For the past couple of days I have been working on my Thesis Paper so I can graduate. My bamboo chair is not very comfortable. Usually my rear end goes numb and I have to get up and let the blood flow once again.

Tomorrow the first draft of my paper is due so I had tons of work to finish.

I got up to get a cup of coffee and decided to take the garbage out. I bent over and BAM! A shockwave of pain rolled through my back and I had difficulty standing up. I went to my room and lay down on the floor to see if that would help. Nope.

As I tried not to breathe too deeply I reminisced about the other times I threw my back out.

The first time was around 2001. I bent over to pick up a sock and felt something strange happen to my back. There was no pain at that precise moment but when I tried to stand up I couldn’t and searing pain attacked me.

I didn’t know what to do. My whole body hurt when I tried to move even a little bit. I lay down and realized the pain eased when I put my legs up.

I was stuck there until my roommate came home and to helped me to the recliner. I stayed in that chair for three days.  It was miserable but I got over it.

The next time was several years later while at Wal-Mart buying kitty litter and cat food.

When I picked up the 15 pound bucket of kitty litter I felt it happen but decided to use mind over matter. By the time I got through check out and to my car I was hunched over the shopping cart and in tears from the pain. A very nice man loaded my stuff into the trunk for me.

Since I didn’t have three days to spend waiting it out I called my dad and he told me I needed Ibuprofen and a heating pad. I did not have a heating pad. He said to go to the Walgreens drive-thru window and tell them what happen and see if they can help.

The gentlemen at the window understood what I was going through and grabbed the things I needed and brought it out to my car since it hurt to lift my arms.

At home I got the heating pad ready and was just about to take the Ibuprofen when I remembered I still had some muscle relaxers from when I dislocated my shoulder. I was so happy.

Twelve hours later my back felt weak but pain free.

This time I am not so lucky. The Ibuprofen is not working and I think I keep burning myself on the heating pad but it is the only thing stifling the pain.

It’s going to be a long and painful night as I work on my paper.