Last Friday, Mr. Brett hurt his back. Badly. A group of small muscles in his lower back were so swollen they were pulling his spine out. The man could barely move.

He spent the weekend in pain, stuck on the couch. Joe found him a muscle relaxant that put him out like a light for several hours on Saturday, but other than that he’s been in pretty constant pain.

Monday he called his mom, and she not only recommended a great chiropractor, but she had some muscle relaxants in her medicine cabinet at home! (We should have called her first. When will we learn that moms have special powers?)

Brett saw this guy with the most reasonable charges I’ve ever heard of ($37 for the first visit, $28 afterwards an no appointments and no waiting, ever) and got adjusted Monday. Afterwards we met Barb for lunch and she reminded us again we should have called her right away because her chiropractor is actually open on Saturday mornings. I had half a tuna melt and some slices of hard boiled egg off of Barb’s plate, and Brett and Barb chatted about silly family stories involving drunk young Mooks and grandparents. It was a hoot.

The doc told Brett he’d be in pain for the rest of the week and gave him some stretches to do. He also said to “ice the piss out of it” and to come back in a couple of days if he needed to.

The poor man hasn’t worked all week. He can barely get out of a chair by himself, so it’s not like he could reasonably expect to be laying flooring – kneeling and standing and kneeling and standing all day would kill him.

He asked me this morning if I thought he should try to work today, and I told him, “under no circumstances. You’re not smart enough to go home if it starts to hurt too much!”

So he’s home yet again today, watching satellite TV and bored out of his mind. Hopefully he’ll be better soon!
—–