I recently sojourned in the middle of nowhere, some desert in California, with two good friends where there was an epic music festival. I never used to go to music festivals; but my friend dragged me along to Pitchfork this summer and then Desert Haze last month, with each proving a head-first and wholly uninhibited experience like no other, so I suppose I have wound up a convert. Anyway, here is a snippet.

Cheers,
Erik

Pain in the neck!
 

Well... in just over a week I've had an MRI scan, a CT scan and some X-rays. Nothing life-threatening, I'm happy to add... but I had a massive shock, nonetheless.

It turns out that I have a fracture in my neck - which was not a recent trauma, - so I broke my neck at some stage, without realising it! :eek:

The GOOD NEWS is that the fracture is "stable", has partly healed, and I don't need surgery or a neck brace, thank goodness. (I had a lot of neck ache, off and on, and thought it was probably arthritis.)

My consultant offered me injections for the pain, but I'm not on medication of any kind and have managed up to now without so much as a paracetomol passing my lips!

(My husband says I'm a pain in the arse sometimes, and now I'm a pain in the neck as well, officially :D)

Mighty relieved all the same, though, joking aside.

Jayne

x
Erik, Cool. Keep on keepin' on.

Yikers Jayne! That barely squeaks by as good news! Pain and fear together can be anguishing. Glad to know you're relieved and the source of the pain has been revealed. I have a herniated disc in my 7th vertebra from an old body surfing accident and it causes all kinds of havoc on my left side. I'll be alright some day : )
x
x

Apparently, after serving as administrator of this place, one's pain resistance reaches the point at which it is possible to not even notice when you break your neck.

Best wishes, Jayne!

Blimey! Bert Trautmann!

Glad you're OK, Jayne.

In celebration, I will break the habit of a lifetime...:)

Crikey, Jayne! Glad you're doing ok. Julie: haha!

Glad to hear you're okay, Jayne!

Now we know how fast you ride that motorbike of yours: breakneck speed!

Thanks, Jim, Julie, Annie, Mark and Shaun.

"Breakneck speed'' is hilarious, Shaun! :D:D

Julie, you made me laugh too. My pain threshold has always been high... hell, I've given birth to two ten-pounders... but administering Eratosphere does sometimes cause me pain of a different sort, I have to admit! (Ahem!) ;)

I'm feeling tons better today, after yesterday's brief visit to my consultant, and knowing that no ''intervention'' is necessary.

(I can possibly blame the neck fracture on missing my footing and falling from top to bottom down a flight of steps three years ago... the next day I was so battered and bruised I felt as if I'd been hit by a train... but I recovered and thought, "Well, at least I didn't break any bones..." :rolleyes:)

But I feel it's GOOD NEWS to be here, telling you all this!! :)

Jayne

I put together a book-length number of poems I don't hate into a linear sequence, and I don't hate the result.

Good for you! Just in time for the Hecht contest:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#in...jQRpQjRNPmgXvW