Poor Ol' Rooster

#801

Aha! he exclaimed. Just as I suspected!

Okay, didn't see it coming. Another 1/3 cup of fluid had to be drained from my left shoulder before the doctor could put my last cortisone shot in. Ouchy. That's a lot of fluid.

'Course, it will build up again before I get the left one done.

#802

Oh noes, I have been kicked out of discharged from fizzikal therapy for the nonce, until post-op. But I have a good set of daily exercises that I know work for me, and a much-improved increase in range of motion in the whole system. The thing is, there's a limit how much time I want to spend tweakin' and fiddlin' with my right arm, when I'm gonna get a total reset in just 34 days. Same thing for the other one.

And I can still do Musical Asskicking class, whew.

I can't really throw a punch, but I can kick and I can dance, and it's critical for my fizzikal and mental health to move my bones to the beat of the music.

And, umm ... yeah. I can't set a good example of what the punches should look like, so I just put my exercise mat in the back of the room and don't worry about it.

And we're getting lots of warm weather.

#803

32 days to go, but nobody's counting.

I shall now whine, so gimme that cheese to go with it. Brie, por favor.

Today I did nothing but sit and work on a computer. Couple of computers, right next to each other.

I didn't do any household chores. I didn't wash any laundry or dishes. I didn't cook anything. I didn't drive anywhere or walk with ol' Wifehorn (it was raining like hell) or do any exercise classes or even walk to the end of the driveway to get the mail.

All I did all day was push a trackball and type on a keyboard and make a few phone calls. It was the most sedentary day in the history of the planet. It was 142% blah, and my arms hurt like Hell. From what? Godonlyknows what, that's what.

OK, whine is over. Tomorrow will be a better day.

#804

#805

Foggy wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 6:41 pm All I did all day was push a trackball and type on a keyboard and make a few phone calls. It was the most sedentary day in the history of the planet. It was 142% blah, and my arms hurt like Hell. From what? Godonlyknows what, that's what.

So, yeah, a typical day in the life of us white-collar working stiffs.

#806

I am not even going to get all nitpicky, because I said I was done whining.

I took a couple acetaminophens and my nightly gabapentins, and I am going to survive the remainder of the evening.

And I had a relatively productive day, with a few glitches but mostly ... oh, what did Walter used to say?

Oh, yeah.

Fair winds, following seas. If it wasn't for the terribly inconvenient fact that I have arms attached to my body, that was my day today.

Fair winds, following seas.

#807

#808

Catching up on threads - my pains are generally inversely proportional to my activity. IE: the less I do*, the more I hurt by the end of the day, and vice versa.

(* depending on the activity)

I have less pain with light work. The more motion involved, the better I feel. Bending over, squating, standing up, reaching, pick that up - carry it over there, push that, pull that, lift, climb the stairs, walk down, load the bag, carry the bag, empty the bag. All day long. Sit. Stand. Move around.

That is what works for me.

#809

I have the opposite problem, but we're down to just 17 days, not that anyone is counting. Then I'll have a reset on my right arm, and the left will follow.

Today is going to be a warm spring day in Wilmington, where we're headed in an hour or so. It will be 75° and sunny. Shorts and a t-shirt, my lovely wife and Numbah Two Son, we are bringing supplies to the beach.

#810

Foggy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 8:46 am I have the opposite problem, but we're down to just 17 days, not that anyone is counting. Then I'll have a reset on my right arm, and the left will follow.

Today is going to be a warm spring day in Wilmington, where we're headed in an hour or so. It will be 75° and sunny. Shorts and a t-shirt, my lovely wife and Numbah Two Son, we are bringing supplies to the beach.

I had PT on a shoulder once, and was told to stop if it hurts, not to go beyond pain for range, etc., because that makes the damage worse. Goes against the usual mantra for other trouble spots.

#811

bill_g wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 8:39 am All day long. Sit. Stand. Move around.

That is what works for me.

Foggy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 8:46 am I have the opposite problem ...

Actually, I answered too fast there. That works for me everywhere except my shoulders.

I led a ... rambunctious life. When I wake up in the morning, I am stiff in several places, primarily my back, which I injured in 1974. And, like bill_g, the solution to that is to start moving, stretching, feeding cats, and getting started on whatever the day holds for me. Which means continuing to move throughout the day.

But my shoulders don't work that way any more. I wake up, and they're fine, having rested all night. But I feed my cats, and I have to rest my shoulders. I wash a sinkful of dishes and I have to rest my arms. I lift this, push that, rest.

The other day I found a printer in Numbah One Son's old room, but you can't just abandon a working printer, so I brought it into my office for rejuvenation and a power cord, which was missing. I had to rest after moving the damned printer, hooking it to some power and connecting it to the wireless network. I have to rest after anything, and it's maddening.

#812

I'm sorry. That would suck, but you understand your body better than anyone, and you are paying attention to what it's telling you. That is what is important. I will admit to injuring my left shoulder on the local park jungle gym several years ago playing with the grands. It took months before I recovered full range of motion, and I couldn't force it. My normal rules of working a pain didn't work. It made things worse. I had to slowly it ease it back over a long time. The day I realized I could pick up a grocery bag without pain came quietly and unnoticed at first.

