I am probably lucky. I have a job and I can do it from home, at least most of the time. Some times I do have to go into the office. That's always a big pain. Not only do I have to get dressed instead of working in shorts and a t shirt, I actually must wear pants and a collared shirt. Feels weird having to wear all that extra stuff and it makes using my TENS unit a real pain. I am supposed to have my shirt tucked in at work but my TENS unit makes this impossible. That and the wires and control box make people think I am walking around with some weird bomb thing strapped to me. Always fun to almost get tackled by security as you come into the building. Then we have the true Hell of having to sit in those torture chambers they call chairs. They are supposed to be ergonomic but the only thing they do is cause me more pain.
I am talking about work because yesterday I get a call about 10 am and they want me down there NOW. I am supposed to be training some people on a new process. I am very happy that I am going to be getting help but with no notice this trip will be a true HELL. Normally I know a couple of weeks ahead of time about having to go in. I can rest up for it. It takes a lot more out of me when I go in. Not only do I have to walk a lot, which is always dangerous for me with my falling down and going boom, but I can't get any rest in the above mentioned torture devices they call chairs and I can't just go lay down on my break like I can at home if the day is going horrible.
So yesterday wAs a big pain. First I get to drive in during what looks like a monsoon. It is raining so hard I could barely see out the windshield. Finally get there and have to park at what is the farthest point from the elevator in the garage. That means I get to walk from the front of the garage to my building which is a bit of a hike. Then I get to climb the 10 odd steps just to go inside. Of course the guard sees me coming in with my TENS unit on and starts to get all excited. I calm him down and walk 10 miles to the elevators. Okay it really isn't that far but it sure felt like it. Get up to my floor and find out I will be doing the training in the building next door. So it's back down the elevator and another 5 miles over to the other building. By now my back is screaming in agony from all of the extra abuse.
Finally get to my conference room and all the chairs have a death wish for me. Not 1 of them will not lean back. In fact some of them try and flip me onto the floor. It's a conspiracy, they don't want me to survive the day. Now I started my day at 6 am. It is now 11 and I start the training. We wound up going to almost 1:30 when they started to complain because they haven't had lunch yet. Me, Well let's see it was 7.5 hours since I had started my shift, I had yet to have a break let alone a lunch. So I wrap it up and they head back upstairs while I get to clean the place up and turn off the equipment. By the time I get back upstairs it is now 2 and time for me to go home.
So do I get to go home then after 8 hours ? Of course not. I have to stay and make sure the people I just trained have actually got it. Since I am 1 or 2 experts on this I stay. I tried to relax a bit but these chair must be related to the ones in the conference room. The first 1 I sit in and it tries to flip me onto the floor. I finally steal a chair that will not kill me and sit down. That lasted about 1 minute before I had to get up and go over to someone's desk. I get done with them and tell my boss I have to go take a break. So back down stairs I head and outside because of course I can't smoke in the building. They moved the smoking area it is now about 1/2 a mile actual distance from the door. Thankfully it was not raining but it was now pretty warm. I had a couple of smokes and headed back up. Different guard once again decides I am up to no good and I have to explain what a TENS unit is and show him the leads going to my back. Finally get back upstairs and the world has ended. Everyone from training is waiting for me with questions so I run around trying to get everyone straight.
By now my back has gone from screaming at me to shooting pains in every direction. I am ready to cry even with a double dose of pain killers and muscle relaxers. Finally told the boss I had to go but by then it was 4 pm. So I spent 10 hours working well actually 10.5 since I got paid for driving home. I had 1 break and no lunch and I could barely see thanks to my eyes tearing up. I came home and went straight to the bed to lay down. It took almost an hour for the pain to start to come down. This morning I was back at work but working from home as usual and I had my boss asking what time I was staying to and I told her I was out at 2 no later. I needed to try and be a little kind to my back. It already hates me. No need to torture it any further. No need for any more pain if that can be helped.