The One with the Back Pain

It all started yesterday afternoon.

The boy and I had been into town for some light shopping and lunch with Lemon Cake Lady and her son. All was fine, the boy had a nap in his buggy and I gave him his lunch in Costa Coffee realising as I was doing so that it was the first time I'd given him anything more than milk or snacks out in public! He rose to the occasion of being in a proper eatery with some aplomb. I was intensely proud of us both.

We went home and with hindsight I suppose I did feel a niggling ache in my lower back but I didn't think anything of it. The boy went for his nap at 3pm and I sat at the computer to write an article for our company intranet site, about a colleague's involvement with UNICEF, as part of my charity committee work.

I was enjoying the task when I got up to make a cup of tea and that's when it happened!

My lower back seized into a tight little ball! The pain spread across the width of my back into my hips, round my bum cheeks and down my legs.

I couldn't move!

The boy woke up from his nap!

I started to panic!

How was I going to get him from his cot and downstairs for his tea? I tried to ascend the stairs but ended up having to go up on my hands and knees. This wasn't looking promising. It took three attempts to pick the boy up, get him out of his sleeping bag, get his trousers back on and get him down the stairs. Poor little man looked so bemused and slightly frightened as Mummy cried, bit her lip to stop her screaming, shouting or swearing and puffed and grunted like a warthog with asthma!

As the night wore on the pain got worse. This morning I had to call work and explain I wouldn't be in, something I really didn't want to have to do while I was still on my trial period. Being a Wednesday, Nanny P arrived as usual and looked after the boy while I saw the doctor and was prescribed strong painkillers and Codeine.

So now I'm high as a kite and flying which is good as I can't straighten up to walk properly!

The drugs are slowly starting to work and I'm getting slightly more mobile but I'm so frustrated at not being able to do anything and most of all not being able to take care of my boy.

I may have a bad back but when I can't cuddle my baby then you may as well cut off my right arm!