Listening to your body can be hard, believe me I know. I think all too often my fear of doctors and needles wins out when really, I should be listening to the aches and pains my body is throwing at me.

I’m not a teenager any more. Hell, I’m not even a twenty-something. What have I learned about my body as I’ve gotten older? Not a whole heck of a lot… or at least I’ve pushed it far back into the crevasses of my brain where my mind can pretend it isn’t there.

Logically, I know I should see a doctor when I pull a muscle, twist an ankle, or just have unexplained pain. The problem lies in the fact that I have a true phobia of both needles (aichmophobia) and doctors (iatrophobia)… mainly needles, or doctors holding needles.

Right now, I’ve been suffering with pretty sever lower back pain for about two months. It all started when, in my infinite wisdom, I decided that I could flip a tracker tire.

Something like this:

OK, I didn’t look quiet as good as the ladies in this video, but I did start with a small car tire, then I moved to a small tractor tire, and then… STUPIDLY… I did the large tractor tire!

Since that day, when I knew I tweaked my back, I haven’t taken care of myself the way I should have… I continued to go about my life as normal and the result has been increased pain.

Why am I telling you all about this? Because sometimes life smacks us in the face and calls us an idiot and we are forced to listen. With that said, I give in. My back has won. Fear aside, I’m seeing a doctor… calling a doctor. I’ll call and set up an appointment today.

Hmmm… I wonder if this pain or the experience will find its way into one of my stores somehow.

If you’re a writer, does your day-to-day life ever find its way into your writing? If you’re a reader, do you ever wonder if the author of your favorite books have ever had experiences similar to the stories they write?