alignment rather than use the hands one manual adjustment that some people don’t like.
Sending positive healing chi your way.
Y, dear, right now you DON’T need to be at the gym; you need to be where you can recover, and that is in bed, or in a comfy chair, or anywhere there won’t be stress on your body. The hard floor might even feel good; it does, sometimes. You might also get a mild vibrator (not THAT one!) to apply to your neck and spine. I hope you feel better soon, and I absolutely can’t WAIT to see you at BlogHer! Take care of yourself. You are of utmost importance to the universe!
Fingers very crossed.
I have a broken rib at the moment and Not Going to the gym is winding me up something awful. It has been six weeks and is likely to be a few more. Ack.
Grrlfriend – stress does nothing to relax the back. BlogHer is still in the future tense. Breathe.
Y, 2 words for you…… Open MRI!! I am SO claustrophobic, I won’t even go in an elevator. The open MRI is manageable, and they give you a little squeeze thing to hold in case you freak out and it notifies them that you need them. Just close your eyes and take a walk in your mind SOMEWHERE ELSE! And good luck and feel better.
Y, really sorry about your run of bad luck lately. Hang in there and things will turn around.
I had an MRI done when I was in my early 20s, and got the best advice. Of course,I am not claustrophobic, so maybe this will only be of limited use. Anyway, someone told me to imagine the MRI sound was like drums off in the distance. Imagine you are like in Africa and hear tribal drums. It’s sort of like that, and you can impagine you’re in a happy place, going on safari the next day to see lions, elephants, etc. It worked for me – I actually fell asleep during my MRI, but then again I can sleep anywhere. And of course I did’nt really think about the drums being from canibals who were planning on raiding our small camp and eating us all for dinner……….hmmm.
Be patient with yourself and your body. It seems like you may have herniated a disc – it hurts in an insane and terrible way and causes muscle weakness.
I was in horrible pain for 6 months (thank you, HMO!). Here is my advice for dealing, other than taking every kind of drug you can get your hands on: don’t project into the future. Deal with the pain you have NOW and take care of yourself and deal with the future when it gets here. Half the pain is the mental strain of thinking “How am I going to do this and this and this if it hurts as bad as it does?”
The other thing: Someday, you will not even be able to remember how bad this pain was. I swear.
DUDE! *loves* Kathy will be at BlogHer, but alas, not I.
I hope you’re well enough to go and that you’re ok all around. Call me if you need ANYTHING.
Feel better! And I hope things turn out just fine with the MRI!
Sure hope it isnt anything permanent. My hubby lives with that kind of pain every day. *sigh*
Sure hope you are ok!
My best friend went though the same thing and ended up losing 40 lbs because she was throwing up all the time, had vertigo and was in constant pain. They put her through a battery of tests..everything under the sun from MRIs to HIV tests to CT Scans. Months went by and she wasnt living life very well…her MIL had to fly in to take care of her kids, it was horrible for her.
On a fluke she went to the Chriopractor with her husband..turns out she had 2 cervical vertebra sitting on a nerve and pinching that was causing the whole problem.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, and hope the MRI comes back normal. You might need a good cracking by the Chrio and a few good body massages.
As a veteran of 8 MRI’s in order to be dx’d, and one a year since then for the last 7 years … get sedation via Valium and Versed and put a towel or washcloth over your eyes during the MRI. That way, should you open your eyes, you won’t see how close that tube is. It helps a little. They also have an intercom system in there, so you can say “Get me the fuck out of here” and they slide you right out. Deep breaths. Go back in. More Valium is good. It also helped me to have someone stand at the end of the ‘bed’ and hold my foot. For the first 3 or 4, I’d wiggle my foot when I sensed the drugs wearing off, and they’d pipe more in via the IV thingy.
Good luck – hope my suggestions didn’t come too late.
i will totally come see you at blogher. i will be the nervous girl puking into her purse.
I hope you’re feeling better by now. What a bummer.
Cas
good luck with that MRI
Yep, sounds like a herniated disk in your neck. My condolences. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, Rosie O’Donnell’s wife is going through the same thing. Although, maybe it won’t make you feel better, because she’s scheduled for surgery.
I took a Xanax before my MRI – worked like a charm. The drum visualization (ear-alization?) is a good idea too. Remember, the less you move, the faster they can get it done. So, if you can get someone to drive you, Xanax is an excellent way to get through it.
Good luck. I’m hoping that it’s just an awkward twisty thing, but with the weakness, it definitely sounds like a disk. Lyrica helped my nerve pain, so if your insurance will pay for it, try it.
I’m sorry you’re in pain. It brings back lousy memories for me, and I don’t want anyone else to feel like that. Okay, I lied, I want a few people to feel like that, but you’re not one of them. 😉
Oh Y, I hope you feel better soon. Neck and back pain really suck! I hope it is something easy to fix.
I think you are wonderful and beautiful just how you are. Clearly you should not work out ever 😉
Feel better.
No one at BlogHer is going to see you to check out what size pants you’re wearing; they’re going to see you because they love YOU for YOU. So there!
That being said, forget about the gym/your weight and focus on getting better. I’m sorry you’re suffering so!!! Sending healing thoughts and hugs your way.
Ok, “Tiffany” made me laugh.
But you better take care of yourself, Y! How will we survive without you?
You know, sometimes stress makes you hold your body in funny positions, like too stiff back muscles or something, then its a lot easier to throw something out of whack doing exercise, because your body isn’t used to accomodating your stressed musclature. Or so I was told ha ha.
But here’s a prayer going up for you that you feel better soon. Maybe your Blogher speech needs to be about how you can take care of yourself, including exercise and dietary changes, as a busy woman with a million demands. I’d love to hear something about that- I always feel selfish if I take time for me, knowing that everybody else in my family always needs something.
Blessings to you!
Oh, Y, I hope they can figure out what’s wrong and put you back to rights again! Feel better soon!
Hey Y!
I hope that everything goes smashingly and you make a speedy recovery. Those perky bitches need you back in the gym! lol
Sending healing thoughts your way….
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but maybe a chiropractor could help. When I go in for a checkup, if one side of my body is significantly weaker, it’s because something is out of alignment. He puts me back in alignment and tada! All better. I was extremely skeptical, but it worked, so who knows? It might help you. I hope you’re feeling better again soon!
As for Blogher, pfft. You need to take care of yourself first. I hope the MRI goes well!
I hope you feel better soon, Y. I will say prayers for you and your MRI and neck to be fine.
Hope you feel better soon Y. You’re probably already doing this but ice always helps my back and neck when I get out of alignment.
More MRI Tips
I had one that was open at each end and an officially open MRI.
SueBob told me to imagine I was in Hawaii and there was construction going on at the resort. That helped actually.
One good tip I got, though, was to go through it constantly telling yourself this is a path to your healing……..this procedure will help you get better.
I wrote a blog about the whole thing start to finish….
http://thyme2ghough.blogspot.com/2007/01/getting-mri-ie-i-survived-it.html
College education is a basic need today
I’ve just been staying at home waiting for something to happen. I’ve just been letting everything wash over me. I can’t be bothered with anything recently.