aches and pains

Okay - I know that very recently I argued that one should only be as old as they feel. I take it back. At least this weekend. I feel VERY old. It started toward the end of last week. I developed back pain. I think it was a combination of a weird case that required me to stand strangely for four hours and the increased amount of studying that I have been doing recently.

When I study, I have poor posture. I hunch over the desk. If I am studying regularly, I either strengthen my back muscles or I learn to study with better posture. When I am only studying sporadically - as I am right now - I just end up in pain. I develop mid Thoracic pain just to the right of my spine. Interestingly, this is the same place that I carry stress. I am sure that is probably not a coincidence, but strangely related. I also developed lower back pain from standing in a weird OR position.

In the past, I could shrug it off. It hurt a little, but was easily ignored. This weekend, I struggled getting out of bed. Not because I wanted to sleep or stay in bed like normal, but because physically it hurt to get out of bed. I had sharp pains down my arm and right hip pain. I am old. I am at least up with a lot of Advil, but no longer want to feel my age.