On the DL

I don't pull a muscle badly very often, but wow, I did it this weekend. It's *apparently* (from consulting an anatomical chart) the Serratus Anterior. (aka the "underboob muscle"). It's right over my ribs on the left side.

At first, I couldn't figure out how I could have done it: I hadn't worked out unusually hard, I didn't lift anything heavy. But I think I figured it out: Friday night I nearly choked at dinner, and horking back up the item may have done it.

I had made sauteed spinach, and I didn't pull the stems off because even though I hate the stems (well, really: petioles), it seems like too much effort to do so. Maybe I need to - swallowing one of the bigger leaves, it felt like it got "caught" because of the long, gross stem. And I thought "oh no I'm choking" and panicked. (The thought of choking - I mean, REALLY choking, like "you will be dead in a couple minutes if you don't get it out" - when eating alone is one of my low-level fears. I know it is possible to Heimlich one's self using a chairback or something, but I wonder: could I really do that if I had to? I've often thought I'd try once or twice, then run and dial 911, then run outside and hope a neighbor saw me....I don't know how long you have if you are literally choking though, I think it's only a couple minutes... and no, when you're really choking, you can't speak).

I....wasn't actually choking. The spinach was too small and too soft and I could still breathe, but I still panicked, and coughed and gagged. Pretty hard. I did get out the long, stringy piece....but that's probably how I pulled the muscle.

It was BAD. I didn't realize how bad it was until yesterday. (Often, it takes more than a day after a muscular injury for me to really feel it). Actually, it was yesterday afternoon/evening.

Fortunately I was mostly OK in the morning - it was Pulpit Exchange day (This week - from Friday to next Friday - is Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and some of the pastors in town got the idea of doing a pulpit exchange, where they went to a different church). We got the ELCA pastor, and of course the Lutherans do things differently from us, and as Head Elder it was on me to do more in the service than I would normally do - the invitation (if anyone wanted to join) and the offering introduction and prayer, and the Words of Institution at the table....I was a little apprehensive. Doing a prayer at the table as an Elder is one thing, sort of "running the show" (so to speak) is totally another and it's likely I tensed up during it.

And like a fool, I did the dvd workout (which works the "core" a lot) yesterday afternoon. Not so bad while I was doing it but after it I was kind of sore.

I took a warm bath with Epsom salts, thinking that might help. Maybe it did a little, but sleeping last night was kind of torturous - rolling over hurt, it was very hard to find a position that *didn't* hurt. It took me a long time to fall asleep. At one point I was actually wondering if I could somehow have broken a rib (I don't think so now, but...yeah, it was bad. And I worry about my stomach enough now I don't take NSAIDs, and I wasn't sure Tylenol would help....thought I might take one this mronign)

I still kinda hurt today. It's getting better, but...wow.