Week 9 status report (+1 day)
Aug. 22nd, 2003 11:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annathepiperSo, a reprieve this past week from medical examination... and in exchange I have gotten back a bit more range of motion, a brace that has started making a habit of sliding down my arm at inopportune times, and growing frustration at waking up after about six hours because my back goes TIRED OF SLEEPING ON BACK NOW while my arm goes HEY HEY HEY NOT REALLY READY TO SLEEP ON SIDE THANK YOU. Which makes for a groggy Anna in the morning. Especially since I am more sensitive to being awakened by sunlight, now that my stupid arm has turned me into a morning person. This past Saturday, I was awake BEFORE NINE A.M. Ugh.
The physical therapy does seem to be helping, at least. If my arm is bent at the elbow across my front, I can lift it as high as my chest. If I am standing, and with my arm more or less straight, I can with considerable effort raise my arm as high as the shelf over my monitor at work. This is roughly an inch or two below my shoulder. The bad news is, the effort IS considerable and feels like I am trying to lift a heavy weight. The good news is, it doesn't hurt, it's just tiring. And the other good news is that I can do it either lifting my arm in front of me, or to my side. Also, if I am lying on my back I can hold my arm straight up for about 20 seconds, unsupported, before it starts to tremble.
Now I just need to see if I can manage to do the PT as often as the people at the B&J place want me to. Right now I am managing twice a day and some of the exercises want three times a day; the rest want five.
As of this week I have also begun extremely scaled down versions of my former weights workouts. Right now I am playing with the 2-pounders, and can barely manage some half-assed bicep curls and tricep kickbacks that more or less send the arm in the right direction even if I can't manage the entire motion. The wrist curls are easier, though. And as of last night I added back in several of the exercises in my routine that do not require arms. Boy howdy, did mt back appreciate the ones for my middle; a lot of muscles there went OH THANK GOD SOME STRETCHING.
Being able to sleep and bathe without the brace is really nice. Especially getting to float my arm in warm water. But I am still having challenges trying to get comfortable at night as I try to phase out a bunch of the mountain of pillows I've been using, and find a position that neither my arm nor my stiff right shoulder nor my back will bitch about. BUT, in most current developments I have finally loosened up my shoulder enough that I can get onto my stomach in bed, so that should help make my back happier.
This Sunday, I have another appointment with Liz and am looking forward to her being able to work with all those cranky muscles she couldn't get to last time thanks to me not being able to roll over. And since I can lose the brace pretty much at will at this point -- its only real remaining function is to protect my bone from unforeseen impact -- it'll be safe for her to work with my arm muscles as well. Which is good, because they are direly in need of it.
So... the end may not yet be in sight, but at least progress is being made and that's something!
The physical therapy does seem to be helping, at least. If my arm is bent at the elbow across my front, I can lift it as high as my chest. If I am standing, and with my arm more or less straight, I can with considerable effort raise my arm as high as the shelf over my monitor at work. This is roughly an inch or two below my shoulder. The bad news is, the effort IS considerable and feels like I am trying to lift a heavy weight. The good news is, it doesn't hurt, it's just tiring. And the other good news is that I can do it either lifting my arm in front of me, or to my side. Also, if I am lying on my back I can hold my arm straight up for about 20 seconds, unsupported, before it starts to tremble.
Now I just need to see if I can manage to do the PT as often as the people at the B&J place want me to. Right now I am managing twice a day and some of the exercises want three times a day; the rest want five.
As of this week I have also begun extremely scaled down versions of my former weights workouts. Right now I am playing with the 2-pounders, and can barely manage some half-assed bicep curls and tricep kickbacks that more or less send the arm in the right direction even if I can't manage the entire motion. The wrist curls are easier, though. And as of last night I added back in several of the exercises in my routine that do not require arms. Boy howdy, did mt back appreciate the ones for my middle; a lot of muscles there went OH THANK GOD SOME STRETCHING.
Being able to sleep and bathe without the brace is really nice. Especially getting to float my arm in warm water. But I am still having challenges trying to get comfortable at night as I try to phase out a bunch of the mountain of pillows I've been using, and find a position that neither my arm nor my stiff right shoulder nor my back will bitch about. BUT, in most current developments I have finally loosened up my shoulder enough that I can get onto my stomach in bed, so that should help make my back happier.
This Sunday, I have another appointment with Liz and am looking forward to her being able to work with all those cranky muscles she couldn't get to last time thanks to me not being able to roll over. And since I can lose the brace pretty much at will at this point -- its only real remaining function is to protect my bone from unforeseen impact -- it'll be safe for her to work with my arm muscles as well. Which is good, because they are direly in need of it.
So... the end may not yet be in sight, but at least progress is being made and that's something!