back in black and blue

several weeks ago, i was moving some things around in the garage, my legs splayed in a goofy position shifting yet another heavy container of my crap, when, wham- sharp, intense pain in my lower back. oh, shit. suddenly, my mobility, which i have to say i’ve been taking for granted, suddenly wasn’t there.

back pain is ugly, hella-pain.  it is incapacitating.  i don’t understand how people can deal with chronic back pain.  over the first week in particular i was like a turtle upside down in the desert.  try to shift a foot?  ouch!  cough or sneeze? ouch, ouch! try to sleep on your side?  my god- just shoot me now.

healing seemed to be done in geological time.

by the middle of last week, i could not handle not being able to hoop.  i braved the remaining pain to go perform at an obama fundraiser with my old hoop partner, hoop goddess.  i took the time to carefully stretch. felt great to move, to get sweaty, to be outside, to rock what my mama gave me.  but later, having sat on a couch for a few hours, i about cried when i tried to get up. the pain kept me up all night. serious hooppain, baby.

so now, with two hoop gigs on the horizon that i really don’t want to have to miss, i’m enduring the recovery process, fighting my tendency to want to get up and move a lot.  we’ll see if i can pull it off with the heavier fire hoop in a few days.

my point?  take special care of your back, eventhough it feels incredibly strong from hooping.  stretch!  if you get hurt, let it heal completely before doing anything political.

and have someone else move your crap.