Agony, agony and No Help from Sue
The value of mobile phones when the hearing partner can’t move
Finally, I’ve got something negative I can say about how Sue’s deafness has affected my life.
My lower back has given me problems for decades, occasionally, randomly and without any obvious cause, it goes into spasm and locks up. Sue’s always been helpful and, literally, supportive, but the other week she was no damn use at all.
To set the scene. Sometime before 11pm Sue went up to bed to finish watching whatever-it-was-she-had-on in comfort. I was waiting for my last dose of painkillers to kick in and said I’d be up in 10 minutes as I also wanted to finish the chapter I was reading in Game of Thrones. Not a genre I’d have chosen, but a friend gave me the first book and I’m hooked. But be aware, there’s adult language and content as (I’m told) is depicted in the TV series.
40 minutes, three chapters, later I put down my book and tried to stand up. Big problem, I couldn’t lean forward as it was too painful. After failing with other angles and methods I carefully slid sideways and delicately turned to face the back of the sofa so I could lever myself up with my arms. Ha, ha, use leverage instead of straining my back.
After struggling more than I’d expected, I ended up crouched in some grotesque version of a yoga position, unable to move. In the end I fell sideways, which was even more agonising. Whilst locked up I’d assessed the situation and the easiest solution would have been to call Sue down to help. But you know how that wasn’t going to happen.
Instead of putting my mobile phone on the bedside when we got in, as I used to, I now keep it with until I go to bed. Simple prevention for a similar ‘being out of touch’ moment and something I should have thought of.
Best ever ‘locked back’ episode was about 15 years ago. I was on all fours to switch the gas fire on when my back went into spasm. Alone, apart from Horrace, our big, black, Persian cat, I waited for the lock up to ease. Horrace, who was a very good friend, came up with a better solution and hopped up onto my lower back and went to sleep.