Saturday in Sydney

It was, like most Saturdays, spent doing chores. Supadog got some brushing; we both cut each other's hair. I went through a lot of the stuff I still have here, and we packed up the work computer equipment that is still here and took it to Fedex-Kinko's. Four forms for each box later, and we were able to escape.

Then we went to the gym. It was the first time for both of us in a long time, so we took it pretty easy. Situps, biceps, some kind of chest machine, and triceps. It was my first time since the surgery for some of these exercises, so I kept it really light. The chest exercise was more of a stretch than anything, and it felt really good. No shoulder work: still too early for that.

Monday the 24th is the three-month follow-up for the surgery. Wish me luck!

Shoulder update

On Monday May 5th, I went to the surgeon's office and got my 6-week checkup. I am now wearing the sling less and less, and my recovery is going as hoped. I am still quite weak in certain movements, and my range of motion is restricted in just about every aspect of movement. Still the pain is lessening and I am definitely improving.

I am now on a new set of stretches and exercises, and seeing improvements in range of motion just about every day. The new work is relatively strenuous, and is definitely time consuming. It's all good.

Yesterday I got tickets for my return flight to DC.

Post-surgery: doing fine

Home from surgery several hours now. Definitely a little dopey - slower thinking and an "I don't care" aspect to all thought. The nerve block done to numb my shoulder has turned my right arm into a log. Some 10 hours on, I am just starting to have more feeling and motion control in my fingers. The rest is still numb and limp. It will all come back in the next few hours.

I am fast learning what being sinister is all about. Eating with a fork makes me feel like a three-year-old: I can do it, but it's real clumsy. I can button a button, but it's not that easy. Ah, these new things to learn ...

Speaking of which, the PowerBook has some cool voice recognition software, but it does not work with evil Word and I haven't yet figured out how to get it to work with Firefox (my web browser) ... so I am stuck with lefty typing for a while. It all works out, though: I can type about as fast as I can think. :-)

Shoulder surgery: education session

Today I had an information session with the surgery center. There were eight of us to get shoulder surgery next Tuesday 18 March. Only three of us are getting rotator cuff work; others are getting shoulder replacement and other things.

The session went over what the surgery involves. Mine is arthroscopic, which is minimally invasive. Three or four small incisions are made where a small camera is inserted and the surgeon gets to directly view the types of damage I have. According to the sonogram diagnostics, I have two or three of my four tendons torn.

Besides little cameras are little saws and I presume other little things that the surgeon can insert in there to do what he needs to correct the problem. For me, the torn tendons are reattached with little titanium anchors in the top of the humerus, reattached with what I think are nylon lines. Imagine fishing reel.

While he's doing this, I'm sitting up, and either conscious or unconscious. I think I will be unconscious, from the description provided.

Total recovery time is 6 months, with improvements in mobility noticeable after 6 weeks. I will wear a sling for several weeks.