Saying No to the Culture of Death

It happened for the first time 30 years ago. I discovered that leather soled shoes and synthetic carpets do not mix when I slipped on some stairs on my way to work. I was only 22 and I was about to have the most painfully excruciating experience, because I could not sit or stand, and I could not lie comfortably in a bed in order to get some sleep. I could not lie on my back and I could not lie on my side, because the pain was too much. I did not know that I had fractured my coccyx for a few months after the accident. To add insult to injury I found myself in hosptital for physiotherapy treatment instead of going on a honeymoon. It took 25 years and three children before we had a honeymoon. The original fall was probably the trigger for my sacroiliitis which was slowly taking hold over several years. By the year 2000 I had to admit that I had an allergy to wooden seats and I had to start using a cushion in order to sit on the pew in Church.

Now, it seems that I have done it again. I was home alone, and walking around our swimming pool, when I bent down in order to test the water to see if it was warm enough for me to get into the pool and start doing my exercises. I lost balance. The next thing I knew, my left foot was in the water and I had to try and steady myself so that I did not end up in the water. I went backwards, and my bottom slammed into the concrete edge of the pool. The pain, a very familiar pain, was excruciating. I was flat on the ground, and I had to get up without assistance and walk inside the house. I then contacted the medical centre, and then changed out of my wet clothing, got into the car, and headed off to see my doctor. The drive was very painful, and as I was waiting I could not sit down on the seat. In the end I was placed on the bed in the first aid room, lying flat on my stomach and waited until the doctor was ready to see me.

The next morning I was still very stiff and in a lot of pain, but I managed to drive to church, picking up the oldies on the way. My elderly friends were wonderful because they helped me in an extraordinary way. After applying ice packs to my butt, by Tuesday morning I had a very big bruise on the left side. I was very sore, but I managed to go to the hydrotherapy pool. This time I found swimming to be quite difficult, and even walking was hard. I should add here that going up the stairs has also been a very painful exercise. I have been using some very thick cushions so that I can at least be comfortable as I am sitting down. By Friday I was starting to loosen up, but that was about to change again on the Sunday.

It happened in the afternoon and I was home alone. I had just emerged from my bedroom after having a nap, and I was in my stockinged feet. Well, it seems nylons and synthetic carpets do not mix. I slipped and went down the stairs. I just howled with the pain from the fall. I ended up with yet another bruise on the left side of my butt, adding to the spectacular bruise that already existed after the previous fall. Once again I was stiff and sore because of the fall. I could not bend down. So back in the pool I was doing more gentle exercises in order to help to mobilize the muscles and ligaments.

By Friday, I was back to see the doctor for a review of my condition. Since the treatment will not change, and I was given the option to get an x-ray to confirm that there was a fracture, I decided that it was safe to assume that I have a small fracture in my tailbone and this has been placed on my records. I am still having trouble getting up the stairs but it is not as bad now. I can sit for a longer of period of time, so long as I am not sitting on a wooden seat. I had another good workout in the hydrotherapy pool, and found that I get a lot of benefit by lying back in the water and letting my legs float. I have found that I am automatically squeezing my buttocks, thus exercising the muscles that had gone into spasm as a result of the injury. At least this time around I am more aware of the injury, and I am working on the healing process immediately, rather than months down the track.