I did something to my back. I think it happened on Friday. I woke up sore yesterday, but we went to the fall festival and to a church event in the evening. I was a little stiff but it felt good to walk around. But this morning I couldn’t move without sound effects, so R said “You’re staying home.”
If this had happened next Sunday, when I am due to preach, I probably could have soldiered on, probably delaying my healing, but I could have done it. As it is, Senior Pastor is out of town this weekend, and it is Lay Sunday, which means that layfolk do everything in the service. The only hitch was that the people set to do welcome and prayers called late Friday night and said they could only do the first service. So I intended to come in this morning and ask a particular someone to fill in, a person who I know can do such a thing without much notice. Unexpectedly, he was not able to do it, so instead of me finding someone else, I am directing my husband and others by phone.
It all worked out, I think, but I feel guilty because I stuck to my guns about letting non-emergencies wait until after Queen She-who-is Day, but it had consequences for others, who had to scramble on my behalf.
It’s my divine miss M carrying hip, in the back. Guess I need to not carry her. Um, but how? I think I’m not supposed to take ibuprofen either, so I’m making do with a heating pad, tylenol, my body pillow, and the Lord of the Rings movie(s).
I know a pastor who hasn’t missed a Sunday in 20 years, including a Sunday he went to the ER early in the morning with chest pains that turned out to be nothing. I guess that ain’t me.
21 Responses to “i wrenched my back”
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Just remember one thing: Many people can do greetings and prayers and other things but only one person can be mother to BB at this point. Please take very good care of yourself for his sake as well as your own.
RM…All went very well this morning. And the person who did do the announcements, etc…did it with such beauty and grace. Powerful service. We missed you, of course, but you can feel much joy in knowing that your good congregation has been thus nurtured to carry the morning minus any clergy. Isn’t that what we are called to do? Nurture the gifts of the lay people so that in theory we could walk away and all would continue with God’s grace!
I hope your back is better.
So sorry to hear about the back. That happened to me a couple of times in Pregnancy #2 and it is a big old drag. I did have to preach one morning when I threw the back out while bent over the toilet to hurl (true story). It was all I could do to not hunch over like a crone while preaching. Fortunately, an OB/GYN member of our congregation called in a prescription for Tylenol #3 post-haste and I got better in a day or so. Take it easy.
My back stayed “out” in my Emily-carrying days. That child was heavy. The primary difference is that I was not pregnant. Glad you took care of yourself today. Hope you will continue to do so. And hope it won’t take too long to feel un-wrenched!
Ugh. I’m feeling for you. I hate the back pain.
And…the chest pains…maybe they were caused by never missing a Sunday in 20 years.
You made the right decision.
You did the right thing. If you do not take care of YOU then everything will fall apart. Rest and recoup!
Ah, take care of yourself! May you heal quickly.
Yep, I hear you. Two weeks ago, I woke up on Sunday morning in preterm labor. Only 29 1/2 weeks pregnant. You would not believe the waffling in my head–is this bad? do I call the doctor? do I call the church or just go preach anyway? Hello! Preterm labor! Why was this a question for me? I called the church, I called the doctor, I went to the hospital, I was admitted and had the baby Monday morning.
Both my congregation and my husband’s have responded beautifully, everything one could hope for in a Christian community. I think it’s there in all of them; it just needs the right circumstances to be called out. I’m wondering what those circumstances are–hoping not to require an emergency each time!
Good for you for calling in. And I hope your back is better pronto.
Way to model good self-care! Hope you are feeling better soon.
go you!
I hope you feel better…
Ah, the divine Miss M is getting to be a big girl! And her poor, pregnant mother suffers. I sure hope you become mobile and comfortable soon.
Just adding my good wishes to the chorus - and suggesting that, tricky though it is, it might be a good plan to try and alternate which hip you carry your little ones on…I am definitely “right hipped” and about 4 years AFTER I’d stopped carrying the offspring regularly, had all sorts of back issues for a while, which were apparently the result of always carrying on one side.
Take care of yourself x
I echo all the others — and hope your back heals quickly. Take it easy!
Feel better.
I guess gin is out, too.
1) kudos for doing the right thing.
2) that last paragraph scares the begeezus out of me.
He is a good friend and colleague, and a reader of this blog, so I want to say a word for him. He seems to do his best to practice self-care and is a really fun person to be around. That one anecdote probably paints an uncharacteristic picture.
What interested me about the story is how different people set different goals for themselves, and that’s cool. Me, I’ve never been a perfect attendance person. I read about a layperson once who had never missed a week of Sunday School in like 70 years. One week he was in the hospital on a Sunday and his class came to his room and brought him treats to keep the streak going!
That kind of goal doesn’t interest me in the least, but I bet there are certain goals I strive for that others would look at and go, “Geez, who the heck cares about THAT?!”
Hi RM: I am 75 and have caried three boys on my left hip, when they were small, over 13 years, many years ago. I now am at my gym, and my trainer is working on my left side, which he says is now really compromised after a fall in July on the concrete driveway (in the yard, where else do I get hurt?) in which I twisted to take the brunt of it on my left side. Wrong! I now am doing exercises to strengthen my left shoulder, which was strained and I didn’t know it, as I was concerned about my left knee that I came down on, and my left thumb, which turned a very dark purple. I have given up carrying my wonderful LARGE purple bag for a purse and am opting for a SMALL black thing that has lots of pockets, but is not heavy. And I cannot find stuff in it as yet. So….the story is, do something now or forever be in physical therapy and/or at the gym to rectify all those things we do to mess up our bodies.
Take good care, and I hope you heal soon.
I hope Mamala read that last comment especially. She walks all over the District with loads of stuff!
The best way to carry a toddler (when carrying is absolutely necessary) is centered in the front. That’s not an option for me right now so I’m basically not carrying her. That said, I am normally right hipped and will need to make a conscious effort to even things out.
OUch! Hope you are better now that Monday is here.
Sorry about the back, and glad about your response on Sunday. Keep taking care of that back so that it does not come back to haunt you.
Maybe you hurt it on your trek to Mordor.