Oh, the PAIN!!!

A few nights ago, I fell asleep while reading my book.  (In case you're wondering, it was "Eclipse," the third book in the Twilight saga.)  I woke up a few hours later with my bedside light still on and my body in a really strange position.

The next day, the muscles in my back were a little sore.  I attributed it to the fact that my body should not have spent as many hours as it did in such an unusual position.  By Saturday, the pain was gone.

That is, until yesterday, when it came back with a vengeance.  I couldn't raise my arm, or stretch it forward, or move my neck, or twist my back, or breathe deeply without suffering some serious pain. 

If you know me, you know that pain and I are not friends.  We never have been.  I don't like it.  But I ignored it most of the day, thinking it would go away again.

It didn't.  By 10:00 last night, I was hurting.  Big time.  I dropped something, bent over to pick it up, and involuntarily shouted because it hurt.  I was encouraged to go to the emergency room, but was home alone, so I took a lot of drugs and went to bed. 

At some point during the night, I woke up and tried to roll over, but failed.  I wanted to cry.

So this morning I gave in and went to the ER.  Based on my symptoms, the nurse thought I may have had a partially collapsed lung, but the doctor thinks it's all in my muscles: strained from sleeping wrong, and now spasming.  He gave me vicodin, and I made it through all day without taking a nap, but I just took more and now it's bedtime. 

Thank goodness for insurance.

Words of advice: If you're reading and feel yourself falling asleep, put the book down, turn off the light, and go to sleep in a normal position.