Sharing is a Good Thing...PO Day 88

I had been anxiously waiting to see my surgeon this past Wednesday. For the past two or three weeks my operated arm has been painful in a different and kind of worrisome way. It's most likely due to the more vigorous physical therapy but my imagination has run wild with all kinds of dire possibilities. So, when his office called to say my appointment would have to be postponed until next Monday, I was disappointed and even more concerned.

Was it just a coincidence or divine intervention that a friend called that same evening? A week before my rTSR surgery in June, she underwent rotator cuff surgery to repair damage due to a fall. Our recovery has followed a similar course and it sounds as if our physical therapy exercises are creating the same sore muscles. She has the same pain I am experiencing and, since she does not have the same artificial parts that I am so worried about, I have had to entertain the possibility my imagination is working overtime.

This simple shift in perspective has had an amazing effect on my reality. Suddenly I am much more comfortable and the "snap, crackle, pop" sensations that frequently alarmed me have disappeared. I am back to doing some of my more aggressive stretches resulting in noticeable improvement in range of motion. Is the "power of positive thinking" that powerful? Most likely it is the power of being able to share one's fears with a kindred spirit and find reassurance in their experience.

I hope there is someone "out there" who is finding this same comfort as they follow my blog. If nothing else, we all know "misery loves company."


Archive timeline: 2014: May and June - preparing for surgery, July - surgery and post op problems, August - recovery and physical therapy, September...