Its just a question of balance...

Monday night, I installed the shelf in the downstairs bathroom (see photos). Now that's hardly worth mentioning in a Blog of this import, but the ramifications were significant.

I got home from work, changed my clothes and went to work! By 6:00 PM, I had my level lines and studs marked, and the shelf brackets installed on the shelf. It had to go in an awkward location and I couldn't figure out how to stand, sit, or whatever, to install it. So, I ended up sitting backwards on the toilet, with my knees against the toilet tank and my butt hanging over the front of the seat.

This worked for two screws, but doing the third one, I slipped backwards. Now, realistically, all that was gonna happen was I would land on my butt about 2 feet down on the tile. However, survival instinct kicked in and I grabbed for the toilet tank to save me...

NOT! All that happened is the toilet tank top flew up into the air. I shoved myself up to grab it before it smashed on the tile floor, managed to grab it (and saved it, I might add) but fell back with all my weight onto the door knob, which punched into one of my ribs.

OUCH!!! Couldn't take a breath for a minute or two (was making weird grunting noises). I set the tank top back and walked around until I walked it off (I thought). It hurt (and hurt bad), but I finished installing the shelf, then caulked the edges that touched the wall. Then I warmed up some beef stew for my dinner. My brother Carl called with an update on my Mother, and I complained to him about it. I talked to my daughter, Melissa, and mentioned it to her, adding I was going to take a Vicodin pain pill. She said it would be better to take Tylenol or Motrin because they also reduced swelling. So, that's what I did, took two Tylenol and hoped it would stop throbbing.

About 9:00 PM, I started getting severe muscle spasms. I couldn't find a position that didn't hurt. A little while later, my son Jeremy called and, I fear, I was a bit short with him. I didn't explain my exact problem as we were talking about other important stuff and I was sick of talking about it anyway. (Sorry...)

Kept taking Tylenol and trying to sleep. But every time I dozed off, I'd move, then spasm, then wake up. Gave up completely at 4:00 AM, took a shower, shaved and drove myself to St. Mary's hospital emergency room. They checked and I didn't have blood in my urine, the X-rays did not confirm a broken rib, although they all admired what they called "quite the goose-egg on my back." The doctor said it didn't really matter if I bruised my rib, cracked my rib or broke my rib, the treatment was the same: time. He gave me a pain shot and two prescriptions, one for killer Motrin, one for Vicodin. He told me to stay home today and take the Vicodin, then use the Motrin as needed when I went back to work. He also advised against taking short breaths (as I have been doing since I got hurt) as that leads to a buildup of fluid in the lungs.

Didn't get the prescriptions filled today as I have Vicodin left from my operation, although Jake did volunteer to come over at lunch time and get them filled for me. However, I did stay home. Boring, rainy day, and I can't DO anything. But, the pain has subsided and the "goose-egg" went down.