Last Shoulder Update?

Had my latest appointment on Thursday.  In the 6 weeks since my last appointment, I've had a remarkable development with my care.  I've been told that I've had enough physical therapy and I should be fine.  Not by my doctor, or my physical therapist, mind you.  No, that would make sense.  That nugget of wonderful health advice came from my esteemed health insurance provider, which shall remain unnamed.  (It's initials are BCBS.)  Oops, that slipped.  Yeah, not to go off on too much of a tangent, but my insurance will only allow 30 visits per calendar year, and the fact that my surgeon sent me for 8 visits back in May to try to avoid surgery is of no matter.  So much from attempting to save money.  Should've just had the surgery, I guess.  And please don't try to find someone in authority to speak with to appeal such a decision.  It's kind of like trying to find a grown man who will admit to enjoying New Moon.  You know they're out there, you just can't find them. 

Anyway, I've been trying to do my own physical therapy at home, and it's been progressing fine. I've noticed myself being able to do more and more things with my right arm over the last month.  The pain is getting to be less and less.  I have stopped having to use the patches at night to sleep.  I'm down to 1 anti-inflammatory pill per day.  I'm off the ice and the heating pad.  Things finally seem to be looking up.

So I'm at the doctor's office for my follow up and he ran me through my paces.  Asked all the questions and give it a look.  At the end of the visit, he gave me the good news.  He told me that I could go back to playing golf and swinging a bat.  He told me to let my pain be my guide.  He told me that I could even go back to the gym and resume upper body workouts.  He did give me the warning to not push through pain, but he's basically set me free.  He even told me I could try to throw a little as long as it's at low intensity and see how that goes.  Little does he now that's how I throw when I'm at 100%.

He told me to come back in 3 months if I want to.  If I want to?  Riiiight.  That's exactly what I want to do, go back to the doctor.  Then he rephrased and said come back if I'm still having any problems.  Otherwise, I'm done.  Free.  Released.  How great is that?

I know I'm not at 100%, but I feel pretty good.  Played ball for a while with the kids Saturday night and paid for it Sunday.  I could barely lift my arm Sunday morning.  Somebody say welcome to your thirties.  But I think it's just going to continue to get better.  At least that's what I'm choosing to believe.

Thanks for reading these updates.  I hope to find the inspiration to continue to write a little.  So long for now.    

Posted via email from jimmy's musings and whatnot

Shoulder Update

So, I know it's been a while since I've written about my shoulder. I figure it's time for an update before this thing turns into a novella. People constantly ask me, "How's the arm?" and my constant reply is, "It's coming." That is pretty much my story. It's better than it's been, but I sure hope it's not where it's going. So here's a brief rundown of the last 6 weeks or so.

I went back to the doctor on September 11th for my 4 week follow up. At that point, I let the doc know it was still hurting and not progressing like I was hoping. He tested my range of motion and told me that even if it seemed as though my bionic arm needed to be oiled, that my progress was actually good. He also said that the pain was to be expected. It's weird how knowing that you're not the only one can be comforting. He gave me new medicine and told me to get back to work. Which is exactly what I've done.

Therapy has been a solid 2-3 times every week. It's not as painful as it was at the outset, but let me level with you...it still stinks. Out loud. All the pulling and stretching and lifting gets old....fast. Just the other day, my therapist ripped my arm off and beat me with it. Or at least it felt like she did. But I know it's necessary. The therapy...not the beatings. I've been taking my anti-inflammatory meds and icing regularly. I'm sure that the exercises are getting easier. It's just that the progress is in such small increments that they are hard to pick up when you look at them every day.

In the past couple of weeks or so, I've noticed that I've been unconsciously reaching for things more with my right hand. Using it more. That's cool, because extending my right arm has been painful and my left arm is virtually useless. I'm what people call very right handed. The opposite of ambidextrous. It's sad really...but I digress. I even noticed myself clapping my hands above my head while leading a song last Sunday. It's been a long time since that has happened. So the progress is undeniable. And very encouraging.

