Today was one of those days when nothing goes right. First of all, this morning as I made some tiny-but-apparently-very-significant movement with my shoulders, my upper back muscles seized up, and now I can’t move my head very well. I’ve had a history of upper-back problems, so this is nothing new, but still, it’s painful. And the worst thing about it is that I can’t read all that comfortably. I feel best when I’m moving about; when I sit still to read, I can feel my shoulders tensing up. I’d be happy right now only if I could spend the next day or two completely unconscious so that when I wake up, the pain will be gone.
Then I had a work welcome back barbeque to go to, which is a sad thing in and of itself, as it signals the end of my summer, which hasn’t been all that wonderful, truth be told, but still was better than the school year will be. But the barbeque would have been fine, if I hadn’t gone into my office beforehand and found myself utterly bewildered because I didn’t recognize anything in there. My things were gone and somebody else’s things had replaced them. Maybe I was fired and didn’t know it! Actually, I had requested an office change earlier in the summer, but I hadn’t heard anything, and so had assumed I’d been ignored. But no — whoever is in charge of such things wasn’t ignoring me; these people had fulfilled my request but had failed to tell me they were going to do it.
So I found out from my department chair where my new office is, and I ran around to at least three different offices to get my new key. This involved walking to various far-flung corners of campus and left me sweating — a symptom of my thyroid disease is intolerance of heat, and times like this are when I feel it most. Everyone around me will be fine, and I’ll be standing there hoping the sweat isn’t soaking through my shirt. I went back to my new office and looked inside, only to find that my things weren’t there; somebody else’s things were there instead.
So, back to my department chair, who helped me hunt down the dean in charge of such things; the dean had a long conversation with this other guy about how he was certain they hadn’t moved my things and he had no idea where they were. I had to keep insisting my things weren’t there — nobody knew where my books and papers were! I did not like having to listen to a dean and other Important People blunder about wondering where my books and papers were.
Finally, they discovered they’d taken them to the wrong office, and they fixed it and got me moved in to my new place. Things calmed down from there; I hung out at the barbeque and complained about my office, and people just laughed and said “welcome to our school!” Great.
To top off this day, I had to cancel my walk with Emily because of my back — and she’s moving soon, too, so it’s not like we can take a walk any old day.
But I do have one piece of good news: Muttboy’s tumor is benign, so he is now completely healthy. This makes up for a lot.
Now I have to figure out how I can spend my evening comfortably reading. Maybe I should walk around the house with a book in my hands, so I can read and move around at the same time??
Next post: The Crimson Petal and the White.
Of Books and Bicycles 
Oh Dorothy, you poor thing! What a tedious day! I crick my neck a lot too, and it’s horribly painful, isn’t it? I agree that you have to keep it moving – if it happens to me I make my husband give me a lengthy shoulder rub and then I keep rolling my shoulders and my neck as often as I can remember to do it. I’m also very sorry to hear about your office move shenanigans – I would have been most put out! But Muttboy’s good news is a great relief. I’m so glad to hear he will be fine.
Do take extra special care of yourself!
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I’m glad Muttboy got a clean bill of health. I wonder if it was just a fatty tumor (sebaceous cyst). As he got older, my mutt got more and more of those sometimes scary things.
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What a day! Sorry about your back. I hope it gets better soon. And I’ll bet the office fiasco didn’t help matters either. Good news about Muttboy though!
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Poor Dorothy, what a grim day for you. I hope your back improves – heat and cautious stretching I am always told when my neck seizes into a solid mass of tension.
And how irritating about the office. But very glad to hear that Muttboy is ok now.
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Heat, heat, heat!!!
Make yourself some hot towels with the microwave. Soak them in an epsom salt solution if you have the stuff (given you’re cyclists, I’d bet you do)–but wring them mostly dry before zapping them for 30-40 seconds. Wrap one around your neck and compress the tight areas. Repeat. Avoid muscle relaxants or strong pain killers. Might I also suggest massage?
Necks are slow to improve, so don’t fret if it doesn’t improve competely in short order. You will probably feel residual tension for a while.
I also glad to hear about Muttboy’s tumor. It must take a load off both your minds.
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Ugh! That office mix-up sounded perfectly horrible. It’s good that Muttboy is ok so that you have that bit of news (and possibly good books, when you become comfortable enough to read) to make you feel better. I hope that Fall is perfectly wonderful for you.
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Glad to hear Muttboy is fine!
And are you sure this day didn’t all happen before you’d even woken up? It sounds like one of those horrible dreams where you keep running in circles and can’t get to wherever it is you’re trying to go!!
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Great news about Muttboy, but what an awful day otherwise. It sounds like a nightmare to find your office isn’t your office – it reminded me a bit of Joanne Harris’s Gentlemen and Players when the Latin teacher gets shunted out of his office.
I crick my neck sometimes too – it’s excruciating and so frustating. I hope it’s eased by now.
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Hope you are feeling better today…and that you can find your office and your things in the same place!
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Dorothy,
I’m sorry to see you have been under the weather lately and you are not alone in having someone misplace your office on campus (two days to find it). Frustrating! The news on Muttboy is an out of this world relief I’m sure.
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That does sound like a totally miserable day. It’s bad enough going back to work after a less than satisfying summer! The whole office escapade sounds like something that would happen where I work. I hope they got you all straightened out. Sorry to hear about the back/neck problem. It’s amazing how one tiny muscle can affect how you feel and what you are able to do! I hope it is getting better! However the news about Muttboy is great!
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If you have to walk while you read, try an audiobook.
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Ack – I hope your back/neck is doing better today. And, I would have freaked over anyone moving my stuff but well hopefully your new office is nicer? At least you got some great news about Muttboy. Yay.
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Sounds like a horrible day all around (I’m becoming quite familiar with those these days). I hope your back is feeling better today, and I’m still so glad to hear Muttboy is okay. Don’t worry. We’ll fit in at least one walk before I move, and then I’ll come back and go for numerous walks, and then, you’ll move to Pennsylvania…:-)!
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Thank you to everyone for your sympathy and suggestions! My back is better today, although I’ve learned that these kinds of injuries do take a while to get better. But today I can move my head much more comfortably, and — most importantly — I can sit still and read!
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What a horrible story — that happened to me last semester, i came back to my room to move my things and they were gone — my book shelf included! I know how that can feel — a sense of helplessness i can’t really describe, but at least nothing was missing — right? I hope you new office looks nice!
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I hope you get well soon! The office mixup sounds quite like a real nightmare to me… it would make such a good creepy story!
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