On Delicious Stupidity (alternately titled, "Basking in my Bitchiness")

The Set-Up: 
Since roughly mid-August I have been caught in quite a pain spiral. At first we thought related to my pre-existing herniations in my neck, which brought about about two weeks where I was wearing a cervical collar (the appearance of which, compelled every person (so let's say roughly A HUNDRED PEOPLE) to ask (out of nosiness, not really out of concern) about the neck brace.

PAIN
A hundred people asking inane questions like, "Are you okay?" After day #1, when roughly 50 people asked the same stupid question, I started answering in exceedingly bluntness: "No! I'm not okay! Isn't it obvious?"

PAIN
One of the days during the first week, I happened to be in the sub-basement at work, distributing mail, and just as I turned heel and was speeding out of a particular office, I could hear this one co-irker* blurt out, "What's wrong? Why are you wearing a brace?" I didn't dignify it with a response, I just kept walking given I was so far from her, it's plausible I just didn't hear her.

AND MORE PAIN
Additionally, from mid-August until present day I also have been wearing a wrist brace, as I've got tendonitis in my wrist, and have been dealing with agonizing pain in my elbow too.

So, neck brace. Wrist brace. And I am permanently emanating the heady, mentholated aroma of Icy Hot and Tiger Balm, and a dour look of painful resignation on my face.

As I said, I've been struggling. Painfully. While I still do have my herniations, they are being managed well enough; however, I have "spondylitic changes" (subtext: arthritis) and "ossephytes" (subtext: bone spurs) forming at the sites of my herniations.

By mid-September things started to quiet down pain-wise, thanks to muscle relaxers and modifying my activity. Quiet down to the point where I started to resume some of my activities (subtext: Crochet).

Apparently a lot of my pain issues are related to RSI, both, at work in front of a computer/keyboard, and at home, crocheting. Mid-September, like I said, I felt like I had turned a corner. So at the end of September when we replaced our windows and trashed all our blinds etc, I decided to hang curtain hardware. What happened next was a result of our condo not being "up to modern day code" as the dry wall anchors would not acquiesce, would not cooperate, and all told, I spent roughly three hours (collective) with my arms above my head dealing with this.  I was too stressed out by the insanity of the situation, I was not focusing on my body zapping me messages to stop. Desist. The damage was done.

Tuesday of this week, I saw a specialist, and x-rays were done. And tentatively I have an MRI scheduled for my chiropractor, this coming Saturday.

I have been in OBVIOUS pain at work, and limiting certain tasks that require heavy lifting etc. Even grasping an empty envelope is painful.

Dear Reader: You might be asking yourself, "So what? What does this have to do with the topic at hand, the topic of this blog, which is yarn or crochet?" Read on!

THEN THIS HAPPENED TODAY:
This morning I was approached by a co-irker (yes, "IRKER"). The dialogue went verbatim, thusly:

Co-irker: "Do you think you can KNIT something for my grand daughter?" (See above, this is the person I walked away from, who I *KNOW* saw me in my neck brace.)

Me: "I will answer your question with a question of my own. I know you've seen me at some point in the last four months wearing a neck brace and a wrist brace, correct?"

Co-irker: (She stood there giving me what I refer to as the Orphan Annie, a full on vacant stare.) She blurted out some comment denying knowledge of the neck brace--of which in my head I call out bullshit.

 

DETONATING A TRUTH BOMB:
Me: "I cannot crochet for myself for things "I WANT." I cannot crochet at all right now. And I'm not sure WHEN I will be able to. However, even when I am able to, I do not do commissions. EVER. Perhaps you can check out some YouTube video tutorials and do it yourself. It's easy enough."

*BOOM!*

So, the breakdown here:

1. She loses points on presumptuousness. We are not friends. Why would I even care to do this, even if I were capable of doing so?
2. She loses points on stupidity--clearly she doesn't know if I knit or crochet.
3. She loses points on stupidity--claiming she didn't know I was in pain for the past four months--of which I call bullshit on this.

This particular co-irker is of the same ilk as another co-irker (with whom she is chummy, however, this person no longer works with us), who, (years ago) when she asked me to make a scarf for her and I quoted her $40, she balked and said, "I can get a scarf at Walmart for $5!" Which was met with my reply, "Then go to Walmart!"