Serious pain has arrived
I’m bedridden right now, waiting for the Tylenol 3 to kick in, enduring nausea, ragey feelings, sharp stabbing pain in my left pelvic quadrant, and a low body buzz of inflamation.
Today was Day 5 of spotting which rolled into Day 1 of actual flow, around 10:30am.
I had minor pain from the time I woke up this morning, and decided to go in to work. I had stayed home yesterday, expecting the worst, and it didn’t happen. At the moment I had called in sick to work though, the pain and nausea was bad. It just dissipated is all. I was a mental basket case all day yesterday though, so it’s best I stayed home, anyway.
I did a bunch of slow large hip circles before going to work and lamented that I couldn’t do them while on the job cuz it looks too risqué ;)
I wasn’t much better emotionally this morning, cuz when I got to work, both the school director and the financial director said they needed to see me, and the school director offered to take over for my start-of-shift duties. I told her I’d be fine, and went. But of course I fretted to the point of near panic attack, fearing that I was going to be fired for missing work. Hello PTSD!
It turns out that the school director just wanted to know more of how I get through each moment with the pain, and the financial director wanted to go over the purchase request forms I’d submitted for my classroom, to be sure she understood everything before making a store run for the school today. *big sigh of relief*
Today I fluctuated between a 1 and a 3 on the pain scale until 1:15pm.
Just as I was going to my lunch break, my legs felt weak and the pain ramped up to 7.5. I shoved 600mg Advil liqui-gels down my throat while eating watermelon and dried mango, because 5 minutes was too long to wait before my lunch was done cooking in the microwave. I sat through my 45-minute lunch break hunched over the table, my hands trembling as I tried to eat. I seriously considered going home.
I made chit-chat with the school secretary, who was also on her lunch break. We talked about Michigan cuz I finally got plane tickets for my husband and I to visit between Christmas and New Year’s. Her family is from Troy, Michigan. We talked about the seasons and where we’ve traveled within the state.
About 8 minutes before the end of my break, the pain cleared, and I sat up straight, and felt alright. I slowly stood up and the pain didn’t return, nor was there any gush. How excited I was!
I went back to my outdoor classroom and finished out the day, tremendously proud of myself. The pain fluctuated between 1 to 4.5 for the rest of the work day.
As the parents arrived at 3pm to pick up their children, the director of the school came outside and asked me how I fared today. I told her how the day had gone well until my lunch break, and that I toughed it out waiting for the meds to kick in, and they did! No opiates! Just the liqui-gels, and I was ok by the time my break was over.
The director smiled broadly and I told her ‘what luck!’ that I’d had the pain come and go again in-between the time I was around the children. She was happy for me and remarked that she’s watching me in order to gain more understanding of what her own daughter goes through and how she might help her through it. Awww, isn’t that sweet? Seriously! I am happy to tell her whatever she needs to know about endometriosis and how I personally get through each day.
I got home and immediately changed into my pajamas and resumed the slow large hip circles to manage the pain. I tried to get some homework done but couldn’t concentrate and was literally falling asleep at the computer. Around 6:30pm I forced myself to get dressed and went for a 3½ block walk to my favourite sushi joint and got some take-away dinner. I was able to walk briskly and surprisingly, I had energy to burn. The pain fluctuated between 1 and 3 over the half-mile round trip.
Around 8pm I was trying to do homework again when I was seized by fatigue once more. I fought it a second time and decided to make a grocery run. I noticed that walking had become more laborious. But still, I was alright when I walked into Safeway. The pain was about a 4 on the scale. However, while shopping I became nervous and felt like a panic attack may occur. I felt a low full body buzz beginning. Then my legs started to get weak. I finished up and got the hell out of there to make it to Trader Joe’s next door before closing time.
It was just after 8:30pm, and as I stepped out of Safeway, it felt like every foot forward was leaden. I felt like I was walking in slow motion. My body just didn’t want to carry on. I forced myself to keep walking, despite the heaviness and fatigue I felt.
The pain reached a 7 on the pain scale by the time I got to the checkout lane. I thought I was maintaining outwardly pretty well, until the clerk looked at me to greet me and worry crossed his brow. He asked how I was doing in that “are you alright?” sort of tone. I quietly and nervously replied ‘okay, how are you”. :/
By the time I got back to my car, the pain had reached an 8 on the pain scale. I was able to drive the half mile back home, but could barely get out of my car. I literally had to sit there for a minute to steel myself and force myself out of my car.
When I got in the house, I took a Tylenol 3, got back into my pajamas, and crawled into bed with the laptop. Screw the Ibuprofen, I needed immediate whacking of the pain. Still, it took roughly 25 minutes for the meds to take effect, and the nausea almost won out.
But here I am, pleasantly stoned, laying in bed with heating pad and laptop. I made it through the pain and chronicling said pain.
Where is my husband, you may ask?
Band practice.
Sometimes I’m bitter at his absense during my intense pain in which I am left to fend for myself.
Other times I am okay with it because honestly, there’s nothing he can do aside from fetch things for me. I didn’t NEED to go to the grocery store tonight. I was stubborn and went, because I’d rather have done that than have gone to bed at 8pm like my body wanted to do.
Tonight was a mixed bag. I’m still emotionally a bit of a basket case.
I hate the hormonal whack that comes with menses.
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:39 am
Hey Steph! I seriously think you need to try that vicoprofen. Those tylenol3’s are worthless for this pain. Talk to your dr. I think you’d be surprised at the difference!