Well, I guess I have even more reasons to give this whole “domestic” thing my best effort… I have been ordered by my doctor to work from home at least twice per week. Apparently a commute really can kill you. Okay, I guess it can only “kill” you if you’re in a car accident, but it can cause serious health issues (other than accident-related ones).
To summarize:
I have these wacky extra bones called cervical ribs. They are located in my neck and grow out from the last vertebrae at the base of my cervical spine… which surprises some people, since they associate the word “cervical” with “cervix.” I’ll admit, it’s a little misleading, but I can assure you that I do not have ribs growing inside my girl parts. Anyway, they inhabit the tiny little space in-between the v-shaped bone structure of my clavicle. That area, however, is also home to tons of delicate nerves, muscles, vessels and arteries.
Most people who have cervical ribs don’t even know it, since they are small and tend not to cause any problems. Most people also generally only have 1 cervical rib. I, however, am not most people. I have two (just like all of my other ribs), but the one on the left is causing me excruciating pain.
I have been fighting a 2-year battle with this pain resulting in dozens of ER trips, doctors visits, pills and tests. After being told by a few doctors that there was nothing wrong with me, I have finally found a sane neurologist who doesn’t write me off in his book as a complete liar. I have been seeing him for a couple of months now, and have made more progress with him than in the year or so that I was previously trying to deal with the issue. Unfortunately, we have pinpointed driving as a direct source of my pain.
Right around the time I began experiencing the pain 3 things happened. I purchased a MINI, moved to NY and started my 100-mile round-trip daily commute. Unfortunately, all 3 are things that I cannot, or will not, change. So for now, I am attending physical therapy three times per week, waiting for my insurance company to approve a CT scan of my neck and taking some pretty hefty pain meds as needed. And now, as an extra measure, I have been instructed to work from home at least two days per week and to limit, or eliminate, all driving* other than my remaining commuting days.
*A huge, defining portion of myself is dedicated to all things MINI Cooper. I co-organize a local MINI club, attend lots of meets and rallies, and just adore driving my MINI. The winter helps cut down on and/or eliminate MINI events, but the race is on (no pun intended) to get this fixed by spring.
MINI laments aside, I am going to be spending a lot more time around the house than I have in the past. So now is as good a time as any to really shake off the corporate dust and get all touchy-feely with my domestic self.
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