But there's still a good deal of pain. It even wakes me up at night. So I told the doc about it on my next appointment, which was Oct 23. I showed him the spots that were the most troublesome and he gave me some options on what we could do. 1st, he wanted to write me a different script for a new anti-inflammatory med. OK, sounds good. Anything that will help I'm good with. 2nd, he wanted me to try some anti-inflammatory patches that can be put directly on the troublesome areas. Wow, 2 for 2, sounds really good. He even gave me some samples of that to check it out. 3rd, more therapy. Not great, but not terrible. I saw that coming. I need it and it helps, so I can deal with it.

Then he dropped the bomb. Item #4 was, he wanted to give me a cortisone shot in the shoulder. Hold up now. I told him that I remembered the last one. (Just for a refresher. I had one of these in May and it was torture. He used the longest, fattest needle in the history of the world, and drove it in with a ball peen hammer. Well, not really, but just take my word for it....unpleasant.) He said that it was my choice, but he really believed it would help. So, when faced w/ this decision: momentary pain for long term gain...I manned up and had it done.

Don't ask how bad it was, let's just get to the point. It seems to have really helped. The pain is much less, and the mobility is much greater. Therapy is set to continue, and we'll see how it goes. As I look back on it, the last 10 weeks have really seemed like forever. They say time flies when you're having fun. Well, time really creeps when you're not. The doctor told me from the beginning that it would be at least 3 months. I guess that wasn't an exaggeration. He told me on Friday that some people take 6-12 months to be able to do a simple task like changing a light bulb. Based on that new information, I really feel like I'm doing pretty good.

Guess it kinda turned into a novella after all. Not too much funny this time. Hope it was worth your time.

In the Swing

So it's back to the grind. But first things first; the weekend. It was a good one. We went out with some friends on Friday night, and Davii let me drive. It's a weird feeling getting behind the wheel again. Let me just say this, I'm quite happy I don't drive a 5 speed any more. That would be a nightmare. And another thing. Eating, talking on the phone, texting, or anything else that could be construed as fun is next to impossible while driving with one hand. But look out Columbia, I'm back on the roads.

On Saturday morning, I got a call from some friends at church saying they were coming to cut our grass. Amazing. I consider myself to be pretty good with words. I talk for a living and write for fun. It's what God made me to do. And in spite of this, I have immense difficulty coming up with words to describe the people that surround me. My friends and family (both biological and church) are second to none. You people are so amazing that I can't do you justice with words. So this is the sound of me being speechless.

Saturday afternoon, Davii and I got to go flying. Our neighbor is a small aircraft pilot and she took Davii and I up in one, and we cruised over the city and the lake. It was really cool seeing God's creation from 2000 feet. Saturday night, we watched Facing the Giants. Pretty good movie. God used this movie to say something profound to my heart. God sends rain where and when he chooses. Do not simply pray for rain, but expect it, and prepare your fields. I pray that God helps me to heed that remarkable lesson. I pray for rain all the time, but I'm not sure that my fields are ready to receive it when it comes.

Sunday, we had a great day at church. Again, God's power is so magnified when our weaknesses are most obvious. We are working on some new things in worship, and I can't wait so see what God is going to do in the coming weeks. I did, however, have a mishap on Sunday. I fell on my shoulder climbing some stairs. Holy Crap. Hurt so bad I thought I would vomit. Felt like I broke my arm off.

Monday's therapy session was the toughest in a week. Range of motion was decreased and pain was increased. I mentioned that I had fallen and was reminded how stupid it was to not call the doctor. My therapist had me call Dr. O'leary and let him know what happened, which led to an appointment today with the good doc. He gave my arm and shoulder a once over and said he was convinced nothing was fractured or broken loose; it was only a bruise. Whew. Then he told me to be more careful, and he'd see me in 2-3 weeks. Feels like I dodged a bullet. It's a real weight lifted off my shoulders. (Too soon? I think I can make that joke.)

The other noteworthy event has been my return to work. Let's just say that my job is not much fun when you have full use of all your faculties. Trying to do all the typing and writing I do with my right arm in a sling has been an adventure, at best. That's all I'm going to say about work. I'll just say it's tough right now and leave it at that. That's why they call it work, I guess.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by. I keep telling myself that I'm going to start writing shorter updates, but it hasn't worked yet. Maybe next time.