#813

Yeah, you have to learn what works best for you. With sciatica, I just stop. It's only going one direction if I don't, and I can often avoid meds, at least not beyond Aleve.

#814

Foggy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 9:15 amBut my shoulders don't work that way any more. I wake up, and they're fine, having rested all night. But I feed my cats, and I have to rest my shoulders. I wash a sinkful of dishes and I have to rest my arms. I lift this, push that, rest.

I can relate to that. My shoulders (what there is of them - still getting used to knowing most of the bone is just gone...) are bad enough that I have to take breaks after typing for a bit. I'm have to use a Kindle or tablet to read because actual books tend to be too heavy to hold up enough to read (since I have to stay mostly laying down, I'm can't just lay them book down and look at it.) It's so frustrating to be so limited

#815

H ow’d that happen Kris?

#816

Phoenix520 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 3:18 pm H ow’d that happen Kris?

Sorry this is long. I tried rewriting it about 5 times, but this was the shortest I could get it :/

About 10 years ago I'd been having some shoulder pain. When I had to go to the hospital for possible heart problems, I asked them to look at my shoulders as well. The ortho found that my rotator cuffs were torn - both of them. He refused to do surgery, however, because of my weight and tried to tell me my heart was in too bad of shape for me to survive surgery. I knew he was lying to me, though, because the cardiologist I'd seen had just told me that my heart was in really good shape and I didn't have any indications of blockages, irregular heartbeats or anything else except a small murmur that wasn't anything to be concerned about.

The ortho also said he wouldn't do the surgery unless I had weight loss surgery first. That's just crazy logic - I'm too weak to have surgery, so I have to have a different kind of surgery. Right. I looked into weight loss surgery, but they all want me to lose some weight before they'll do the operation, and if I could do that on my own, I'd have done so already, you know? Plus, with my being bedbound, I didn't have anyway to get all the tests and stuff they'd need done first, so...

Anyway, once I was out of the hospital, I didn't have any way to get to see another ortho, so I've just been living with the pain. Recently, it started getting worse, so my GP decided to get new x-rays done. His whole practice is set up around home visits, and they work with a lab that was able to bring the x-ray machine to me

The x-rays showed that because my shoulders have been misaligned due to the cuff tears, all the bone in the humerus head on both sides has worn away. That's the bulb of bone at the top of the arm that fits into the shoulder joint.

Basically, it's just a real mess.

#817

OMG Kris!

I’m sorry this happened. I’m also glad to hear you now have a doc who understands your particular issues.

You are incredibly strong

#818

Phoenix520 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 10:11 pm
OMG Kris!

I’m sorry this happened. I’m also glad to hear you now have a doc who understands your particular issues.

You are incredibly strong

Thanks

#819

#820

Off Topic

Since you all are dumping your shoulder stories in Foggy's thread I'll update you about me.

Monday morning I go see the Orthopaedic surgeon for the first time to discuss my arthritic right hip. I got a 'Partial' (Birmingham) replacement on my left hip in 2007 and it has been just fine ever since. Back then, the surgeon said I'd be back within 3 years for the other, but it took 13 years for the right to start complaining, and then the pandemic shut down any consideration of 'non-essential' surgery of course. So now I'm catching up. I started PT for my back to strengthen the muscles in anticipation of the surgery. My bones may not support a Birmingham anymore, we'll see what the Surgeon says.

Then in the afternoon, I've got a telehealth meeting with my GP to discuss my shoulders MRI scan and XRay. I'm half expecting to hear that I don't have any ligaments still attached as they should be... or something like that.

I've been avoiding making an "Introduce Yourself" post for myself but I suppose I should make one up so I can categorize my medical shopping list in its own little pigeon hole.

#821

Hugs to Kris and Keith.

#822

Yes, hugs to you both, and we've become some sorta support group lately, and that's okay today. I can use some support myself, on occasion.

Tomorrow morning, finally, I get to drive the lovely ol' Wifehorn and myself up to Bathysphere or wherever it is, to see my dad for the firat time since the week after Christmas. He's been through a tough slog, and it's not even over yet - we're spending the night in his apartment, but he's not, he's still in the rehab facility in his retirement community until Tuesday morning. But that gives us a chance to get the place ready for him.

All a big adventure, but it's starting to look like I will, in fact, get to see my dad at least once more.

My sisters, both of whom live within an hour of him, aren't even going to visit him for his 95th birthday today (NO, TRL, no birthday thread, he's not a member here

). My niece drove up from Norfolk with her two kids, and they had kind of a little ice cream social in the rehab. But my sisters, who could really spend some time with him? Nada. They're just waiting for their inheritance.

I'd like to wait another 25 years, thanks. I'm in no rush at all.

#823

Whadda ya mean Admiral Dadhorn is not a member!!!!!!!????????

#824

I KNEW IT!!

#825

Let's blow this pop stand. Outta here, on the road, AFK until I'm not any more.

Prognosis (weather in Bathysphere): Chilly but sunny, with 100% chance of parental unit all week.