Making sense

Anne Lamott, on writing ...

"We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are. Sheep lice do not seem to share this longing, which is one reason why they write so little. But we do. We have so much we want to say and figure out.”

Monday, June 23, 2008

Aah, Relief ... At Last!

It only took ten days, but I am now pain free. By the fifth day of EXTREMETAKEMYBREATHAWAY back pain, new understanding came my way: first, I will never (so help me) make fun of my mother's back pain again; second, Dr. Kevorkian had an important place on this earth. Seriously. As I lay on the sofa softly moaning, hour after hour, I told myself that should this pain be chronic, I'd have to find a way to take myself out of this earth. Honestly, I do not know how chronic pain sufferers endure. Like cancer patients. Accident victims. Eight-headaches-a-month migraine victims.
Apparently I am a pansy. And I always thought I had a high pain tolerance (natural childbirth three times, sans pain medication).
I suppose I have Dr. JC Penney to thank. I'd gone to the store, hobbling (thinking walking would help me) with my sis today to take advantage of a store closing blowout sale! and after I bought several hundred dollars worth of stuff (schlepping the gigantic bag throughout the store) my back pain suddenly left me. No warning. No, "Hey, Lady, I'm getting packed up, ready to leave ... ." No, none of that. Just as Mr. Back Pain had sneaked up on me ten days ago -- suddenly and without notice of any sort -- he was gone.
Sneaky bastard.

1 comment:

Bee said...

Kate,
I once hurt my back playing golf -- and got laid up for three days. Back pain is a mysterious thing . . . and like all pain, we never appreciate its absence until we experience its presence!

Hope you are feeling better now.

Having read your profile, I realize that we are practically twins -- separated at birth, perhaps? (Although I am one year younger, but nevermind.) Particularly the way you describe your career ambivalence . . . well, it's positively spooky. Also, I am (possibly) Laurie Colwin's biggest fan.

How did you find my blog, if you don't mind me asking? I am always fascinated by the process of serendipitously connecting to someone else in the vast blogosphere.