Not A Creature Was Stirring.......

Okay, maybe not exactly, but we are having our very first quiet Christmas.  Normally, Christmas is amazingly busy, which is fun.  We've spent most of our married Christmases traveling to see family, but a couple years ago I finally put my foot down and said we wanted to spend Christmas in our OWN home, and I have been a Christmas maniac for the last couple years--hosting friends on Christmas Eve, Christmas night--even one year throwing in a Christmas brunch as well.  It's tiring, but great fun.  But this year even I had to admit that my back was not going to be up to it.  I made it to a Christmas party Saturday night, but in order to get there I had to rest most of the day and not do too much physical therapy in order to get there, and I think I just need to be able to do what my back needs to have happen, so for the first time EVER, we're having frozen pizza and watching movies for Christmas Eve!  I don't think I'd want to do it very often but knowing it would be a quiet night, I could brave a rematch with my new toy this morning:

When I was in physical therapy, the "carrot" at the end of the session was called "e-stim," (presumably for electronic stimulation, but I wouldn't swear to it).  It sounded terrible, but was marvelous for pain control, and this summer when my back was starting to hurt more and more, a friend of mine who has chronic pain mentioned she had her OWN estim machine and could do it at home.

I had sort of wavered on the idea, but over the last month my back has gotten worse rather than better until I switched back to last year's exercises which are helping, but I am still very sore.  So, I decided it was worth a try and orderedthe one my friend recommended.

Saturday morning I had Andy help place the electrodes, plug in the wires, and I was ready to roll, so I flipped it to ON.  And this would be a good time to mention that if one is combining the "on" switch with the "intensity" setting, it might be best to make it not too sensitive.  Basically, I turned the knob FAR too much and tasered myself in the upper back.  To be fair, it probably gave those muscles quite a workout considering how sore they have been for the last couple days, but it made me a bit hesitant to try it again until I was sure that I could just rest the remainder of the day if I did it again.  Worst case scenario, it could be PJs and Valium by noon.

This morning went MUCH better, and even after zipping myself a bit when I was adjusting it, I was pain-free for hours.  And I'm feeling even more disinclined to steal cars than ever, so a win-win really...............