What a pain in the …….. back!
Man, losing weight is great and all, but it isn't without its downsides too. Of course there is the diet control, the regular exercise and education involved in getting fit, which is never fun when changing from our old habits, but I am talking beyond that. I have mentioned before the calluses, scrapes, blisters and aches that come with any new fitness program, but now I am lucky enough to be finding new ones….. Great…..
A couple months ago as the weight started finally coming away in good amounts, I discovered my rib cage, among other things. There it was, poking out like it had been there all along, and surprise surprise, it had been! So that's a good thing right? Well, after sleeping on my belly all my life, I was used to a certain amount of "padding" between those rib bones and the mattress. Not a biggie though right? Mattresses are soft right? Uh no, how about WRONG!?!?!? Even though soft, it is still a couple hundred pounds of dude sitting on 2 newly exposed points for extended periods of time. Soft or not this led to pressure sores which literally kept me awake for 3-4 nights straight while getting used to them. Not a great way to enjoy the positive progress you are making. But this did pass and I was able to not only sleep, but see those lovely ribs poking out like never before. I know many people who never experienced this, but perhaps it has to do with me having such a big barrel chest. In any case, it sucked, but got better.
So now, after even more weight lost, the belly is FINALLY starting to go away. Its kind of creepy actually. The sides of my belly are disappearing as if someone were sucking just the sides away with a straw. Makes it look like I am selectively sucking in my gut, though that really isn’t possible. When I do suck in the gut, it looks normal. Its kinda cool seeing it go away, because now I can see the shape of things to come underneath! And let me tell ya, those actors in the movie 300 are gunna have some competition from my abs if all goes as planned! Booya!
But alas, as before, this fantastic new indication of my success has now transmorgrified into something not so fun. I have literally slept on that big round belly of mine all my life. Want to force me to stay awake all night? Make me sleep (or attempt to sleep) on my back. Simply put, impossible. This is the reason I can't sleep on planes or buses or anything requiring me to sit upright or lie on my back. REALLY sucks when I come back to Canada for visits as it is a 20-32 hour trip with connections, so those are 20 – 32 hours of absolutely no sleep at all. I get pretty damn buggy by then…… Worst I ever did was a trip across Canada from Edmonton to Ottawa in one haul. 54 hours…. No sleep…. I literally fell down on the floor in Ottawa and didn't get up again for 36 hours. They were nice enough to give me a pillow and blanket, but no one was able to move me into a bed.
Anyhow, now I have a problem again… Yay! The belly is gone, but I wake up in the morning in agonizing pain and anguish!!! Why now?!?!?! The rib thing is done, what else could there be???
Well, now that the belly is getting smaller, the cushion between my back and the mattress isn't there anymore, so when lying on my belly my back is actually arched all night long. Ever fall asleep in a chair or some other awkward position just to wake up in the morning with your back screaming in pain and telling you what a stupid drunken fool you were for ever doing that to yourself? Well, that's me every morning these days! I literally wake up in agony and have to drag myself out of bed, apply Chinese medicine oil and go to work in pain. Not cool at all! Here I am, already in the best shape of my whole life, and something as simple as sleeping is killing me! I should feel fit and happy, but instead I feel like an old man with one foot in the grave!!
I am trying though. I have recently bought a body pillow and try my hardest to sleep with it between my legs and on the side of me to keep me on my side (back is still impossible). It works sometimes, but if it doesn't get better soon I may have to resort to restraints of some kind because my back now can handle all the weight lifting, running and exercise I throw at it, but sleeping is killing me…..
How's that for a kick in the teeth….?
Oh well, if losing all this weight and getting healthy was easy, everyone would be doing it…. Still, pisses me off that now I do sleep better in the fact I no longer have night sweats from being too fat and I feel better than any other period in my life, but a simple and vital part of everyday life is wearing me down…
Oh well, hopefully this too will pass and I can start leading a normal life that so many take for granted, that I have never experienced before.
sirant
*happy dance*
I dare them to eat it. Ha.
