Last Tuesday I began having intense pain in my lower back. Just in time for Nutcracker season, right? I'm beginning to think that the worst time is when these things will always happen. Coming from someone who has sustained numerous injuries I can say it truly makes you appreciate the ability to give 100% of yourself.
But these kinds of things are all-too frequent and we need to take care of ourselves. After a couple of mildly successful visits to the chiropractor and one very successful emergency visit from the Maine State Ballet Company physical therapist, my back is feeling better, but like a small child to their mother, the pain is deterring my attention every other moment.
Although he probably won't see this, I need to give a moment of acknowledgement to David Reese, our physical therapist whose time with us is entirely volunteer. If there are angels or saints or fairies or whatever you would consider the best kinds of people on this planet, he is one of them. Truly, he is one of the most selfless and giving people I know, faithfully taking his lunch breaks and any moments off at the drop of a hat to spend time with us and keep us trudging forward. David, thank you, thank you, thank you!
My advice? Establish a relationship with your physical therapist. They're just wonderful.
With that said, I've taken this afternoon between school and work to tackle the to-do list and take a moment to acknowledge and take care of my body. So with a heated rice pack hidden under my winter coat and scarf on this chilly morning, I finished up my only class of the day and came home to a laptop with an impatient tapping toe and an ice pack followed by a warm bath effervescent with soothing salts, tea, and a clean-linen scented candle. Yeah, I should do this more often.
