The urge to utter profanities is very strong today. I made myself slow down earlier in the week, and then when Thanksgiving came I killed myself for three days straight celebrating, working and spending all day at the Dickens fair, all of which were fun and very enjoyable. The problem is that my hips have declared mutiny and have decided to stop working and instead cause me great pain.

I am hobbling like an old woman, telling myself that I’m having a good time, all the while wishing I could yank my pelvis out of my belly button. Because I am at about my maximum pain level, I keep having moments of lightheadedness where I go from cold to very flushed very fast. Then the pain shoots down my legs and through my back (mostly on the right side) and up and down my arm until it drips out of my fingertips leaving a little puddle of pain on the floor that I have to be careful not to slip in, because if I do, I know I will fall on my keister, which will cause more pain.

On top of this, I’m a bit spacey. Like now you see me, now you don’t, and I suddenly remember that I am with other human beings, and it shocks me a bit because somewhere in my brain I’ve gone to a vacant lot to twirl and it seems more real than the bustle of reality and the people trying to coax intelligible conversation from me. There is a lot of smiling and nodding going on. I think this is known as “coping”.