Day Two... Back To Work

Okay, so I was called back into work early, yes, I got hosed!! But I informed the boss that I would not be able to make the delivery until Friday morning, because I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and I was not going to miss it. I have been in pain for almost 2 months now. The joint discomfort seem to be directly related to the type of shoe I was wearing and after purchasing 2 new pairs of running shoe, that issue seemed to be resolved.

However, at the same time, I have been acquiring a new pain. The sciatic nerve was becoming agitated and reeking havoc on my disposition. Imagine if you will that someone has "frogged" you in the right buttock. After 30 minutes the pain begins to creep down your leg. After an hour, you feel as if your kneecap is going to blow up, and after half a day, the entire leg is revolting in discomfort. Not a pretty picture! And such is the case, every week. Thirty minutes after releasing the brakes, the pain would manifest and maintain an irritating presence throughout my entire trip, lingering into my home time. Just as the pain would begin to subside, it would be time to head back to work. A vicious cycle!! Needless to say, it has had a very negative effect on my attitude to everyone around me. For this I apologize immensely... I have literally been very 6itchy.

So, I was not going to miss the appointment.

Although, after waiting around for 2 hours, I almost did walk out of the clinic because Miami is a long drive from Atlanta, and I was not even in Atlanta yet. I finally saw the Doc...Grrrr, what a joke!! He said the swelling was because I was a girl...and that I had sciatica. Then he gave me some prescriptions for an anti-inflammatory and a diuretic. But he never once, did any type of exam or asked any pertinent questions. He just made a generalized diagnosis based on the two words that stuck out in my original complaint.. Swelling.... Sciatic nerve.....UGH!! I do not belive in medications for myself. Hey , if they work for you, go for it.. But I was willing to try anything until I could get in to see another doctor, which would be after my upcoming 7 day tour de interstate. Guess what, the meds he prescribed..well, they had warnings written all over them. May cause drowsiness.... May cause dizziness....May cause one to function as if they were a half-wit or drunkard. Great, after an hour wait for the meds, I cannot even take them due to the nature of my job, because I am highly susceptible to the side effects of prescribed medicines.

Half a day lost and no relief in sight, I head to the plant to begin my tour of duty. This is when I was hit with the sight of all those trucks parked on the yard and wondered why I was even here. But alas, the day was not lost. I approached the nearest mechanic and asked if any of my repairs had been made while I was away........I was stunned to hear that the list was acknowledged and although not all repairs were attended to, the most important one had been sucessfully accomplished. I was completely elated! As insignificant as it seems, I was most grateful to find that my driver's seat had been replaced.

I made the request before I left, explaining how the seat had been worn out by the 275 pound man who drove the truck for 200K. I requested a swap. Give me Maggie's seat! It is broken in to the exact specifications of my posterior, and it has a defect in it. The defect actually causes the seat to sit lower allowing me to reach the pedals with no discomfort to the backs of my legs. I was told that they could not swap seats and knowingly give someone else a bad chair, but they would put in a request for a NEW seat. This left me apprehensive that I would have to endure the leg pain on the backs of my thighs while breaking in a new one. However, I was almost in tears when I opened up Frankentruck and saw that Maggies deformed captain's chair was bolted into position behind the steering wheel.

I forgot about all of my troubles! Seriously..I let everything go and embraced the possibility that my problems just may have been solved. I know, the odds that a stupid seat could be responsible for all my problems is ludicrous, but I climbed aboard embracing the ridiculousness of it all....

My dear friends, I am happy to report that I drove the next 1350 miles absolutely pain free... Not the first sign of irritation, inflamation or swelling. I had not taken the meds, so my theory was correct. The stupid chair was throwing my body so completely out of alignment, it was all I could do to not curl up and pray for death. I would have thought the pain would have went away while on vacation, but it seems I had done enough damage that it took the entire week to heal itself. I guess me and Maggie were always meant to be together....

And as for the swelling while on vacation. Ummm, do you know how much sodium shellfish contains? Talk about water retention.....LOL... I never claimed to be the brightest candle on the birthday cake, but I was informed by my friend Shadow that eating 2 buckets of shellfish will definitely make a female swell up, espcecially during the summer months... Thanks Shadow!! for not laughing too loudly.