After sorting out a “rejected stitch” complication, everything is healing up nicely. (That’s what left that hole at that top in the above photo.) My surgeon said I could gradually start doing more and more things but did not elaborate on exactly what that meant. I assume he trusts his physical therapist to tell me what that means.
It’s refreshing to see two professionals working together so well, holding so much faith and trust in each other that they stay in their own lane and don’t step on each other ‘s toes. Four weeks in, I still feel I’m in the most capable hands I could possibly be in. I feel blessed and fortuitous for that.
I received a much-needed mood boost via a small taste of freedom this past weekend (4/22-4/23), when I learned I could drive my tractor with one arm without pain. Of course, I wasn’t doing anything crazy such as trying to go up and down steep hills or anything.
Even though I didn’t get to leave my front yard, it felt incredible to not only feel useful and productive, but also to be driving myself around for the first time in weeks. There’s really nothing like the smell of fresh cut grass, a sense of pride from a job well done, and above all, the gratifying independence.
Soon, I will be transitioning out of my sling, which I have dubbed “Armapillow.” The name may be a bit cheesy, but when you’re limited on what you can do or where you can go, you tend to get creative in finding ways to entertain yourself and keep your spirits up.
Additionally, I am very much looking forward to being able to sleep without my armapillow, which my medical team said the soonest is generally 8 weeks. Consequently, it’s a long two months to get through before resuming a mild sense of normalcy.
Still, without a doubt I am glad I agreed to this surgery. Even with the aches and soreness that my physical therapy exercises occasionally bring, this is the absolute best my shoulder has felt in over a decade. I have absolutely zero regrets.
Musecal Mind 