Let the Pain Begin!

February 16, 2011

            I’m in the preliminaries at ten p.m., just 28 hours since my last Celebrex.  The start-up is the stabbing in my lower back and the sharp shooting jabs behind my right knee.  I’m quite sure I’ll qualify for the marathon.

February 17, 2011

            At nine a.m., I am emotionally refreshed after reading a lovely email from my daughter and composing a response. 

            What I imagine as an inflammatory response is growing.  The backs of my hands hurt, the knuckles feel swollen.  The little twinges that break through on occasion despite the Celebrex now have a sharper edge.  Let’s just say that from head to toe I feel a leaden aching core, dense yet diffuse. 

            Music is a temporary natural pain reliever.  It’s 10:45 a.m. and I just spent an hour practicing the wonderful music for flute choir and flute recital.  Naturally, everything hurts now again, but that’s just how it’s gonna be for a few days.

            Writing about music is another temporary natural pain reliever.  It is now 3:10 p.m. and I am no worse off than on most days.  (And, no, it did not take me four hours to write the previous paragraph.  I was composing poetry about music instead.)

            The worst pain I ever experienced was not in childbirth but from a dislocated right shoulder.  Labor, at least, has its own rhythm:  waves of intensity followed by lulls of silence.  Dislocation, though, is strident and uninterrupted.  I screamed my way through the emergency room and X-rays and the “relocation” of my shoulder. 

            Bedtime now, and my neck is my major complaint.  It’s a good thing I am still allowed my muscle relaxant.

I ate lots of fresh blueberries today in preparation for a three-day low fiber diet.  (Oh, yes.  I forgot to mention that the whole reason behind my five-day fast from Celebrex is the colonoscopy scheduled for Monday.  I’m going to miss my fruits and vegetables and whole grains for the next two days.  I’m still not sure why the doctor wants to plug me up before the Golytely cleans me out.)  Yes, I know, I know.  Too much information. 

February 18, 2011

            There’s nothing like having your email account hacked into to distract you from aches and pains . . . and to use up lots of time to set things right.

            The very pleasant thing is that I have not yet felt the awful “flu” feeling that I’ve always had before when stopping Celebrex.  It would be very nice if I could simply do without that expensive NSAID on a permanent basis.

            Naturally, I spoke too soon.  The flu/fatigue feeling came on quite suddenly as I waited for my prescription this afternoon.   However, by the time Mom and I got home, it had passed.  Now, at ten p.m., the pain in my neck, shoulders, hands, and fingers (and legs) is back.  I took a Tylenol 3 a little while ago—second one today.  The first was at 5 a.m. when I awoke with a splitting headache.

            But I have done better so far than anticipated. Off again, on again pain is much better than constant pain.  And I have my mattress warmer atop my memory foam bed to help me through the night.  It is rather like having a full-body heating pad set on low.  I have never regretted spending that ridiculous amount of money on this heavenly bed.