 In early February, Jim hurt his back. Actually he hurt it the previous summer. But it got bad (really bad) in early February after he'd been working with a physical therapist to resolve what now seems like some minor back pain. In hindsight, the PT didn't understand the problem, and Jim ended up with a bulging disc. The problem culminated one morning, when he woke up hardly able to walk or even move. He tried, unsuccessfully, to schedule an appointment with his doctor online. Feeling a need to act fast, he considered going to Urgent Care, but feared they'd just send him to the ER. Worried, I suggested we just start at the ER. But first we had to figure out how to get him there. The pain was so bad we discussed calling an ambulance, but he managed to get himself to the car. One of our (many) nurse nieces recommended the best nearby hospital, I entered the address into the GPS, and off we went. Jim was in so much pain he couldn't speak for most of the ride. I took my delivery role seriously and focused on the navigation given that we were heading to a new hospital in an unfamiliar area. As we neared our destination, Jim mustered the energy to open his eyes and speak. In a very soft voice he said, "It's times like this when I'm so thankful I have a wife like you. Heading straight to the ER was exactly the right call ... and ... you just missed the turn." Yeah, I've never been known for my navigation skills. Plus I'm easily distracted. So when Jim started paying me a compliment, I got lost in the moment and found myself automatically heading to ... the mall. Which, in my defense, isn't that far from the new hospital :D Epilogue (Dec 10, 2023): After spending the afternoon in the ER, followed by months of physical therapy, Jim's back is 98% normal and improving now thanks to a proper diagnosis, a new PT, and some new (and more appropriate) exercises.
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