The View from 58-inches High

Well I took my second set of X-rays on Tuesday. I was going to wait until Wed morning but I took them on Tuesday 4 weeks ago and it didn’t take much convincing myself that Tuesday was much better than Wednesday. I waited until Thursday morning to call the office and didn’t get a call back until 4:30. I didn’t answer the phone because I was at a late lunch with my co-workers and thought it would be rude. I called back 10 minutes later only to be sent to a message stating that the office closes at 4:00. So after kicking myself for a good 5-minutes for my stupid choice of co-worker feelings over my health and wellness, I calmed down and settled into the fact that I would have to wait 16 more hours before I would have a chance to talk to Erica at the office. I think I freaked out because I really expected a message that said “you’re fine, everything looks fine. Have a nice day!” I got so nervous that something was wrong and that’s why they wouldn’t leave a message. It wasn’t until I got home and realized how good my back feels that I started to worry less.

My back felt very strange when I first stopped wearing the brace. I wouldn’t classify it as pain, though there were a few stretches that caused quick, briefly painful tweaks the first day. Mostly I have had discomfort. The sensation is something between on an airplane for 24-hours straight and pushing against something that all of a sudden isn’t there. My back feels tight and uncomfortable, but also free from pushing up against my brace. I know that living without it before getting the ok from my doctor is risky, and it does worry me, but I find the brace far more painful on my back than going without it, and at some point I have to trust my body. Plus, the only “pain” I’ve felt has been very, very low on my back and off to the sides of my spine.