Saturday, November 15, 2008

Injury Prone!


I hadn't been at work long this morning--I was kind of just sitting there, at my desk with my cup of coffee, trying to aclimate myself to my surroundings--when my thumb began involuntarily twitching. Of course, I figured it was probably a symptom of a brain tumor because that's one of my more frequent self-diagnoses. After all, a brain tumor would go far to explain a lot of stuff about me. After a little bit of experimenting, I realized that when I turned my arm to a certain position, the twitching would start, and when I turned my arm back it would stop. A little more experimenting and I realized my forearm felt kind of weak in certain positions too. Most definitely a brain tumor. But just in case it wasn't, what else could have caused it? No, I hadn't done any extreme quilting or cutting or applique that may have strained my thumb, hand, or arm the night before, unless picking out and ironing fat quarters was just too darn strenuous. Then I remembered. Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I was coming out of the bathroom, and being the spaz that I sometimes am, I jammed my thumb dead on into the side of the door. Yeah, okay, so maybe it wasn't a brain tumor this time. And, not only could I celebrate the fact that it was Friday, but it seemed that perhaps I wasn't going to die of a brain tumor after all--not yet, anyway! Yay Me!

But that's not all that happened to me last night. A few years ago, I was pretty sure I had multiple hernias. Every now and then, after I'd been laying back in the bathtub, usually when I was washing my hair, I'd sit up and my stomach muscles would spasm. Have you ever had a Charlie horse in your leg? That's what it felt like. If I didn't move, I'd be just fine. But, well, you know--eventually the water in the bathtub gets cold, your skin starts looking like a prune, and the shampoo runs into your eyes and you just HAVE to move! That's when it starts to feel like a Charlie horse. On each occasion, once I could stand up and stretch out my muscles, I'd be just fine, but that in-between stage would just about kill me! Anyway, these "attacks" weren't frequent and I hadn't had one for about a year and a half--coincidentally or not, since I'd lost a little weight--so I really wasn't expecting it when I sat up in the bathtub last night. OMG! Of course, Hubby was sound asleep and probably wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway (short of hiring a crane from the local equipment rental yard), so I just laid there for a bit, clutching my stomach and thinking about trying to get up, straighten out, and stretch those muscles. I just laid there, thinking about how much shampoo was still in my hair, not to mention the fact that I hadn't conditioned yet, and wondering whether this might just be a good time to shave my head bald. So, finally I took a deep breath and stood up, and yeah, it was painful but not horribly so. Eventually I was able to finish washing my hair and the rest of me and dry off. Then, I went and jammed my thumb into the door. Maybe I just didn't think the stomach thing had hurt enough; I don't know.

Anyway, eventually my thumb stopped twitching this morning and as far as I know, I'm just fine now unless there's a brain tumor or a hernia lurking somewhere that I just don't know about yet. And now I know why they say more accidents happen at home in the bathroom than anywhere else. I guess I just didn't realize that slip and falls on wet linoleum or tile and electrical items falling into the bathtub weren't the only things to watch out for.

I hope you have a fun weekend planned--just be careful not to injure yourself! LOL!

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Kim, this is so funny and I am relief that also someone else has the same "health" problems with such diagnoses :-). I started to have problems with my "straight walking" and I thought - brain tumor!!!, but it turned out to be problem with my spin and happened because of my every day sewing clothes for my children :-). Happy sewing from Finland, Jana

Robin said...

OMG, you're making my annoying eye twitch that came on suddenly yesterday sound like a picnic, LOL! Take heart, I am ALWAYS banging myself up and half the time, it hardly registers as I'm zipping around. It's only the next day, when I notice the big bruise, that I remember. Now back to my eye twitch...I'm hoping it's stress and not a brain tumor, LOL!

Vicki W said...

I am always running into and tripping over things. I don't think I've had a day in my life without a bruise somewhere on my body - I guess that's leukemia. ;)

I was having dinner with a co-worker last night and she was telling me about these random disabling stomach cramps that she gets periodically. She's had them for years. Sounds a lot like what you experienced.

