Well talk about a complete change in plans pretty much overnight. It's a good thing my family and I have learned to just roll with this medical nonsense and we somehow manage to make things work in the end. Last update I mentioned how the next step (so we thought) was to go Mayo in Minnesota to meet with an orthopedic who deals with complex tendon transfers to resolve functional disabilities. The doctor in Boston thinks going there is very much worth my time so I can have both my shoulders, scapulas, and neck evaluated by a team of doctors (orthopedics & neurosurgery) who specialize in very complex shoulder injuries and brachial plexus problems. I called earlier this month to schedule an appointment but was told I need to send my medical records in advance so they can be reviewed to determine if the doctor is willing to see me. Those records will be sent out Tuesday and it'll take about 2 weeks to get a call back. Gotta say, it's been loads of fun gathering all my shoulder records and trying to organize them in a way that makes it somewhat easy to follow...not! Have fun reading and attempting to understand my book of records without me there to explain shoulder doc!
Now 3 weeks ago there was an incident that occurred with my right shoulder. I had an itch at the bottom of my back on the left side so I moved my right arm behind my back to scratch it. Yea...who'd a thought that would be a bad idea??? At that, there was a ridiculous amount of pain, a charlie-horse sensation over the back of my shoulder joint and side of my shoulder blade which was accompanied with a burning/stabbing/stinging sensation down the back of my arm radiating intermittently into my hand. I had zero motion at the shoulder, elbow motion only to 90, and my hand/forearm was all discolored. As luck would have it, this incident happened on a Saturday and with the extent of shoulder problems I have, going to an ER is not an option. So 3 days later on August 12th I managed to get in with my local orthopedic. We're not sure what, but something moved out of position and it wasn't stemming from the shoulder joint. He gave me a lidocaine injection and thankfully after a couple days my right shoulder went back to its "normal". At my appointment I voiced with my doctor how I am completely fed up with being sent from doctor to doctor all over the place for the past year without anybody proposing any sort of treatment, like physical therapy, because I am getting worse. I also told him how there isn't enough time to explain all the issues going on and every doctor is fixated on all the surgery when I'm repeatedly saying the problem occurred September 22, 2012. After further discussion we decided going to physical therapy before going to Mayo would be best so I can get a really good reevaluation.
The physical therapists I'll be working with are the same ones that worked with me last year. Three of the doctors that I see felt I should go back to CO because 1. those therapists are the ones that worked with me most recently so they will be able provide a more accurate comparison 2. it's an intense physical therapy program and 3. to see if getting me back in a climate that is less humid and at a higher altitude provides some relief. I'll be going to pt 5 days a week, 2 times a day. It is going to be a million times harder than last year because my muscle(s) weren't detached from my left scapula and it wasn't unstable like it is now, the L shoulder joint wasn't as unstable, nerve symptoms I have on my right shoulder/right side of neck are a lot worse now, motion is pretty much nonexistent, and my neck has limited motion and is grinding/cracking/popping. My mind is at ease knowing the orthopedic department is one floor above my head in the event we run into a problem. My goals going into therapy this time are different than last year. Last year I was hopeful that I was going to get better and be more functional while this year the goal is to get in the best "shape" possible, figure out what works/what doesn't/what we have to work with so that when I go to Mayo that doctor will hopefully have a very complete recent understanding of how my upper body is functioning. The good news is my pt benefits aren't as crunched this year as they were last year. When I get back home to Illinois in November, I will still have pt benefits available to work with my longtime, trusty, IL physical therapist during November and December.
So at that, two and half weeks ago I was sitting in my doctors office being told to go do therapy in CO. There's 7 people in our household and then there's my brother and my nephews who live in their home. I'm very blessed to have a very understanding, supportive family who would do anything for me. I know taking my mom with me for two months is hard on everybody!! During the past 2+ weeks it has been a mad dash trying to get everything to all work together. Happy to say day 1 is a success. My mom and I are now relaxing in our hotel room in Iowa getting ready to eat our dinner. I'll get an update posted once physical therapy starts. My first physical therapy appointment is September 8th. The morning appointment will be the initial evaluation and in the afternoon who knows what. Thanks to everyone for all the support!
Now 3 weeks ago there was an incident that occurred with my right shoulder. I had an itch at the bottom of my back on the left side so I moved my right arm behind my back to scratch it. Yea...who'd a thought that would be a bad idea??? At that, there was a ridiculous amount of pain, a charlie-horse sensation over the back of my shoulder joint and side of my shoulder blade which was accompanied with a burning/stabbing/stinging sensation down the back of my arm radiating intermittently into my hand. I had zero motion at the shoulder, elbow motion only to 90, and my hand/forearm was all discolored. As luck would have it, this incident happened on a Saturday and with the extent of shoulder problems I have, going to an ER is not an option. So 3 days later on August 12th I managed to get in with my local orthopedic. We're not sure what, but something moved out of position and it wasn't stemming from the shoulder joint. He gave me a lidocaine injection and thankfully after a couple days my right shoulder went back to its "normal". At my appointment I voiced with my doctor how I am completely fed up with being sent from doctor to doctor all over the place for the past year without anybody proposing any sort of treatment, like physical therapy, because I am getting worse. I also told him how there isn't enough time to explain all the issues going on and every doctor is fixated on all the surgery when I'm repeatedly saying the problem occurred September 22, 2012. After further discussion we decided going to physical therapy before going to Mayo would be best so I can get a really good reevaluation.
The physical therapists I'll be working with are the same ones that worked with me last year. Three of the doctors that I see felt I should go back to CO because 1. those therapists are the ones that worked with me most recently so they will be able provide a more accurate comparison 2. it's an intense physical therapy program and 3. to see if getting me back in a climate that is less humid and at a higher altitude provides some relief. I'll be going to pt 5 days a week, 2 times a day. It is going to be a million times harder than last year because my muscle(s) weren't detached from my left scapula and it wasn't unstable like it is now, the L shoulder joint wasn't as unstable, nerve symptoms I have on my right shoulder/right side of neck are a lot worse now, motion is pretty much nonexistent, and my neck has limited motion and is grinding/cracking/popping. My mind is at ease knowing the orthopedic department is one floor above my head in the event we run into a problem. My goals going into therapy this time are different than last year. Last year I was hopeful that I was going to get better and be more functional while this year the goal is to get in the best "shape" possible, figure out what works/what doesn't/what we have to work with so that when I go to Mayo that doctor will hopefully have a very complete recent understanding of how my upper body is functioning. The good news is my pt benefits aren't as crunched this year as they were last year. When I get back home to Illinois in November, I will still have pt benefits available to work with my longtime, trusty, IL physical therapist during November and December.
So at that, two and half weeks ago I was sitting in my doctors office being told to go do therapy in CO. There's 7 people in our household and then there's my brother and my nephews who live in their home. I'm very blessed to have a very understanding, supportive family who would do anything for me. I know taking my mom with me for two months is hard on everybody!! During the past 2+ weeks it has been a mad dash trying to get everything to all work together. Happy to say day 1 is a success. My mom and I are now relaxing in our hotel room in Iowa getting ready to eat our dinner. I'll get an update posted once physical therapy starts. My first physical therapy appointment is September 8th. The morning appointment will be the initial evaluation and in the afternoon who knows what. Thanks to everyone for all the support!
