The beginning of my back troubles.
The art director of Gentlemens Quarterly, Al Greenberg called and asked if I would go with him to Holland for 2 weeks to photograph a complete issue of men’s fashions. I had been having some issues with my back but I accepted the assignment thinking I would feel well enough by the time we were to leave. Over the next few days the pain in my back increased to the point where I thought I should pay a visit to my doctor. He examined me and said “If I wanted to go on this trip I had get into bed for two weeks”. That meant not putting my feet on the floor and using a bed pain for the entire time. I made all the arrangements for my confinement and at the end of the week, Friday after work I got into bed as the Doctor had ordered.
Saturday passed and then it was Sunday I had great difficulty using the bed pain. Monday morning I somehow had to get to the toilet in the bathroom. Disregarding doctor’s orders I asked Sondra to please put some chairs leading from the bed to the commode. I painfully turned my body so that my feet were dangling off the bed and stood on both feet. Almost immediatly pain gripped my entire body. I stood afraid to move and screamed for Sondra to push me onto the bed. As she went to touch me I screamed out “Don’t touch me.” She was terrified neither of us know what to do. Our bed was old fashioned and very high so to get back into it was going to be a challange. My pain was unrelenting but, Sondra somehow pushed me backwards as I screamed in pain and fell on top of the covers.
I lay there unable to move a muscle. My entire body had shut down. The pain growing worse as different muscle groups went into spasm adding to my back pain. Sondra called the doctor who said he would try to get to our home as soon as possible. I lay there unable to move for two hours.
Finely the doctor came rushing in. First thing he did was take my blood pressure. Then he pulled down my pajama pants and injected me with demerol. Within seconds I could feel all the muscles that had been is spasm relaxing. Suddenly there was no pain.
Needless to say I did not go on the assignment to Holland. I spent the next month in that bed. I learned to use a bed pan. Maybe this story should be called “How I learned to use a bed pan”.
