Nursing Paul *back* to health (it's a pun, people)

Wanted to let you guys know why I've been AFK the past couple of days.

Paul has had back issues for years. Nothing critical, but it flares up from time to time. We spend Christmas Eve a few years ago in the ER. That was an experience.

His back started hurting a couple of weeks ago after mowing the yard. A few days later, he reached down to pick up the cat food bag (and it was just a little bag, not like a 50-pound bag or anything) and it popped. He spent last Friday and Saturday hardly moving; by Sunday afternoon, he was glued to his chair. Monday, he visited the chiropractor, who did some normal chiropractor-type stuff (pulled this, pushed that, whatever ...), then used ultrasonic and electro-gizmo treatments to release endorphins and get him moving again. The chiropractor told him to come back all week (Tuesday-Saturday and the following Monday) for the same treatments.

The treatments kinda sorta helped; he was moving someone by the time I left for work Wednesday. He went to the chiropractor Wednesday morning then to the University. A few hours later, he called to tell me his back pain had become severe and his leg was numb. My question: "So, where are you?" His answer: "Driving." He had called the chiro's office and they said they couldn't do anything about the pain. They suggested he go to his primary care doctor's office. So that's where he was headed.

I'm not really sure what happened at the doctor's office; I now know they gave him a prescription for a muscle relaxer and called the insurance company to get him preapproved for an MRI. But the next time I heard from him, he was in so much pain he couldn't speak and was driving to the ER.

They took him back fairly quickly (thank god his mother works at the hospital and knew one of the ER nurses). The bad news was that because insurance had approved him for an MRI Thursday, they couldn't do an MRI in the emergency room. All they could do was make the pain bearable in the meantime. They gave him a bunch of shots and wrote prescriptions for Flexeril, Lortab and Valium.

I took a half-day off from work to take him to the MRI yesterday. Results should be back soon (today I hope). He's stayed pretty doped up and is sleeping right now. I'm kind of lousy at taking care of other people, but I'm trying. He says he should be well enough to travel when we drive to Charleston Tuesday. ::sighs:: I'm leaving that decision to him. I usually do all the driving on road trips anyway, so that's not a problem.

I've been fortunate -- I've never had back pain. Those who have seem to have some "been there, done that" camaraderie, and plenty of people have sent good wishes. Paul's a special guy, and I hate to see him in pain. ... Of course, with the number of prescriptions he's on, I can't imagine he's in much pain at all. <3

I printed out your cake suggestions and have made a decision. More on that later.
ks