Queen of Pain

I have been kind of down and out for the count the last four days. My back. I've done something to the muscles just under the shoulder blade extending down to the top of my hip on my left side. Started in Arenal when I stupidly, clumsily, awkwardly did a header into the soap dispenser after slipping. Slipping again, wrenching those muscles.

This isn't the first time, and it's unlikely to be the last time. Two years ago I threw my back out taking off my swimsuit. Last year it was when Stinky jumped off the headboard onto my back. C'est la vie.

Here's the problem for me. I have a bleeding disorder. It comes it, it goes, and I don't know if it's active if I'm not having blood tests run, or bruising up terribly. It's intermittent. I know if they pull a few tubes of blood and I start bleeding like one of those dumb Grindhouse movies. Which means taking NSAIDS  is sometimes a very bad idea. Like right now. I was taking what I had, a form of Tylenol and narcotic, and awoke several times last night in agony from my stomach. I have to stop the pain meds. Which really sucks. The clinic has said I need to try rest, hot water and icing to try and make it stop before looking at more pain options. Most of them make me have that dope fiend itch.

There's been a lot of sitting around in my comfortable leather rocker and crocheting. Today I tried to sew for awhile, but had to give it up. My computer time is very limited. Laying bed does not help. I finally broke down and got in the hot tub a little while ago and now I'm wheezing from the chemicals. Back to the back rub cream filled with what feels like Guatemalan Insanity Peppers and my grandma.

At the same time I'm watching Costa Rica fight over the issues of reopening to tourists, which is going to happen, higher infection rates be damned. Just not to U.S. citizens. They will not be allowing people in from countries with equally high rates. I think it's going to be a disastrous rat fuck if they let anyone in without having a good handle on infection rates here.

We have waves of Nicaraguans either living here, or illegally crossing the border along the unguarded frontier, coming in infected waves. A lot of the newer outbreaks are at agricultural places employing the Nicas. Many Ticos here are complaining heartily about the Nicas, and I'm hearing the same stupid racist bullshit spewing out of Trump's pie hole about Mexicans coming out of Tico mouths about the Nicas.  I hate to see it, but it seems every people group and nation has someone that they hate, blame for societal problems, and use as a scapegoat. In Germany it was the Turks, here it's the Nicas. It's pretty ridiculous. 

They've delayed the phase three reopening here, but they aren't rolling back like I thought they might. They'll be testing more people in places like Canas and Tileran to weed out the asymptomatic carriers, and lock those areas down. Mandatory masking is happening in a few days. Jim's very unhappy about that one as he's refusing to wear one. Too bad, I am not sympathetic. Wear the damn mask again.

I get that everyone wants to work, and they want to return the world to normal. But I think there is not going to be a normal. We'll have to lock down again to stop this thing, or risk many more deaths. I am frightened tonight.

On one positive note I did hear from a very old and dear friend in the last few days and we're reconnected on the phone. I know her from my time in Germany. It is such a relief to speak to someone that does not want anything from me, that knows me so well, who isn't trying to manipulate me.