In the Backyard with Some Friends

Yesterday, at the last minute, we decided to invite a few people over since the weather was so nice for a change.  We've had far too much rain since April so it was nice to have a clear, sunny day that wasn't too hot.  Will (Sheila's dad), Frank and Christine came over and we had a really nice time.  

I had an exceptionally rough week as far as my health goes but I was feeling well enough yesterday to have some guests over for a bit.  My spinal injuries were excruciating for the past week.  I couldn't even sleep for a few days because the pain was into the unbearable level constantly, even at rest.  I also needed a cane to get around for most of the week and even getting around with the help of a cane was excruciating!  I think I overdid it in the yard over the previous couple of weeks and then my spinal injuries flared up enough to impinge nerves in my lumbar spine where I have permanent irreparable damage.

This caused pain to my hips and throughout my lower abdomen as well as a couple of spots on my right leg.  As best as I can tell, I did something to inflame the L3 to L5 area of my spine (mostly L3).  I spent a lot of time with ice packs on my lumbar spine, took anti-inflammatory meds religiously every few hours, and needed a cane to get around.  Sitting hurt, standing hurt, lying down hurt and changing positions or trying to get to the bathroom was excruciating.  

I still have more spinal pain than usual today (I always have spinal pain since my line-of-duty injuries but this is still unusually worse) but, relatively speaking, I am feeling significantly better at the moment.  

So, considering the nice weather and a bit of a reprieve from debilitating pain, it was nice to relax in the backyard with some guests yesterday!

I had to capture a photo of Christine's drink named McKenzie since our granddaughter is named Mackenzie...