I've spent the last two weeks being in more pain, meeting yet another doctor, and getting put on yet another drug regimen[1]. It's all been worth it, though, as today is the first day in seven bloody months that I've had no pain and no side effects from meds! I know it's a temporary reprieve, as I shouldn't stay on these meds forever if I can help it, but I don't care. Being pain free feels awesome and I'm going to revel in it.

*does the dance of joy*


[1]This is despite the new doctor shrugging his shoulders and having no real clue as to what's happening with me. As usual. *sigh*

talons / Rake your talons / Link

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Tags: illness, medical, shoulder

When you do physical therapy, you should try to balance what you're doing on both sides of the body. That way you make sure one side doesn't get too out of balance with the other.

One of the exercises I'm doing for my pinched shoulder involves lying on my side and lifting a weight across my body. Oddly, it's pretty easy to do on the side that has the pinched nerve. It's not so easy on the side where I had rotator cuff surgery back in 2009. When I lift the weight across my body there's a moment where I can actively feel nothingness, where bone had been removed. Then, a moment later, I feel everything catch properly into place and it's easy to lift again. It's the freakiest feeling and I wish it wouldn't happen.

And yet, I will not stop doing the exercise. That's despite the fact I'm pretty sure that building up that muscle isn't going to make any difference in how the exercise feels to me.

talons / Rake your talons / Link

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Tags: pinched nerve, shoulder, surgery

The massive pain in my hands & shoulderblade have been (likely) diagnosed as a pinched nerve in my neck. As I was traveling to NYC by myself last night, I was envisioning a bunch of nightmare scenarios:

1) I had to choose between lifting my arm up for the scanners in a position that would end up causing me pain for hours afterwards or opt out & let TSA frisk me. I finally made the decision to opt out, and was dreading the frisking. The (very!!) nice TSA agent did this whole "How high can you raise your arm?" routine with me, and then waved me through the X-Ray without any frisking. On top of that, he lifted my bag on & off the conveyor belt for me. TSA, for many valid reasons, has a bad rap. It's good to be reminded sometimes that they can be sympathetic, too.

2) I've rarely had problems before having people lift my bag for me on the plane when I need it, but you can get attitude. I had a lovely row-mate who cheerfully helped me get my bag up & down.

3) Traversing public transit in NYC isn't always the easiest. Trying to traverse public transit while not being able to lift your bag above your head for the Long Island Railroad is pretty bad. I was able to grab a seat and my construction guy seatmate not only helped me get the bag into & out of the luggage rack, he carried it up the stairs to the main level for me. That being said, he was half hitting on me (I don't know if he saw my ring or not). Regardless, he wasn't pushy about that, and he was a huge help.

I was really dreading traveling without canyonwalker (who's also on the East Coast, but nowhere near me), but things worked out well. Now if only I had gotten some sleep on the plane (or the hotel had let me check in early), I might actually be rested for the first day of NYCC today.

talons / Rake your talons / Link

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Tags: new york, nycc, pain, shoulder, travel

I was changing water bottles in the kitchen when I had a discussion with a co-worker, who's had surgeries in the past.

Co: *gives me weird look as I lift the big bottle from the ground to the table*
Hk: "What? I can't do this because it's "heavy"?" *as I rip off the top and turn it over onto the water cooler*
Co: "I'm just surprised you're risking it with your shoulder."
Hk: "My shoulder's fully healed."
Co: "I just wouldn't risk hurting it again."
Hk: "My shoulder's not like your knees. It can fully heal."

And this, readers, is why people don't fully heal from injuries. Do your Physical Therapy, do your strengthening exercises, get your range of motion back, and then go ahead and use the previously injured muscle/bone.

If you always coddle it, you will NEVER have full use back. If you make sure it's healed and strengthened, and then continue to use it (while continuing to strengthen it) you will have full use back.

Seriously. Any time I've heard from someone who's not fully healed from an ankle injury, shoulder injury, broken bone, etc I've asked them did they do their PT & strengthening. Invariably the answer is no, and that explains why I have no problems recovering and they do.

Tags: psa, shoulder, surgery, work
Mood: awake