I am not a doctor. I don’t play one on TV. I haven’t slept in a Holiday Inn Express. Heck, I’ve hardly slept the past week. When something breaks on me, it’s never easy for me to diagnose. And when I do — it’s usually wrong.
Take a week ago for instance: I thought I was having a heart attack. Now, if I were, I’d be surprised. My hearts in really good shape — but I was having chest pains, had pain radiating through my upper back and my arms went numb. Add to that — I’m at that magical age when people like me drop dead from heart attacks. So while I thought it might be reflux (I have a history), I went ahead and got my heart checked out.
It’s in tip-top-shape.
I still had bad pain, though. I couldn’t sleep and it hurt to lie down on a bed with my head on a pillow. I was averaging about three hours a sleep all last week. And still keeping a full schedule. So there was some thought that maybe I had an ulcer or something wrong with my esophagus. Got it checked and guess what? It’s a little banged up but otherwise, OK. New reflux medicine and it started to work. But I still had the pain. I did a couple of TV shows and radio shows when I was gritting my teeth the whole time.
Best I can tell at this point is that I pinched a nerve in my neck — thus the numb arms and other pain. Reflux gave me the chest pain, the nerve everything else. And it is rotten. More medicine, proper painkillers (no opioids!) and a friend of mine is going to show me some stretches. And no running right now. So I walk in the morning — and it is driving me crazy.
I am continuing keep that full schedule I mentioned earlier.
But last night something magical happened: I was able to sleep eight hours! OMIGOD it was Devine! I even slept on my stomach for a bit — and had dreams.
I’m sure I’ll heal. The heating pad is my friend and I will continue to follow my doctor’s orders. But until I do, I will have nothing but complete respect for anyone with back pain. It, like tooth pain, will become the center of your universe in a heartbeat!
A quick shout out to Amy who has kept the Ramsey Railroad on the tracks while I was getting poked and prodded. We did the for better or worse thing and she’s pretty good when things turn to worse.
I am grateful.