I can now hunker down and pick something up off the floor, which is a vast improvement over where I was about a week ago. However, I did a little reading on MedlinePlus--the consumer-health sister Web site of PubMed--and now I am starting to think that I know what my problem is. I think I might have sciatica. Now there's a lovely decrepit ailment for the old lady!

According to the information linked above, which you will note is from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, in about ninety percent of cases the condition goes away on its own, and what I should be doing is... exactly what I am doing. I'm back to thinking I slept crooked during the NyQuil days, which makes me think hard about what I should do the next time I have a cold. If that's the cause I may never have this happen again.

Anyway, I may check in with the doctor again this weekend, but since whatever I have is improving at about the rate the AAOS says it should, and I'm doing exactly what they say I ought to... I'm not sure that's necessary. Although I may, and if this ever happens again I'll be faster to get on it!

In the meantime I'm just trying to avoid doing anything stupid while I wait for the problem to resolve. This is what they refer to in the biz as "conservative management."

Well, I might as well be conservative about something.