Love soaks up the sun

By Mir
January 21, 2010

I spent most of yesterday feeling very sorry for myself, and have a good head start on doing more of the same, today.

My neck is out. This used to happen with a fair amount of regularity, but it hasn’t happened in a long time. I think I thought I was “over” it; that whatever was injured in that long-ago car accident had finally been healed or at least cracked into submission by the chiropractor. And here as I stand on the brink of what is perhaps the healthiest period of my life—I am eating a high protein, low fat, mostly fresh, antioxidant-rich diet, and exercising daily for the first time since my childhood—I managed to wake up yesterday morning almost unable to move.

When I commented that “this sucks” to Otto, Chickadee wagged her finger at me and told me to “find a nicer word,” and I told her that I most certainly would not, because it DOES suck. Winning parental moment, right there. I am a role model for the ages, no?

Luckily I was able to get in with my chiropractor towards the end of the day, and I had visions of immediate relief. Well, okay, there was a TINY bit of immediate relief, but then I reasoned that SURELY today I would wake up much better. And that didn’t happen, either. Sometimes it takes more time, I guess.

“This is so unfair,” I groused, as I was poked and prodded and gently untwisted. “I didn’t even DO anything. What happened?”

“Well,” replied the wise doctor. “I often find something like this can be brought on by fighting off sickness, or by stress or another big emotional change.

“I’m not stressed,” I argued. “Everything’s going really well.”

“Hmmmm,” she said.

And it’s true. I’m eating right and exercising and even getting enough sleep. Monkey has been a different kid at school, lately, and happy and cooperative here at home. Chickadee just found out she’s moving up to the next level of the Science Fair and continues to love and rock her new short-haired self. Otto is unflappable, as always.

Everything is good. Everything is better than it’s been in a while. Perhaps I just recently exhaled?

My office is another story. Right now the new desk is set up, but we haven’t yet removed the old one, which means we haven’t rearranged everything else, which means that there are things like bookcases sitting in the middle of the room. Fancy. Once I’m fully mobile again, I’ll get things moved around and finished. In the meantime, though, I’m enjoying my new post right here by the window.

In fact, I moved this poor plant in here with me. Otto bought this plant shortly after we moved into the house, and I’ve put it in a few different places and utterly neglected it for most of its life, and basically it tries to die and then I notice and go OH NO, DON’T DO THAT and move it somewhere else, where it generally rallies slightly before trying to die again. Before I put it on my desk it was next to the kitchen sink, where it finally seemed to be getting the sunlight it wanted, but also was constantly being smacked with pots and pans and debris. Whoops.

So I brought it in here and the first couple of days it seemed like it was getting ready to croak again. I could practically hear its wee, feeble little plant voice protesting, “The sun! It BURNS!” But now it’s standing straight up, sprouting new growth, and generally looking like a plant that may indeed thrive under the right circumstances.

desk-plant

I bet my neck will feel better tomorrow. And that at some point, I’ll be able to take a lesson from my plant, here, and just enjoy the good stuff.

Happy Love Thursday, everyone.

20 Comments

  1. RebeccaF.

    You know why your neck went out, right? It’s because everything is fine and that stresses you out because you’re waiting for the shoe to drop!
    Been there, done that. Also, here again, doing that!
    Keep up the good work you have begun. You are awesome! (Imagine that being said by Ashton Kutcher, I forget which movie, but he says it best – AWE-SOME!)
    HaHa!
    Happy Love Thursday! – Love yourself, too!

  2. Randi

    I’m sorry that your neck went out! Believe your doc, as often you have stress you don’t even know you have! I have a tweaked shoulder that flares up whenever I stress – it’s a great indicator for me now to show when I’m stressed. I never even knew that it flared up when I was stressed until the therapist was working on me and talked about my boss (back before I was my own boss) and the shoulder tensed up. Often I find that I’m stressed when I don’t even know that I am!

