Luck be an old lady

So the other day at the gym, I was doing my normal weight routine. Nothing new, nothing fancy. Suddenly, in the middle of my thirty-third squat, I felt a sharp cramping pain in the upper middle of my back. It was sudden and then, as quickly as it came, it went away. I, of course, ignored the momentary pain and kept going. Then yesterday when I wanted to get out of bed, I could hardly move. My back hurt so bad that my neck was stiff and consequently, my head was throbbing. While I was gingerly trying to get dressed, I went to carry the laundry basket across the room and was paralyzed by the pain in my back. Really, paralyzed. I couldn't move and it almost felt like I couldn't breathe. (Any doctors out there who want to provide a diagnosis?) I was informed by a co-worker that I probably threw my back out. When I told my students that I hurt my back, the first comment was, "But you're not even that old." Well, apparently I am because I'm shuffling around now since it hurts to walk.

Oh, and did I mention that I was preparing for a trip to the hospital on Saturday because I was convinced that I was having a heartattack. Seriously. I was giving my sister the details of when the pain started and what it felt like so that when she had to rush me to the hospital, she could give the doctors all the pertinent information. One has to worry about these things as they begin to advance in age.

And, if you're laughing at me for being a hypochondriac, remember that they say that laughter is the best medicine. So really my diseases are saving your life. Or something like that.