In November, my shoulder started hurting when I woke up and sometimes during the day. I have Lupus and Sjogrens though so I am used to all kinds of weird aches and pains. I was careful with it, but kept doing my normal activities. I went to the gym and did my normal arm weights with Nilendra. I would make sure to reach really carefully for the weights, then I could lift them no problem. I went home for Christmas and my shoulder bothered me and I remember one painful experience when I was dancing with Charlotte and Natalie to Taylor Swift's "Shake it off". When I got back to India, Nilendra went on vacation and five weeks passed without me going to the gym and my shoulder got worse. By the end of February, I was in agony and could barely move my left arm.
I went to the physical therapist and they diagnosed me with a frozen shoulder. I had never heard of it before, but I now know of multiple people that have had one. It takes 12 to 36 months to recover!! I thought they were exaggerating! But the process has been slow. X-rays showed that my shoulder was a little out of socket, but no known injury. When I traveled to Croatia for spring break and I got bumped on the airplane and it hurt like heck, but I think it popped it into socket because it hurt less for a few days. Then I had an encounter with a rough security person and it hurt again.
I could barely move my arm. Getting dressed was time consuming, I couldn't shampoo my hair, or hold a plate in my left arm. My kids and I decided I was like a T-rex.
During the month of March, I went to Physical Therapy twice a week and it hurt sooooo bad and I gained little mobility. I started acupuncture in addition to my regular physio three times a week in April and I seemed to gain more mobility. I still can't do normal things and it hurt horribly at night, but I allow my Physical Therapist, Ridi, to torture me in the hopes that I will someday get to use my arm normally again!
It has been a humbling experience. I am trapped by the limitations of this new "disability". I panicked at first, because all I could think of was when I was trapped in my body when my Lupus was at its worst. I can't really do any exercise but walk, so I do it as much as I possible can.
The limits my shoulder has imposed on me for month is such a big entity that I gave it a name. MORTIMER. The kids ask how mortimer is doing every day. Mortimer wakes me up in the middle of the night like a toddler.
I'm going home this summer and it is going to be hard to love on all the babies waiting for me in the US without full use of my arm.
I have to keep believing it WILL get better and I will run, swim etc. again some day.
I went to the physical therapist and they diagnosed me with a frozen shoulder. I had never heard of it before, but I now know of multiple people that have had one. It takes 12 to 36 months to recover!! I thought they were exaggerating! But the process has been slow. X-rays showed that my shoulder was a little out of socket, but no known injury. When I traveled to Croatia for spring break and I got bumped on the airplane and it hurt like heck, but I think it popped it into socket because it hurt less for a few days. Then I had an encounter with a rough security person and it hurt again.
I could barely move my arm. Getting dressed was time consuming, I couldn't shampoo my hair, or hold a plate in my left arm. My kids and I decided I was like a T-rex.
During the month of March, I went to Physical Therapy twice a week and it hurt sooooo bad and I gained little mobility. I started acupuncture in addition to my regular physio three times a week in April and I seemed to gain more mobility. I still can't do normal things and it hurt horribly at night, but I allow my Physical Therapist, Ridi, to torture me in the hopes that I will someday get to use my arm normally again!
It has been a humbling experience. I am trapped by the limitations of this new "disability". I panicked at first, because all I could think of was when I was trapped in my body when my Lupus was at its worst. I can't really do any exercise but walk, so I do it as much as I possible can.
The limits my shoulder has imposed on me for month is such a big entity that I gave it a name. MORTIMER. The kids ask how mortimer is doing every day. Mortimer wakes me up in the middle of the night like a toddler.
I'm going home this summer and it is going to be hard to love on all the babies waiting for me in the US without full use of my arm.
I have to keep believing it WILL get better and I will run, swim etc. again some day.
