Earthquake Pain in the Butt

After the main shaking ended, we got out of our 'safe' position in the bedroom doorway.  I mentioned to J that I had a slight pain in my lower back - really upper buttocks.  But I didn't think much of it and figured it would go away quickly.

In the afternoon I even went out to see what things were like.  I wanted to drop off some papers to our insurance agent (the rental car stuff from Maui), but they were closed, like most places.  Home Depot and Lowe's were open.  The streets were empty, parking lots were empty. There was no visible damage anywhere.  Shops had their outdoor signs lit, but inside most places looked dark.  All the traffic lights were working except at Northern Lights and C St.

But later that day, my butt started hurting more.  And by evening I was in quite a bit of pain.  I used ice, naproxen, a muscle relaxant,  and went to bed.  I wasn't a happy camper.  It was pretty sharp pain.

Saturday I stayed in bed with some couch pillows to rest my leg on.  When I did get up, I had pain in my buttocks, and right leg calf, and my toes were tingling.

This was something I'd never experienced before and had to be earthquake related.  But how?  I figure it had to do with how I was braced in the doorway.  I've just taken a picture to recreate that.  Sort of like this, except J was holding on to me tightly.

So, I was pushing against the door frame with my butt - right where it hurt later - on one side and my hands on the other.  Figure we were there for about 30-40 seconds like that.  I was pushing hard.  And probably the frame was pushing back.  Presto.  Earthquake Pain In The Butt.  A new diagnosis.

I literally couldn't sit in a chair for more than a few minutes yesterday without getting severe pain in my butt and leg.  Today I'm feeling like life is worth living again.  I did find a knot on my calf muscle and kneaded it until it was mostly gone.  That seemed to help.  I walked around more and that seems to have helped.

I suspect there are lots of little injuries like this that never get reported.  (This wasn't so little if you consider the pain level.  Sort of like a Charlie horse.  And the pains were like aftershocks, coming and then going.  Like the blood in my veins was heating to burning hot and then cooling.)

I finally found my little camera today.  Right where it should have been.  Sort of.  The shelf in my desk slipped off the hooks that hold it up - certainly during the quake - but I hadn't noticed.  I reached down and felt the front of the shelf, but didn't realize the back had slipped down.  That was an easy fix, and my camera is back.  So we have a Chanukah party to go to this afternoon and maybe we can catch a film festival movie at the AK Experience theater tonight.  (I just called to check and got a recording and left a message.)

I have to say, it's really exciting to be standing here writing with almost no pain at all.