I am laying here afraid to sneeze for fear of the spasms it causes in my lower back. It began yesterday while working out. I ignored my knowing. Since a child I’ve had an issue with my back. I remember my father saying when I would complain that my back was hurting, “Boy. You ain’t got no back… you got Grissel.” Well, I didn’t know what I had insofar as bone or Grissel, but I know I had a back ache. Over the yrs it has gotten progressively worse, but I am better able to manage it… when I use good sense. Which, apparently, I wasn’t last night when deciding to do bend over rows. It is an exercise where you bend over at the waste and pull a weight to you from the ground in a repetitive motion to a number of your choosing. I shouldn’t have been doing it but I did. Now I am suffering the repercussions.
I was managing the pain until I went to sit down to use the phone, earlier. The pain ripped through me threatening to make me pass out. I was sitting there feeling faint. I began seeing spots and getting lightheaded forcing. me to get off of the phone and immediately getting help to the floor. Once returning to my bunk, I had to use the restroom. Whew! I made it there, but I had to stop at someone else’s bunk an have a seat for about 20 mins on my way back. And needed help back to the bunk then.
Later, when I went to the rest room, I used the plastic chair assigned to my bunk, like a walker, then walking cane but that made the walk more laborious. Thank heavens for modern medicine. The pain now remains virtually unbearable, but bearable. I am laying here catching hell. I have to sit down for the movement I’m feeling coming on. I dredd that. I haven’t tried setting in a chair since I got stuck in the one earlier. Ha. Ish ain’t funny.
Just a side note. while here on bed rest, I was watching Poetic Justice on BET. I’m I hearing someone similar, or was I really hearing the artist / Rapper, Coolio, as the voice of the killed cousin of the character played by Tupac? The specific song I’m referencing is the one that was playing when Pac was in the basement listening to the music of his slain cousin just before transitioning to the scene when he walks into the kitchen to have breakfast with his aunti, mother of slain cousin?

Well, enuff of this procrastination, I’m going in. Wish me luck… Really, wish me luck. I have this vision of me being stuck there on the toilet needing help up. Oh, hell. I don’t even have any toilet paper. Now, I really need to get to work before the moment passes. Again, wish me luck…

Melvin Monroe
DOC #1040513