  3. Chuck

    If everything is going well…but one of the recent life changes is you’re exercising every day…it’s possible the exercise is inflaming something in your neck or pushing something out of alignment. Not ALL the exercises, certainly; it could just be the way you’re holding your head for situps or something along those lines. Anyhow I would go over your exercise routine with your chiropractor…she may be able to identify something you’re doing that your neck doesn’t appreciate. Also, don’t forget to take rest days once in a while! (They can be active rest days, of course, just involving walking but no calisthenics.) And now, I need to motivate myself here to go get some exercise….hope you feel better soon, and that your plant continues to rock in its new location.

  4. jenn

    I was always, _always_ sick the first week of summer break as a kid. This has carried over into adulthood as well, the difference is that now there is no summer break and I stop less. I can push through the stress just fine because I have to, but as soon I have a moment to relax my body makes me stop and take a rest.

    Take it as an excuse to take one day off the workout plan, enjoy a leisurely cup of (likely green, unsweetened) tea, and give yourself a chance to heal a little.

  5. Nicki

    Hey! I know you! You’re me. We are type ‘A.’ (Actually, we are closet As. That’s even worse because we try to seem easy breezy, but we’re not.) Take a lesson from your plant. Soak up some sun. Relax. Exhale more. I’m rooting for you.

  6. Jean

    That right there looks like a pink hypoestes, otherwise known as a polka dot plant. The groceries love to sell them in their floral section in all their fine foliage. They look great. Then, after a while at home, they give up the ghost. I have never had any luck with them. You are a wizard to have kept it going this long. Best wishes for the plant, your neck, and the office shuffle, not necessarily in that order. Stress lurks everywhere, beware.

  7. Karen

    Very true… when things are going relatively well, we are worried that the other shoe will drop. I have the neck issue too, and it is SO DARN FRUSTRATING! And they say computer makes it worse. Make sure you are ergonomically correct, not slumping over the keyboard and screen…as I do too often.

  8. Katie in MA

    I think your neck is trying to procrastinate about the office. In fact, maybe you should test the hypthothesis: convince your awesome hubby and the kiddos to move the office around exactly as you want it and then see if your neck feels better. :)

  9. Half Assed Kitchen

    Neck issues really blow. You realize how much you actually need your neck.

    Feel better! Heal fast!

  10. Ironic Mother

    You said it Nicki… And for the record, Mir, from what I’ve read you ARE a parental role model for the ages! Hope you feel better soon.

  11. Scottsdale Girl

    Karen’s comment just made me sit up straight!

    Also, speedy recovery to you and the plant. :)

  12. Karen P

    I have had shoulder issues for years. The only thing that finally helped was chiropratic and massage. I see the chiropracter and the massage therapist once a month. I tried just the chiropracter but adding in the massage made a tremendous difference. I still have a weak spot so to speak so some things do set it off. But compared to years ago when I had a headache every single day things have been a lot better. I rarely get the headaches anymore. Hang in there Mir.

  13. The Other Leanne

    It’s definitely the exercise. There is something in your routine that is torquing and borking your neck–or un-torquing with a rebound. Don’t stop exercising, but slow down the motion and try to notice what is happening. Or ask someone else to watch for you. And buy a hot tub. :)

  14. Aimee

    Ouch! It’s amazing how much something like sucks — sorry, Chickadee. Hope it feels better soon!

  15. annette

    Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. That is how I care for my plants. Bring them to the brink of death only to revive them and feel all great about myself:).

    I’m sorry about your neck. I am still recovering from the foot and I don’t think I will ever be caaught up again. Anyone else still have their Christmas decorations up?

  16. Tracy

    I understand the neck thing and yes, it does suck. Feel better sooner!

  17. Daisy

    Yes, this does indeed suck. Er, stink. I hope you’re able to move gently and without pain sooner rather than later.

  18. Mare

    You can do this Mir.

    Sadly, yes, I still have my tree up. But it’s so awesome, I don’t want to take it down. It’s decorated in pirates and has a barwench as the tree topper. I know I’ll have to, but I don’t want to take it down.

  19. Cele

    Maybe Otto needs to pot you on a window ledge… um… just saying.

  20. Brigitte

    After just reading your WantNot post, guess I should have taken you up on that bet. :-(
    Hope the neck stops crushing your will to live SOON!

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