Just Do It...PODay 129

Every time I try a new motion or activity with my operated arm, it is at the least difficult, and often hurts. It's not the bone parts that hurt, it's where the deltoid muscle has been connected up to the bone about half way down my upper arm. Since the rotator cuff was damaged so badly, and that's why a rTSA was necessary, the only way to to be able to lift and use the arm is to put the deltoid muscle to work in a new way. So first of all, my arm has had very little exercise in the past fifteen months so all the muscles are out of shape. Second, the deltoid muscle has a new job to learn. And third, I have no idea how the deltoid muscle is affixed to the humerus but according to the op notes it involves #2 non absorbable heavy duty suture material and some pretty fancy knots. Why wouldn't it hurt?

When the day came that I thought my right arm ought to participate in rotating the steering wheel my right arm had a different opinion. It complained loudly. Well, the loudly came from me saying OW, OW, OW with every hand over hand motion. As uncomfortable as it was, I toughed it out and within a couple days and a few short trips around town, the discomfort was much lessened. After a few weeks, it still hurts a little but the ows are much fewer.

It's still a little uncomfortable to use my right arm to brush my hair, wash my hair, scratch the top of my head, or even put a pierced earring in my left earlobe. But every time I do it, it gets a little easier.

The projet du jour (a bad job just sounds classier in French) was applying two coats of liquid wax to the kitchen floor. Of course it had to be mopped pretty good first. Naturally, the old right arm didn't like it one bit. When a particularly dirty spot demanded a little elbow grease and individual attention, the right arm grudgingly participated but there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm. Even sliding the sponge mop back and forth to apply the wax seemed more than the arm wanted to do and complaints had to be ignored. I got it done and the floor looks much better and my arm is only a little worse for the wear.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I have to persevere in spite of some discomfort. The more I push myself the more progress I make. But I have talked to my surgeon about what I can and cannot do and I keep his advice in mind. I certainly don't want to damage anything and a clean, waxed floor is not worth some imagined post surgical complication.

But it does look nice now. The floor, not my arm.

http://youtu.be/y56SNOsfgq8


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