Lorraine said...

Hey look at your blog - all "chrismassed up"....I thought I had something sinister a few years ago but turned out I only needed glasses! Headaches disappeared as soon as I got the glasses!

Lorraine said...

Hey look at your blog - all "chrismassed up"....I thought I had something sinister a few years ago but turned out I only needed glasses! Headaches disappeared as soon as I got the glasses!

MichelleB said...

Well, I'm glad that you're okay. Maybe you should see a doctor? I know, I know. I'm the same way, but really, you could go ask them.

Busy Little Quilter said...

I love the Christmas background!!

My stomach does that,too. It happens when I'm sitting up in bed and I lean over to get my book or magazine. I, too, just have to lay there and do my lamaze breathing.

My accident this week was burning my thumb on the iron. I don't know really what happend; I guess the iron got in the way of my thumb. My last bad burn was while I was ironing my jeans (yes I iron my jeans)and I just kept going and ironed my arm. I get hurt at home more than anywhere else.

Amanda

Anonymous said...

You are so funny!!! I'm sorry you got hurt but you make me laugh!
Rest, take it easy and enjoy your weekend.

Julia said...

I love the changes to the blog! So fun and festive! I think that I will listen to some wonderful Christmas music today!

Anonymous said...

I Love the polka dots! I get that same cramp in my stomache when I turn to reach into the back seat of the car! Also when I do other moves. It's just too wierd to try to explain so I've never mentioned it to anyone. I also run into door jams, furniture, etc. I've always attributed it to the furniture jumping in front of me. I couldn't be that clumsy! I'm sure that's what's happening to you too.

Anonymous said...

My accident this week was slicing off a section of my left index finger with a rotary cutter. I just stood there looking at the chunk of skin caught in the blade and thinking "oh my god, I am one of the idiots who did not think it could happen to me!"

julieQ said...

Hmmmm, I diagnose that you MAY live...just watch out for muscle spasms, any twitch, drooling while you are asleep, etc. Hee!! You are a hoot girl!

Anonymous said...

Ack!! I get the stomach thing too. Particularly if I am laying on my back and a sneeze! I have to bring my knees up to stop the pain and then it subsides and I am good to go. But geesh! It hurts like heck!

Linda said...

I'm starting to think that all quilters are accident prone because I also hurt myself, forget about it, get a big bruise and go hmmm, wonder where that came from! I just came back from the doctor and being put on antibiotics cause I've been busy ignoring symptoms for a month! Silly people we are!
Lurking Linda

Shirley--Knot-y Embroidery Lady said...

I vote brain tumor for sure. You might try standing up to wash your hair.....

I laughed out loud reading your entry and my husband was wondering what the heck was going on. He would not understand, I shared it was a "girl" quilting thing. He went on about his activity and did not concern himself another second.

I enjoy checking in with you daily. We should get together and quilt.

I have to head out to my favorite Quilt Shop - Bearpaws and Hollyhocks - to visit the sale one more time before it is over.

Carol said...

I like your new background on your blog. I think that the older we get the more we imagine things that are possibly wrong with us. Every time I would get pain in my arm I thought it was a symptom of a heart attack.

Sandy said...

Kim, so glad it was not a brain tumor and that your stomache spasm did not cause you to drown. I check in daily to see what new adventures you have. So stay well, get some rest and will check in on you tomorrow.

Cheryl said...

Very funny and sorry you got hurt!
Glad your brain is OK also :-)!!
And look at you, your blog looks so wonderful!!!

Very Mary said...

We won't discuss how I fell down the stairs a couple of weeks ago and broke my foot and then how I finally got to take the boot off and then how I fell down the same stairs and landed on the same foot again tonight. Nope, we won't be discussing that.

G'G'ma said...

Soooo funny! I don't get the stomach thing but get a rib spasm. It only happens when I've been sitting in bed reading quilting magazines for too long. It happens as I slide myself down to go to sleep. Hmm, if you aren't having a brain thing that means I'm not having a heart atack. Right??