Ouch! My back hurts!

The truth of my life at this moment is that I have messed up my back.  Here's how:  We had decided as a family to re-shingle the house on our own.  In the process, we found that we needed to replace the plywood that sits underneath the shingles.  I was trimming one of the boards and ended up falling down between the supports and ended up on the floor of my daughter's room.  Ouch!  Very Ouch!

I ended up in the worst pain I had personally consciously experienced in my life.  We had to call 911 and ask for help.  After getting me into the ambulance (thanks Snohomish Fire Department!!!) and to the hospital, they treated my pain and scanned me in several different ways.  I even got scanned by the MRI machine.  😊  I found out that I had compression fractured two of my vertebrae in my lower back.  And one of them was the one you have to watch out for because it helps you regulate your bowels.  (I didn't fracture that one badly enough to cause that irregularity though, whew!)  They fitted me with a brace to help me through my day.  Once I reached a stable place of managing my pain they released me.

I was so relieved to be set free from the hospital, even though this time it didn't seem like such a big deal.  But part of my release was to wear a brace that I call my Iron Man costume.  It has been both a blessing and an irritant.  Today I still have 5 weeks left of wearing this wonderful contraption that reminds me not to bend or twist.  It also keeps me in good posture.  But I don't like the thing.  I am patient with it.  I appreciate what it does.  I am glad it helps me not get sore as quickly or experience as much pain.  But I don't like it.

So I am now trying to gently push myself in recovery from this injury, even if I do have to lay back and relax for a long while after a time of activity.  I am in prayer with God to continue to receive healing.  As a family, we were blessed with gifts and prayers from our church and other family and friends.  I know I was personally blessed through their prayers for healing.  Thanks everyone for your help and prayers!  If you would like to continue praying please pray for God to bless us in this busy season of starting school again and for me to keep up the healing plan for my back and self.