Wonder Woman I am not.

For the longest time, I thought I was the strongest woman in the world. I was always the first to volunteer to move furniture or fixtures around the house or at work, carry (didn’t drag because I’m a little OCD about scuffed marks on my bags) 20+kg luggage down stairs, single-handedly cleared racks of stock during stock take while the other girls do the paper work. I was awesome. I was gilah. I was Wonder Woman!

Sadly, my dreams of outdoing the guys at the warehouse were dashed as my back pains got worse. One time during work, while I was doing some paperwork at the office, a sudden excruciating pain hit me on my lower back. Adoi!! I was in so much pain I couldn’t straighten up, had to be led very gingerly to my sis-in-law’s (she was one of my bosses) car so that we could get to the nearest possible clinic which happened to be Thomson Medical Centre. You see ah, if you walk around holding your back at TMC, EVERYONE steps away and give you a lot of space. They thought I was about to deliver a baby. Thinking back, it really was quite a sight. Sweaty me holding my back with a pained look and “oww oww oww” all the way, husband (back then still boyfriend ah) holding onto me and my very gu niang (ladylike) bag. Can’t blame them for thinking that way hor?

I’ve always thought the back pain got aggravated because I had put on a lot of weight over the years while studying in Canada and while working in an office environment. I ate lots of junk food and the only exercise I did was walking to the pantry and back to my desk. I started out taking regular painkillers, then double dose, then extra strength, then muscle relaxants, then jabs, then suddenly nothing worked. Even after the jab, it took me about 3 to 4 weeks to feel better or to be able to walk upright. I was walking around like the the hunchback of notre dame. Didn’t help that I sprained my foot on CNY eve as well. I was the Limpin’ Hunchback of Anchorvale Link.

Luckily, the doctor at the polyclinic took my pains seriously and referred me to a specialist at SGH. Never mind I had to wait 4 months to see him/them, as long as I can get to the root of the problem, I didn’t really care.

So here. This is as naked as you will ever see me. An x-ray of my sexy back.

I’m glad to have confirmation from the doctors that whatever I was feeling during the last few years was real, not my imagination, nor because of my weight. I’m sad coz I’m really not Wonder Woman, not more herculean feats. Looking at the x-ray, I don’t think it’s scary serious but it was enough to cause me weeks of agonizing pain and discomfort. The irritating bone seems to be pressing some nerve or muscle but hopefully with the physiotherapy sessions, my back will feel better and *cross fingers* no more Hunchback of Anchorvale Link.

I never thought about writing about my sexy back until a friend posted an entry about her sexy back on her blog. If she can be so open about it, why should I be so secretive about mine. So yah lah. Here is my entry. Thanks for the inspiration, Jennifer!