Gregor Samsa awoke one morning to find himself transformed into a cockroach. Matt Rutta awoke one shabbat morning (okay this morning) to find himself unable to get out of bed without suffering large amounts of back pain. I assume the source of the pain is due to the number of really tough passes I went for playing football this past week, perhaps in conjunction with my increased physical activity on account of getting a new iPod. It also probably does not help that I'm carrying around this excess weight (hey, I'm trying to lose it... I wish I was losing weight, not, say, sweatshirts and siddurim) I however couldn't get out of bed without being in sheer pain. If anyone knows me, I always play through pain. I have a torture-tolerance level higher than most in terms of being obstinately present at everything I need to be at to my own deficit. I won the attendance award at my high school graduation. I am like a combination Hermione Granger (in terms of dedication) and Neville Longbottom (in terms of horrendous luck). The advil I took today did absolutely nothing and I might have to take Vicodin or a more liver-friendly alternative to help me on the road to recovery.
It's difficult to balance Shabbat observance with comfort. I didn't want to use the heating pads on shabbat. When I had a fever of 103.7 a couple of years ago with my URI, I WAS in fact checking my temperature constantly, even on shabbat, due to obvious pikuach nefesh necessities (If it reached 104, I would have called CAVA). But I don't think back-pain qualifies for breaking or bending the rules of shabbat. Plus, I didn't know what to do when I have back pain, so I put some pillows directly under my lower back where it hurts. Oops; not a good idea...
I did, by the way, end up going to teach my class and take my students to services, which is just as well as my co- was out sick. My biggest concern when I was Gabbai of Koach, Co-Chair of Koach, or a Seudah Shlishit Coordinator (or just leading services) is how to tell people I wouldn't be able to make it due to debilitating sickness. More often than not, I still went. When I had gastroenteritis a few years ago and unable to eat solid food without, well see this entry from my deadjournal about it. I still ended up leading Carlebach service the next day even though I couldn't even eat solid food. I'm a fighter. I'll end this now so I can have the blissful sleep before I realize that I am still in intense pain.
Refuah Shleyma Umheyra: me.
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