Day 16

I relate to Enrique’s story, especially the beginning of it. I too went through a long period of time with a monotonous daily routine, centered around the pain I felt in my neck, which over time spread to my shoulders, trapezius, and lower back.

My routine consisted of waking up and, from the very first steps, trying to figure out whether the pain had improved, worsened, or stayed the same. I even thought about it while driving to work, while working, and on my way home. I believe I thought about it for about 90%—actually, more like 97%—of the day, except for the hours I was asleep.

I took medication after medication. None of them worked. I blamed it on my workstations. I work standing up for most of the day, mostly using my upper body and arms. I developed a fear of doing my job because it would trigger the symptoms and make the pain worse.

At night I would wake up already thinking about what I’d have to do at work and how it would worsen my pain and my life.

Today, I still have some triggers… especially these days, when I'm in pain. I blame it on a specific movement where I strained myself—so that trigger still haunts me.
Yesterday I had a very busy day, and I wasn’t able to do the SEP. I don’t feel guilty—I’m giving myself a break—but I’m not sure if it might affect the overall success. I hope not, and I believe it won’t.