Update - 6th week - September 17, 2012

Hello Everyone!

Yesterday marked six weeks since the surgery and I travelled back to MD on Friday to have the follow-up appointment scheduled for Monday September 17, 2012.  The doctor was extremely pleased with my progress!

He stated;

•  that I could work as long as in wasn't in construction ( but at the rate things have been going with finding a job - I might just have to apply to be a one-armed ditch digger!).
• I can lift no more than 5lbs; I was released from wearing the sling (YAY!!) day and night but that I should wear it when I;m going to be in crowds.
• I can DRIVE!!!!! but I am forbidden to reach up with my left (surgery ) arm for the seat belt 

He also stated that now the "real" work begins. (seriously? he didn't think allowing him to slice me open and then trusting someone to lift and turn and shake the arm five days after surgery was work?) .   He said that I will be in much more pain in these next six weeks as I will be pushed in PT and will be doing more on my own . How much pain? (you ask and I did too) Like a renewed prescription for Vicadin amount of pain!  Oh joy! joy!

I am still in MD as the "prisoner exchange" was foiled by the fact that my friend's car broke down 30 miles from the exchange site. Let's not even discuss the bizarre-o  circumstances that followed. Rashida and I headed back to MD and Beth called friends had her car towed all the way back ...and well... we'll have to see.

In the meantime, I am trying to see if I can transfer my PT to MD.. but... well... let's just say that if you haven't had to discuss creative thinking with an insurance company then you have been truly blessed. But now that I'm semi coherent - this back and forth and up and down ...is just madness!!  I am working with the billing administrator of the surgeon to file for financial hardship and will know tomorrow.

Somewhere between week three and now I developed serious and increasing pain in my right thigh.  It would only occur at night (as if I need something else to keep me awake all night!) So I thought I'd use this delay today to make an appointment with my primary physician and I learned that the pain is Bursitis. And believe it or not it was caused/aggravated by the surgery in that I have been sleeping only on my right side (without turning etc in my sleep). She gave me prescription Motrin and if that doesn't work I will need a shot of steroids. sigh ...Let's just say that I have eliminated the words "anything else?" from my vocabulary!