Progress

I went to my physical therapy on Wednesday. Another painful, but good session. Still no strengthening exercises, though. All stretches and range of motion exercises. At the end of each session, the therapist will do the passive ROM stretching and measure how far we've come. On Wednesday, we reached normal range of motion in all directions. Awesome! Praise God. I love milestones. And in addition to this, she told me it was no longer necessary for Davii to do the stretches on me at home. Awesome! Praise God again. Gotta say that I'm happy that the sanctioned domestic battery portion of the rehab has come to a close.

Then she spoke words that would stick with me. She said, "You're way ahead of schedule with your rehab." Wow. Words I've always wanted to hear. I always knew I was better than average, and now I have confirmation. But then she dropped the bomb, "the rehab won't all go this fast or this smooth. You need to be patient, because there will be some bad days." I'm not sure I was ready for this. I thought those were behind me. I want smooth and linear, not any of this 2 steps forward and 1 step back stuff. This makes me a bit uneasy, but all I know to do is work hard and trust God. God give me patience, and give it to me soon.

On Thursday night, we went out to eat. Out of the house, my only purpose, leisure. I remember what that used to be like, and I like it. We ate at Fatz and then did what all good rednecks do when they get all dressed up, haven't been out for a while, and are looking for a night on the town...we went to Wal-mart. (Sorry if that hits too close to home for you.) Visited the new, clean, softly lit, carefully landscaped, Ballentine Wally World. They look different out here in the burbs. It was good to get out of the house.

Today's therapy session was great. Less pain, more flexibility. She told me to cut back on some of my home exercises, for fear that my shoulder might become too flexible. Now, there's something this guy has never had to be concerned about. But I feel like I am making real gains. Again, that is encouraging, so I have to be very careful not to be discouraged when I'm not. I'm going to try to spend the day with nothing stronger than ibuprofen and ice to curb the soreness. If I can pull that off, I can get back behind the wheel.

I have no idea whether anyone is reading these updates, but they are cathartic and they make me smile as I write them. Because of that, I'll continue to write about my shoulder and, who knows, maybe even more. We'll just have to see about that.

1 week and 1 day later

Where do I start? It's been nearly a week since my last post, I am finally fairly coherent. I know, first time for everything, right? I just wanted to pen a brief update, because I still get a lot of, "How are you doing?"s everyday. First, let me say this...I am doing much better. Thank you so much for the prayers, the thoughts, the well wishes, the food, the flowers, the cards...for everything. You don't realize how special your friends really are until they step into the void and make a real difference. Thank you so much for picking me up when I needed it.

Now, on to the business at hand. I went to the doctor on Friday. He examined the incisions and called my recovery so far "a success." He again reiterated that he had done everything that he had hoped to do with my shoulder and that if I am diligent about my rehab, then I should be back to better than normal in 3 months or so. Awesome. Just what I wanted to hear. Then he took the stitches out, and told me that I could take showers or even go for a swim if I wanted, just not in the lake just yet. Really, he said that. He then broke the bad news to me...it's time to start easing off the pain meds. He reminded me that I cannot drive as long as I am taking them and hoped that would serve as some sort of incentive. Little did he know that I was made to be chauffeured around. But anyway, he wanted to cut back the dosage and the times per day, so it has begun. He told me to come back in a month for a follow up and then he told me to go back to work on the 24th. Begun indeed.

After leaving there, I headed over for another torture session. Oops. Again, I meant physical therapy. Again my arm was jerked all over creation in what she said was more range of motion stretches, but felt more like somebody try to break a pulley bone at Shealy's. (If you didn't understand that last reference then I am so, so sorry.) And then I was reminded to be doing my stretches. No prob, I said...I don't even have stitches any more. The most remarkable thing about this session was that my lovely bride came with me to learn how to do the range of motion stretches. AKA, home torture sessions. Now she has permission to make me cry. Life is so unfair. Just kidding, dear. I really appreciate you being willing to help me, because they really do help, even though it really hurts. But enough whining.

Sunday, I got up and went to church. This was my first trip out of the neighborhood that did not require me to show my blue cross blue shield card. I had full intentions of just worshipping like everyone else, but once I got there, I could not resist. I climbed up on stage and did my best to sing the songs, sling and all. To God be the glory, I did not fall over and as far as I know did not say anything silly in a drug induced stupor. And to the best of my recollection, the name of Jesus was proclaimed and magnified. Again, to God be the glory. After that, I was pretty much a vegetable for the rest of the day, although I did get to witness proof that Tiger Woods is, in fact, a human.

