Hydrodilatation continued

So took freshly hydrodilatated shoulder to physio this morning.

No pain (yes!), increased movement (yes!) and the cortisone will still be doing its job for up to another 2 weeks.

Feeling very optimistic and happy.

Hydrodilatation

*warning - contains my shoulder*

So this morning i had hydrodilatation performed on my shoulder.

what is hydrodilatation? I hear you ask

Well click here for a patient info sheet...

or here (this is the crowd wot done me shoulder).

My 'medical' team think i have a reasonably high pain tolerance level and maybe, just maybe, this supports that thought.

I found the procedure uncomfortable (oh so uncomfortable) but not painful.

First they injected a (shitload, according to my GP) of local anaesthetic into my shoulder, this was followed by cortisone, and then by a small amount of sterile solution.

At several points during the procedure the shoulder is xrayed to ensure the injections are where they will do the most good.

I could (if i'd wanted to) watch the procedure reflected in the xray machine above my head. I did not wish to do this however so rather I stared intently at the left side wall - especially where the wall met the ceiling (there was a small crack at that point , near what i assume was once a chimney breast)

The whole procedure took about 25 minutes. I was advised not to drive for the rest of the day unless I had to and definitely no driving for 30 minutes after the procedure. I'd also been warned that the pain might be worse for 2 or 3 days after the procedure once the anaesthetic had worn off.

So i sat outside in the morning sun, drinking a coffee & eating chocolate until my sister arrived to pick me up and drive me home.

I've had an afternoon nap, and the arm is still pain free - surely the anaesthetic has worn off my now!

The one in which my shoulder does not get an A

-

So I had the shoulder (arm?) measured for range of movement last week.

The results were a little disappointing.

Forward movement was around the 65 degrees mark (90 degrees is shoulder high). I could get higher if i swung into it but the measurement is based on me lifiting my arm as high as I can and holding it there.

Sideways movement (lifting my arm out to the side) 35 degrees (uh oh).

My right arm also has the strength of a kitten (the heaviest thing i can lift is a can of pepsi max).

My physio tells me my arm (and range of motion) is improving but instead of listening to her, and believing her, I'm just depressing myself by reading about gymnasts who are doing somersaults on a trampoline (whilst wearing a sling) 2 weeks after shoulder surgery.

I guess the key emotion here is frustration - I'm pretty much sling free so i look normal but i can't do 'normal' things at work which is confusing and irritating for customers & staff; and frustrating as all getout for me.

Last week's big achievement was doing up a seatbelt or the first time since July 22nd.

I need to focus on the (albeit small) positives & improvements and deal with the frustrations by(say) tossing birds at pigs.


*

The one in which my shoulder returns to work

So the shoulder has returned to work (albeit part-time and on modified duties).

The work itself is not too bad (or pain inducing) but the preparation for work each morning - that is an ordeal...

Everything takes soooo much longer than it used to.

Having only one usable arm slows everything down. Showering, dressing, breakfasting, etc; (no such thing as a quick shower at the moment.) Not to mention I have to start each day with painkillers to facilitate the getting ready for work process.

Mind you I have reduced my tshirt donning record from 45 minutes down to under 10 minutes (we take our victories where we can, however small)

Once I get to work i'm exhausted (and sore) from the getting ready, the work itself is ok, at this stage it's more about managing the pain, and not overdoing things (and finding out what I can do) rather than anything else.

I'm also finding that the combination of painkillers and 8 weeks off work has meant i currently have the concentration span of a carrot (or a 2 year old).

So baby steps in everything I do.

I have a range of exercises that I do many times every day.

* 3 or 4 variations on the pendulum swinging of the arm (to get the shoulder joint moving),

* a couple of exercises using a cane (think an arthritic fred astaire sans top hat),

* a pulley system (sailing rope and a hook in the neighbour's carport)

Sounds weird I know; hopefully they will help the shoulder regain it's former pristine level of fitness (the exercises along with the determined effort of my physio to rip my arm from its socket twice a week)

we shall see how it all goes...

piccies

+

=&

shoulder news week 3.

The week that was:

MONDAY

So back to fracture clinic.

Added an orthopaedic resident to my orthopaedic team.

Turns out my orthopaedic registrar showed my xrays & scan to three orthopaedic surgeons and was outvoted 3-1 in the 'put a royal doulton plate in fiona's shoulder' poll.

Off work for a further 4 weeks.

WEDNESDAY

visited work for return-to-work meeting.

we have a plan for mid september.

it seems so far away.

otherwise it was walk, painkillers, sleep,

fiona's fracture continued

week 2 update.

the good

• have stopped taking the really strong painkillers
• am coping with normal panadol
• have been walking the 50 metres to the letterbox (& back) most days
• don't have to have an operation to insert a plate in arm
• work sent me a huge basket of chocolate to aid in healing
• my sister & my mum are waiting on me hand and foot

the not so good

• still living in my sister's armchair
• arm still bruised & swollen
• missed 7 shows (so far)
• can't do much

the bad

• can't move back to my flat because the layout of the door locks means i couldn't get out in an emergency (i miss my stuff)
• can't dress myself
• very limited in what i can do one handed
• feeling a bit sore and sorry for myself