What a pain in the neck!

Exactly on 21st April, i had a sudden bruise like pain on the left side of my neck. The exact area would be somewhere between the back of my ears and neck. 

At first i didn't thought much of it and continued my usual routine.

I tried to feel it but there wasn't a bulge nor a bruise on the pain area.

By Monday, i was in terrible pain by the time i got home from work. Driving back was torturous and i was left with lopsided shoulders and lost the ability to turn my head either side.

So anyway, i have been on physiotherapy over 9 sessions and 4 weeks so far and been sporting a neck collar (loaned from my sister who had vertigo 2 years back).

My condition has been properly diagnosed as sternocleidomastoid (SCM) spasm and it inflamed due to that. 

I must say wearing the collar has resulted to a variety of interesting conversations from various walks of life.

Here are some of my favorites moments being in a collar:

1. How everyone exclaims like they are in pain when they see me in the collar and scrunching their faces

2. Random strangers strike up random conversations and start inquiring about my well-being, suggest helpful remedies/doctors/treatment procedures

3. Being able to work from home way more often *glee

4. Being able to stretch out at my desk, pump my shoulders up and down and not worrying about how retard i look like

5. Getting visitors to my desk for health+massage related chit chat

6. Being chauffeured around  *glee

7. Using neck collar as an excuse not to attend certain functions (convenient and totally valid ok!)

8. Receiving the attention of various students, physiotherapists and interns

9. Being free from house chores *joy

10. Coming up with different responses each time someone inquires why it happened. My current favorite answer these days: "oh, you know, I've been naughty :P". Sometimes that's all people wanna hear *shrug :P

11. Being spotted by Russell Peters on his show (right!)

So i say, to all those lonely + depressed people out there, the only accessory you will need is a neck collar TM and you are well on your way to joy and attention like you've never received before.

*Disclaimer: Applies to cane, eye patch, arm cast, leg cast too

The blog wouldn't be complete if i don't list out the not-so favorite part about being in this condition:

1. Very low productivity - and when i mean low, i mean, low at work, low on Facebook (and yes, i haven't gotten around to uploading the albums i need to!)

2. Not being able to hold the phone between my shoulders and ears (NEVER gonna take it for granted again) as its not easy juggling conference calls and working on the laptop when at home. Not that holding the phone between shoulders and ear is a good posture.

3. Getting asked why it occurred like a zillion times daily

4. Not being able to find the right sleeping position without incurring more pain

5. Not being able to go to the hair salon :(

There's a new meaning to pain in the neck as I've learnt it the hard way.

Crawling to my shell

Ever since i was a little girl, each time i got sad or hurt, i used to wish i could hide somewhere alone where no one could find me.
Back then, i used to run outside to the side of the house and sit by the drain. It was my hideout.

The house i used to live in then, was a huge old colonial bungalow in the army camp where my dad was posted. It had miles of lawn that separated our lot and house from the neighbor. So i had all the privacy i needed and the drains were dry and clean and their only function was to flow the rain water out. So nothing icky, mind you. Just Minnie me, sitting cross legged on a clean cemented patio and tiny drain and miles of green to feast my eyes on.

Its funny how selective one's memory can be...
For some reason, each time I'm sad, it always makes me yearn for those days. Like i said before here, i hate growing up :P

Anyway, here i am on a Monday night typing away in my room. Feeling like today, i just need my own company. Feel sad, a lil melancholic even. Reasons are not very important i think.

Just felt i needed to jot down what has been on going before my fish of a memory gets to them.

So last past weeks been really weird for me. Been dreaming a lot. Strange dreams but i could relate each of them or at least fragments of them to my thoughts. As i know those are things that have been on my mind at some point or the other.

I don't know why the dreams been appearing often.
But here are few possible reasons (or could it be a mix of all these?):

1. My bedside reading for the past month has been Chitra Divakaruni's Queen of Dreams (it is about dreams tellers & reading what the dream is trying to tell you)

2. I've resigned from my current organization about 3 weeks ago and soon to join a new place. Kept thinking if i was doing the right decision or vice versa. That and the tug-of-war between the 2 to choose my last date. (an added stress)

3. Doses of ibuprofen during the early weeks (3 weeks ago) due to my Sternocleidomastoid spasm that has left me on the neck collar for 3 weeks and resulted to 9 sessions of physio (and counting). Maybe taking those drugs the first 4 days of my pain resulted in dreams? *shrug*

4. Under went seem to never end couple's spat 2 weeks ago. Didn't like the feeling and the tears and the drama.

5. Been feeling the baby blues ever since i've been seeing wayyyyyyy lot of babies around me. Screw the feminism and all that bra-burning fury, i wanna have my own too :P

Anyway, this is a start of a new week and things are a lot better than the past 3 weeks have been.

For starters, i got my last date sorted out, my buy out process almost sorted out, my bank stuff being processed for my property loan, my bf and i are all sweet and dandy again (and he is being really sweet these days), my neck is improving, my physio sessions cut down to once a week, I'm feeling more positive about the new move.