For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 06, 2021

If I were Elizabeth I would be suspicious that:

1. John is not talking and Elly is doing all the talking for him.

2. John seems to have lost his neck.

3. Her mother is talking about “they” for the doctors who managed to diagnosis John with just a pulled muscle without ever actually seeing him.

4. A pulled muscle is so terrible that John is cannot speak for fear for screaming out in pain.

5. Her mother has not said one word about pain medication, which I think would be appropriate if John is in that much pain.

You can fight this, John.

I feel John. I have had painful back sprains and it is not funny. So painful it is hard to move so I did not move unless I must make a trip to the loo. When I walked to the bathroom, it took me 5 minutes to get there from the bed, my lungs contracting in pain along with my back. Then another 5 minutes just trying to sit on the seat. Well, I haven’t had this level of back pains since I traded in the spring mattress for a foam. I figured it out when the episodes of back pains reduced when I started sleeping on the sofa due to vertigo which meant I had to sleep upright. So now I have foam mattress on an adjustable bed so I could sleep elevated or flat as needed. So glad those back pain episodes are gone.

Did the “pat pat pat” hurt, John?

how times change, now the advice would be not for bed rest but to continue as normal as much as possible.

Best thing about this injury is the painkillers

“Vacation”.

I don’t think bedrest is prescribed these days. Taking it easy, yes. But moving around rather than being sedentary, is always good. I DO remember my Dad being on total bedrest back in the 60s for a strained back. Meanwhile, my similar back issues? I just don’t go full throttle in exercising and take some Advil to take the edge off.

For once, I actually agree with Elly, if not her bedside manner.

I would add some muscle relaxants and just let him sleep for a day or two. That always helps me and I have some pretty bad back/neck problems

Steroids first. Ibuprofen helps some. I dealt with this for 20 years. Then at 59, like John I had an episode. xray, mri, spinal stenosis, back surgery. The vertebra were choking my spinal cord. There’s not enough pills for that. My back hurts, my back hurts…I can’t feel my feet and why is that one spasming? Go get yourself checked out. Spinal surgery has come a long way.

Told to lie still in bed for 3 or 4 days? Good gawd, I’d go crazy. Here’s a question nobody wants to ask, what happens if you just had eaten a big meal or drank a few glasses of beer, and you need to visit the men’s room on day 2? Will you have to lie still in the soiled bed for the next 2 days? Yikes!

John needs to take better care of his body.

Been there, in my case the back pain turned out to be a major problem which forced me into retirement

Few things are worse than wasting perfectly good sick days being sick. …ick

Been there, it really sucks.

His face shows pain!

I will gladly trade the pain of a back sprain for the excruciating torture of a pinched sciatic nerve! I’ve had both and at least with the sprain, you could find a relatively comfortable position to sit or lie down and the pain was localized.

I have a bit of degenerative osteoarthritis in my lower back, it flares up when I walk or am on my feet too long. Already on painkillers, though my doctor will give me stronger ones if I need them.

I fractured a couple of ribs two years ago.. I never want to do that again! Slipped in the bathtub and the pain.. ugh! The bruises weren’t pretty either

Ahh the dilemma of being incapacitated!

i had to push my husband down the hallway in a chair with rollers so he could go to the bathroom at home; he slept in our lazyboy chair. a friend helped me get him to his rheumatologist who put 8 shots, 4 on either side of his spine to help relieve his pain.

Not much of vacation. But a reminder to take more little vacations and do more stretching throughout the year.

I can relate to this—was in bed with back spasms once and wife pulled the sheet up across my feet—-and I screamed—

After just having spent 2 weeks in bed with a broken kneecap, I can sympathize.

Interesting that I have not had a back problem or pulled muscle/tendon since I began slouching or reclining a lot while sitting. I had much more issues when sitting upright or even with backless “posture” chairs (the kneeling kind, etc.).

Eat a worm and die, John.

“It’s just a pulled muscle.” This information came from a doctor who diagnosed John by talking to Elly on the phone.

And while you lie there you hope you don’t cough, laugh or sneeze.

Um…Elly….there IS a sizeable age difference between John and April.