I woke up at 3:00 a.m. with a dull pain in my lower back. It wasn’t sharp or unbearable—just a steady, pulsating discomfort that refused to be ignored. Not exactly painful, but persistent enough to keep me from falling back asleep. I lay there in the dark, trying to shift positions, hoping it would fade.
Of course, my mind wandered to the worst-case scenario. I couldn’t help but worry that it might be the early onset of kidney stones. The thought alone made it harder to relax. Since sleep wasn’t coming back anytime soon, I decided to be proactive and sent an email to my manager letting him know I would be taking a sick day. It felt responsible to give a heads-up, even in the middle of the night.
Thankfully, I was eventually able to drift back to sleep and didn’t wake up again until around 10:00 a.m. The extra rest seemed to help. I felt more stable—still aware of my back, but not as fixated on it. I ended up logging on to work afterward, easing into the day at my own pace.
In the evening, I made a point to take it easy. No pushing, no unnecessary strain. By 10:00 p.m., I was ready for bed and grateful to turn in early, hoping for a deeper, uninterrupted sleep.