I am participating in 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes 2019 (all of my submissions can be found here).
Today’s prompt is: REACH
What started as a tiny pain in my shoulder (I thought I had slept wrong) in February 2019 grew over a period of months to something much more painful and disturbing.
My range of motion became more and more restricted. I couldn’t reach a high shelf in the kitchen (or anything that involved something high above me). My whole arm hurt. My hand got numb. It got bad enough that I called the doctor (which says a lot!). I’m not doctor-averse, but I tend to shy away from taking the time. (I was also overdue for some basic physical-type stuff anyway.
In the midst of all this, I ended up having this painful-yet-funny situation that I shared on Facebook.
My doctor’s appointment was on a Monday in July. He ordered an X-ray. I went and got the X-ray that afternoon, then waited for some diagnosis. Backing up, when I arrived at the doctor, all their phone numbers on me were outdated (owing, I guess, to the fact that I had not been in a while). I corrected them so they would have the correct number to get in touch with me.
About a week later, I got snail mail with a letter that said “we can’t reach you — call us.”
Turns out they had been calling the ancient numbers, not my new number.
The nurse read off the X-ray results: “Arthritis and a bone spur.” Well — that didn’t sound good.
Commence the lengthy wait (about a month) to get into the orthopedist. Interestingly enough, Dr. Thompson is the same orthopedist who set Tenley’s foot when she was 3 and broke it jumping off the bed 20 years ago.
**end of five minutes**
He did a few diagnostic activities with me and asked if I had ever heard of “frozen shoulder.”
It’s another name for adhesive capsulitis, and it means the shoulder joint tissues develop tightness and scarring that keeps the shoulder from rotating.
After a month of waiting, having convinced myself of the worst — that I would have to take time off work to have surgery — the solution (they said) was four stretches, twice a day.
Now, I’m a bit of a pessimist about being handed sheets of paper with stretches. It reminded me of the balance exercises we were supposed to do with my father-in-law, also disseminated when a medical professional handed over some sheets of paper and said “do this every day.” (To be fair, I am a bit more compliant as a patient than he was!).
The good news? THE STRETCHES WORK!
The situation isn’t perfect yet, but my range of motion is so much better and the pain has lessened a good bit. I read (and the doctor confirmed) that frozen shoulder does clear up on its own eventually (he also mentioned some people get it in both shoulders at once — I just can’t imagine how those people keep functioning!).
I’m glad I trusted the sheets of paper (and the doctor) this time. I also learned (yet again) a lesson about why catastrophizing without doing extensive research or waiting to hear a specialist’s opinion is so counterproductive.
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Authentic Truths says
I’m in the exact same boat! Shoulder, elbow, and wrist now though, but began with frozen shoulder. Mine is osteoarthritis. That shoulder thing at night was the worst!
Paula Kiger says
Oh my goodness yes! Sorry I can relate to well to your predicament. I had an MRI (for a different reason) before I started the stretches or knew what to do, and keeping my arm in that position for a solid half hour was a challenge. Hope yours gets manageable.
Tara says
I’m so glad the stretches are working for you!
Paula Kiger says
Better than surgery for sure!
James says
I didn’t really know about the details of this! Glad you found some good treatment. Runners I’ve known like to debate the merits of stretching, but this feels like exactly the type of situation where smart stretching is essential.
Paula Kiger (Big Green Pen) says
I’m so relieved! The doctor said it’s much more effective to do the stretching at home twice a day than to go to a physical therapist twice a week. It really does take the consistent, incremental work to change things apparently.
Rena McDaniel says
My husband had shoulder surgery a few years ago to repair his rotator cup and then he injured it again a week later and had to have another repair surgery. Today he’s doing great and it never bothers him. I have the arthritis and it sucks.
Paula Kiger says
Oh wow. I remember a co-worker having a nonspecific shoulder injury once when we were traveling for business, and now I wish I had been much more sympathetic! Glad your husband is doing so much better, but I hear you on the arthritis. :-/