21 thoughts on “Look, Ma – Two Hands!”

    1. lorilschafer Post author

      I have a PT appointment this week. Funny, though – it sounds like they basically just give you some exercises and then you’re on your own. American health care. I’ve been working it pretty good, but it’s a bit like operating in a vacuum, not knowing whether I’m doing too much or not enough, and no noteworthy improvement as yet. And I just find it so strange that no one told me it would be like this. Yeah, they mention restoring “range of motion” but I thought that meant behind me and over my head – not a foot in front of me. Very bizarre.

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      1. Charli Mills

        Keep at the exercises. I had a back surgery go bad and the surgeon “accidentally” nicked my spinal cord. I got so frustrated at what I call the “baby exercises” but they do help. They seem like nothing, but they extend connective tissue little by little. Acupuncture is awesome if you can get it. My daughter broke her arm twice in gymnastics and the bone healed weird the second time. Doc said there was nothing to do about it, but our acupuncturist actually healed the bone and it straightened! It is strange no one told you what to expect but American “healthcare” sucks. :-( Not all practitioners do. Find someone knowledgeable who will teach you how to get back your full range of motion.

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      2. lorilschafer Post author

        Yeah, I got all excited on Thursday, because literally after a single day of PT, I extended my reach (forward, at least) almost to the full! But every other direction is a half-inch at a time. I know what you mean about the frustration – the early “gentle” exercises they gave me seemed to do nothing at all – except cause pain. I definitely prefer the exercises that use some muscle – at least they don’t seem like such a waste of time. I’m totally on board with resistance-band stuff, because heck, if nothing else, at least I’m rebuilding some muscle! Amazing about the acupuncturist. How old was your daughter at the time? I’m wondering if it was easier to fix because she was young. But it just goes to show that doctors aren’t always right – and sometimes it’s worth looking at another approach.

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  5. Sarah Brentyn

    Oy. I coulda shoulda told you that. Didn’t want to be a downer. Plus, it doesn’t always happen. I lost so much strength in my arm, I had to go to PT for a long while. I wasn’t that old though it was a bit more than a rotator cuff. Feel better soon. (PT isn’t that bad — I have a season pass to the one around here.) :-)

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    1. lorilschafer Post author

      Eh, it may be better that I didn’t know. Actually, I’m looking forward to PT, although it looks as though for the most part I’m going to be on my own. As long as it sorts itself out eventually, I’ll be happy!

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  7. Hugh's Views and News

    I broke my upper right arm in two places trying to catch an umbrella and know exactly what you are going through, Lori. I’m right handed and I was so passionate about being able to still use the computer that I would lean my right shoulder towards the keyboard so that I could hit the control key and the number 2 key to get the “@” sign to come up on the screen.

    I wish you well towards that full recovery and it was great to meet you on video (even if it was about your sniff right arm).

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      1. Hugh's Views and News

        Yes, but a very painful story as well. Providing I did not move my upper arm to much and just moved the rest of my body to get to the @ sign, the pain was not bad. It’s amazing what you can teach your body to do when parts of it are out of action…but that’s another story as well :)

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  8. Norah

    I sympathise! About eleven years I had a ‘frozen’ shoulder. It wasn’t really that but was so similar in symptoms that that was what everyone said it was even after I told them it wasn’t! I wasn’t able to move my arm either. It felt like it was stuck to the side of my body. Moving it, bumping it, not moving it, were all very painful. I think it was about 6 weeks before I was able to dress myself independently and drive. Fortunately the exercises set for me by the physio worked and, although I lost a lot of strength in the arm, it again functions “normally”. I wish you a speedy recovery.

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    1. lorilschafer Post author

      I was wondering about that, Norah, because I remembered you said you had injured your rotator cuff a while back – which actually sounds worse than what I did. I find it encouraging to know that it did eventually get better, and six weeks at least sounds tolerable. I mean, all things considered! I had my first PT yesterday, and they said that this is the big problem among “older” (i.e., not young) folks – the stiffness and reduced range of motion following the injury. I guess if you dislocate at a young age, especially before 25, you tend to dislocate over and over again. So, given the thought of that, several weeks of immobility doesn’t sound so bad! :)

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