For the second time this week, I slipped and fell on the ice.  The first time was no big deal.  I lost my footing and landed straight on my back.  I used to be a skateboarder, so I know how to fall instinctively, and I just laughed and got back up.  No pain at all.

This second fall, I wasn't so lucky.  I landed in a seated position.  At first, I thought I was okay.  My elbow hurt, cause I hit it, but otherwise I was fine.  On the ride home, though, I realized that every time I hit a bump, I was getting pins and needles feelings in the backs of my legs. 

20 minutes after I got home, I was on my way to the hospital by ambulance.  Turns out, I pinched a nerve in my back and I'm having muscle spasms around that nerve, causing neurological pain in my legs.  It's agonizing.  Felt like millions of hot needles poking into the backs of my legs and the balls of my feet.  I have a high pain tolerance, but this was making me really bitchy.  They gave me a shot of a powerful NSAID, gave me some muscle relaxants (flexaril), and they had to practically force me to take 2 darvocets.  (I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict, and I didn't want any opiates, but I'm glad I took them home with me).  I needed the first darvocet to fall asleep.  I woke up in pain, not excruciating, but enough to keep me awake, so I took the second.  Waiting for it to kick in so I can get back to sleep.

*sigh*.  Another reminder I'm not twenty anymore. 

At least I still have gratitude.  I said a little prayer in the hospital, thanking God for giving me pain to remind me that I'm still alive.  When I was drinking/drugging, I didn't feel pain.  Now I do, so you take the good with the bad.  (And it's much more good, than bad.  Besides, if I felt no pain, I wouldn't have known something was wrong, and I might have made it much worse.)

Turns out my elbow is swollen, too.  No big deal though.  My partner came and took me home from the hospital, took me to get my flexaril, took me to the store (I needed frozen peas to use as an ice pack), and bought me dinner.  Love ya Ed. 

Onwards to bed.  Can't wait until winter is over.