A pain in the neck

And, unfortunately, it’s not a metaphorical one. It hadn’t come back in several months, maybe even a year, but here it is, making me think about the good old times. And it has to hit now, when I’m getting some of my energy back, when I’m reorganizing my life, and relaunching my social life. Because I am a social being, and I only thrive in society, surrounded by peers.
Going back to the pain, first, it was cause by a silly car collision (I wouldn’t dare call it a crash) eight years ago, November 2000. I was driving to the University, stopped at a roundabout (you should have seen thousands of them if you have ever been in Spain), and the driver behind me hit me. At first I didn’t feel bad, probably because my beloved Corolla was in pretty good shape, but in a few hours the pain started. I went to the ER, they gave me some Voltaren (powerful pain killer) and sent me home. I had a trip to Paris booked for the following week (by bus, of course), and I got the green light from the ER doctor to go. It was long and painful, I survived thanks to Tylenol (recommended by my gorgeous Venezuelan friend, who lived in Baltimore at the time), and called my mom to beg for a doctor’s appointment. As soon as I got back to Vitoria I saw the doctor, and I had a esguince cervical grave, or cervical sprain. One month of physical therapy, three months without driving, a year on Tylenol and some money from the car insurance after, I was left with a recurrent pain, that comes back from time to time. I has gotten better with the years, and it doesn’t hit often anymore. But a yoga class and six days without proper sleep (including one half spent on my baby’s bedroom floor) have taken me back to 2000. But I don’t have Venezuelan friends offering to get the best doctors anymore…
I’ll go back to my life later. If I have time, and can still sit and hold my head…