So I was laying in a hospital bed today, curled in the fetal position and groaning in pain when...

I realized that there are always unresolved things in our lives we must take care of before we pass on. I'm lucky because if something really did happen, then I would be content in knowing that I've done as much as I can to help others in my short time on this planet. There's always that one topic that I will remain unsure of though, because I'll never be able to say anything, and even if I did, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Funny how that's what passed through my mind, when I was laying in a hospital in excruciating pain, thinking that I might have a kidney infection, a kidney stone, a broken back, or something equally as painful or life threatening.

It appears I've thrown out my back, ironically, for no reason at all. I woke up Saturday morning a little stiff, and by Sunday night I was moaning and groaning with every turn. By this morning, I could hardly brush my teeth without almost crying so I decided to go to the local "Western" clinic across the street.

They took two sets of X-rays and ran tests on my blood, urine, and poo only to find... well, nothing. The doctor, the nurse, and the orthopedic specialist were all confused by how I couldn't roll over in bed without screaming when I came in, but hours later after an IV full of Volteran I could sit cross legged on my bed reading the newspaper. The orthopedic specialist (a foreign doctor I only knew as "Dr. Claudio") was even more confused that it didn't seem to have to do with any specific kind of trauma.

They suspected kidney stones or a possible kidney infection so I figured I'd be in for the long haul. Surprisingly, I actually received very good service while I was here, or at least more personal attention than a hospital in the states would give me.

I was doing martial arts the night before my back started getting sore, but if I pulled something then I would have known then and there. In fact, I've been doing martial arts for the past two weeks without any problems. Either way, the pain developed over a period of several days. My urine, blood, and poo came back clean so there was no internal problem to account for it, and my X-rays showed no associated bone fracture or malformation that would show any problems with my spine. On the plus side, they gave me enough ibuprofen to numb a baby elephant and sent me on my merry way.

On the plus side, I don't have any tropical diseases, AIDS, hepatitis, or tuberculosis (which is what I work around) so I should be alright. My back is feeling much better after sleeping the whole day and I've got a good supply of ibuprofen to last me a week, so we'll see how the progress goes. If I feel better by Wednesday, I'm going on a tour of Central Vietnam to see the waterfalls and touristy spots around Hue.

Don't worry! It's probably just a pulled/strained muscle in my back. Most likely, it will resolve itself with antiinflammatories and pain medication...