Yesterday, I had another pt session. My range of motion is really starting to return. At least the passive range of motion. My arm will do some pretty cool things when somebody else is moving it. I can't do it myself yet, but they tell me that will come. I spent the rest of the day in a good deal of pain. I'm pretty sure this is the result of my increased workload, coupled with my decreased medicinal assistance. Again, all part of the process, they tell me.

Today, I am pretty sore again, although I am kinda typing w/ both hands. If I sit my laptop just right in my lap, my right hand can reach some of the keys. We celebrate small victories around here. I've used a good bit more ice the last 2 days. Again I'm sure this has a lot to do with greater workload and lessened medication.

Well, that's all I've got. I'm still not driving, but I'm getting closer. My back is getting sore from sitting in my recliner all day and all night. I'm really looking forward to moving back to the bed. Maybe later in the week. Here's hope. And I miss my dog. Hank's at dog camp, at the neighbor's. I can't do the collar and leash competently yet, so our neighbors have graciously offered to let him stay over there when Davii's working.

I'm not sure I've said this out loud yet, but I wanted to add this. Praise God for all of this. Praise God that he can be glorified even through something like this. Praise God the surgery was a success. Praise God that I'm starting to get better. Praise God there is a light at the end of the tunnel. God is good and He is worthy, even when we don't feel so good.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll be back soon.

D-Day plus 2

It's been 2 days since my surgery. I thought I'd try to one-hand an update. I woke up Monday in recovery and was given the good news that the surgery was a success. The doc cleaned up my rotator cuff and my labrum, and dealt with some bone spurs. Said everything went just as he'd hoped. Good words to hear. Afterwards, I was discharged with my right arm in a sling and a prescription for some pretty good pain killers. They had given me a nerve block in my arm, so I literally couldn't feel a thing. Couldn't even move my fingers. I was warned, though, that this was only temporary and that pain would make an appearance soon enough.

Let's just call that an understatement. First, my fingers started to itch. Then I was able to move my fingers. The nerve block was wearing off. I was told it would last 12-18 hours, but it was fading after about 8. This is when the pain began. And boy was there pain. Like, bomb exploding pain. Hurt so bad it took the pain meds hours to catch up. But finally, it did. The meds made it bearable. Now I'm supposed to take the painkillers every 4 hours. And the shoulder starts to ache at about 3 1/2 hours. Like clockwork. Even wakes me up at night, lest I try to skip a dose at 3AM.

Which brings me to sleep. I'm supposed to sleep sitting up. With my sling on. Fun. Really makes for a relaxing evening. Right. Night 1 was tough. Still in pain and scared to move, I slept maybe 30 minutes at a time. I'm propped up in my recliner with meds, crackers, G2, remote controls, ice packs, and kleenex scattered around me. Just in case. But they were all on my left side, because my right side's immobilized with this sling. Night 2 was much better. I think that I had a better grasp on the pain, and have figured out how to move while keeping my right side stationary. Whatever it was, I rested.

I learned the lesson to sleep when I can. The meds keep me groggy, so I'm prone to nod off any time I get really still. So on Tuesday, I napped on and off throughout the day. It's embarrassing, but I'm sure people understand when I fall asleep when they are talking. At least I hope they do. People from church have been bringing food. I should've had surgery years ago....I'm eating like a king. My friends are amazing. They are definitely better to me than I deserve. Come to think of it, maybe they're coming by to see me fall asleep mid-sentence. Whatever. Food's food.

Wednesday was rough. My driver (hah!) had to take me to physical therapy. That's right...I can't drive. Not sure when I'll be cleared to drive, either. When we got in the car, I didn't realize we were headed toward Gitmo. I quickly learned, though. PT is legalized torture. First, my therapist removed the bandages to check on the sutures. Let's just say the tape didn't give up without a fight. Everything looked copacetic. I'll try to post a pic or two soon. Then she began to test my range of motion. For the uninitiated, that is code for "try to make you cry." I'm told it's necessary, but I think it's a prank. Then she gave me some stretching exercises. The key, at this point, is do not push it. Apparently, a lot unintentional damage can be inflicted right now. So we're taking it very slow. I can live with that.

