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This may not be an actual thing (yet), but the knitting Facebook groups of which I'm a member have all kinds of acronyms--we post pictures of our WIPs (Works in Progress), which transition to FOF (Finished Object Fridays), and humblebrag about our SABLEs (Stash Aquisition Beyond Life Expectancy).
I'm inventing MOM because I have some O'ing of my own to do. As you might have guessed, it is closely related to the high-quality artwork I found to open today's post. Can you believe it was a free download?
For the past year or so I've been whining that my shoulder was feeling wonky. I think I've even mentioned in this space a couple of times that my right arm was beginning to be a more reliable weather predictor than Channel 10, but pretty much everything I do depends on my right arm so instead of seeking an actual professional opinion I self-diagnosed the shoulder crankiness as aging pains. I continued to carry in grocery bags four in each hand, and I made the transition from earning most of my money at a computer keyboard to earning most of my money at a piano keyboard. Just for fun I knit, and knit, and knit some more.
Finally last week I decided I was tired of waking up in the night wincing because I'd jostled my shoulder in my sleep, and went to see my doctor. He did a couple of things that made me say "ow" then booked me in for an MRI. The results were available in my in-box the next morning.
Well.
The radiologist's report used the phrase "complete tear" several times, as well as the phrases "muscle atrophy" and "degenerative changes," and several other phrases that I won't bore you with but also sounded ominous. It appears that my arm is now attached to my body almost exclusively by thoughts and prayers, and as we've noted during the past few years, without some kind of action these are not always the most effective ways of dealing with concrete problems.
My doctor already had made me an appointment with a specialist, but May must be busy season for orthopedists because the earliest I could be seen is June 14. A piece of advice for you if you're in a similar situation: Dr. Google does not know the proper balance between "This may be manageable without much trauma" and "Get out the chainsaw, we're doing an emergency amputation."
Fortunately, my sons have shown excellent taste in marrying into families who are not only lovely and kind and have the most beautiful daughters, but also are brilliant in their own right, which is to say that Lovely Girl#2's father is an orthopedic surgeon who deals with this stuff every day.
Oh, yes, I did ask for help based solely on personal panic and from several states away the advice was excellent. With just a couple of texts the good doctor was able to talk me down off the ledge, and I'm now waiting patient-ly (that's a medical joke) until the actual appointment in a month. I'm hoping for a recommendation of physical therapy and some kind of miracle shots, but aware that I may end up on an operating table.
I'm trying hard not to pay any interest on a worry loan for which I might not need the actual capital, but also trying not to ignore ways I could make my life easier if the doctor here does recommend surgery. Grocery delivery! Rolling luggage! Left-hand-heavy preludes! A stockpile of British procedurals for some posh-accent diversion!
In the meantime I have a pair of socks to finish in case I'm left-hand-only for a while.
Anyone else want to overshare?
Favorite parts:
ReplyDelete1. "It appears that my arm is now attached to my body almost exclusively by thoughts and prayers"
2. "Dr. Google does not know the proper balance between 'This may be manageable without much trauma' and 'Get out the chainsaw, we're doing an emergency amputation.'"
I would like to overshare that apparently I am in approximately Year Three of perimenopause (or is it Year Five? part of perimenopause seems to be forgetfulness), and I have lost all ability to regulate temperature. I am always either hotter or colder than I have ever been.
I had shoulder replacement 10 years ago and this was much easier than the knees and hips. No weight bearing needed so hardly needed pain med except at bed time for a couple of weeks. You will have a sling with a block to keep arm in correct position. You will need to prepare yourself for a change in undergarments. a pair of loose sweatpants will aide your independence. also a thick shirt with zipper is helpful. Since I did it in winter, I wore zippered hoodies. You CAN use your fingers and wrist.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part: "I'm trying hard not to pay any interest on a worry loan for which I might not need the actual capital..."
ReplyDeleteYou write really well. I'm sorry you're in pain, especially the kind that disrupts sleep. No bueno.
I'm not having medical issues at the moment, which is not to say I won't, now that I've jinxed it. But I am disgruntled lately because I feel like I cannot control my widening midsection (and at the same time I hardly care enough to TRY, which is doubly frustrating).