Well, another day is winding down. I feel pretty good about how far I've come. I think I underestimated how big of a deal this was going to be...from the pain to the rehab. I know it's hurt much more than I anticipated. I thought I'd be up and about in just a few days. Now I'm not so sure. My only goal now is to get better. I'm not going to try to be brave, or tough. I'm not trying to push it. I'm going to follow the directions of the people I'm paying to help me. Nothing more...Nothing less.

This is me, moving in the right direction.

Today

Today is the big day. It's been on the horizon since I don't know when. I don't really remember the first time I threw and felt the pain down the outside of my right arm. I don't really remember the first time I woke up and couldn't raise my right arm. I don't remember the first time I woke up in pain in the middle of the night because I was lying on my right side. I didn't really know what was wrong, but I had a feeling it would lead to today.

I tried so many things, topical analgesics and ice to start with. Then it was vitamin I. I took ibuprofen by the hand full. Both of these methods provided temporary relief, but the pain was getting worse. I finally went to the md, who said it sounded like rotator cuff issues. He sent me for an MRI to confirm his suspicion. He was right, I had torn my rotator cuff. He put me on prescriptions and sent me for physical therapy. Again, the relief was temporary. He gave me a cortisone shot (legalized torture, mind you) but again the relief was temporary.

So I feel pretty good about saying that I really tried everything to avoid today. Today. Today is the day they operate on my shoulder. I've never had surgery before, so I have no idea what to expect. One friend who had the same surgery told me that I would be useless for weeks, and the pain would be substantial. "Thanks for the encouragement," I said. To this, he replied, "Brother, it's the best thing I ever did, but if I wasn't honest with you, what kind of friend would I be?" OK, you win. Thanks for the warning.

So I'm getting cut today. For the record, I slept like 8 minutes last night. It's not fear, or excitement. At least, I think it's not. I think it's uneasiness. It's arthroscopic, so hopefully it won't be too life changing. I am definitely not looking forward to 4 weeks in a sling. Or a couple of months of therapy. I have no idea how I'm going to survive even 1 day without using my right arm. I guess I'll manage.

It's time to saddle up. Pray for me. I'll keep the world up to date on this whole deal. Maybe even post a pic or two. We'll see about that....I will be typing with only 1 hand.

New beginnings

I started this blog nearly 2 years ago. It started as an attempt to record the thoughts I had on readings for an Old Testament course that I was taking. Now I'm picking up the pen again, so to speak. Now it's just my thoughts. Maybe I'll have something to say. Perhaps it'll be inciteful. Maybe it'll be clever. Seldom will it be grammatically correct. I'll try to update regularly, but we'll see about that part. Enjoy. Please feel free to comment. This is a discussion, not a lecture.

Reward Delayed

The story of Mordecai's heroic act in Esther 2 is a great example of the way good deeds are often repaid. Mordecai gives us an example that we don't do right because of the promise of reward or recognition. Good deeds are not done for earthly reward, they are done because they are right. When Mordecai delivered King Xerxes from his conspirators, he received nothing in return at the time. He foiled the plot to assassinate the king, not because of promised payment, but because it was the right thing to do. Mordecai received nothing, in terms of compensation or even recognition, for quite a long time. When the time was right though, God chose to have his good deed rewarded. It cannot be coincidence that King Xerxes happened to read from the book of chronicles to cure his insomnia and, in doing so, recalled Mordecai's exploits at the exact time that Mordecai most needed Xerxes' favor. The same is true today. God sees our actions. Even when we feel no one is watching, or that no one cares, God is watching and taking note of our faithfulness to Him. He is also faithful and just to reward us, but always according to His timing, never according to ours.

Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 6 recounts the great personal attacks which Nehemiah underwent. The lengths to which our adversary will go to destroy or, at least, hinder the work of God is quite remarkable. The enemy of the Lord's worker is not just lies, rumors, and personal attacks. Satan is too cunning to rely solely on this methodology. He will also astutely use the tyranny of the urgent. As ministers of the Gospel, it will be very easy to fill our plates with plenty of good things, while at the same time neglecting the best thing......sharing the Good News. Nehemiah gave us a great example in that he never took his eyes off his ultimate calling. He did not allow the myriad of other important things he could have been doing with his time to prevent him from doing the work to which he was called. We must be just a vigilant with our time.