Pain, Pain has gone away, Don't come back another day!!

I can very happily report that the pain in my shoulder is gone!!! Hopefully it will stay that way.

Ok, so all of you are probably saying - she had pain in her shoulder? Unfortunately YES!!! - and let me tell you, It was terrible!!!!!! There were days on end that I would just cry by the end of the day it was so painful. I have suffered with it off and on for almost five years. This last year it has been fairly constant and unbearable. When it comes to pain for me I just deal with it and try to forget that it is there. I wish it would just listen and go away.

In my life I have found that complaining about things doesn't make them better or make problems go away, and it doesn't make me feel any better. So why do it? In addition, when people complain and are negative, others do not want to be around them. It drags them down instead of energizing them. I most certainly did not want to be like that at all. Because of this reality only Josh and my sister, maybe my mom, knew about the pain.

Now that my knee is doing so much better I decided it was finally time to go have my shoulder looked at. I went to Tucson Orthopedic Institute this past Wednesday afternoon. (Carriann was a life saver and came and stayed with my kids. HUGE shout out to her. I just love this gal.) I just kept praying that it wouldn't be anything to have a surgery for. Thank goodness this prayer was answered the way I wanted. I know ALL prayers are answered, just a lot of times not the way we wanted or expected. In this case it was.

The doctor found that I have a very, very large calcium deposit sitting on my rotator cuff (about the circumference of a quarter - which is large for a calcium deposit). This completely accounts for the severe pain and lack of mobility I have had in my shoulder. Dr. Tucker said I have three options right now. 1. Not do anything - I obviously was not at the Dr's office to not do anything. 2. Surgery to remove it, but in this specific instance because of how it has formed into my cuff, the surgery would be just like that of a torn cuff, he would have to cut into the cuff to remove it, sew it up, then my arm would have to be completely immobilized for one complete month and then three full months of rigorous physical therapy. Uhhh - not liking that option so much either. I went with number 3. A Low Dose Cortisone shot.

He was so nice about the whole thing. He tells me he will be right back in with the "poisonous dart". Lovely. He walks in with TWO. I immediately start to question. He tells me that he has had cortisone shots himself. The first doctor gave him local anesthetic first. It helps with the immediate pain and then lasts for about four hours. The second did not do the local and he could have killed the second doctor so he has opted to be like the first. Ok - I am all for that. Thank goodness for compassionate doctors.

He does the local - ouch! He does the Cortisone, oh my goodness. So much pressure it becomes painful. He stops for a moment and states that there is so much inflammation he can't squeeze the liquid into the cavity of my shoulder. He then has to drastically pull my arm down so the shoulder joint will open up and then he can complete the shot.

He then tells me that there are four possible outcomes to the shot. 1. It has no affect and the pain will continue in my shoulder, however he doubts that will happen. 2. Pain will subside and it will get smaller and over the course of a couple of shots over several years it will go away on its own. Dr. Tucker doesn't feel that this is likely because of the size and duration of time that I have had it. 3. Pain will subside but it will not decrease in size. Still shots through the years will keep the pain at bay. He feels that this option will be the most likely unless the fourth option occurs. 4. The calcium deposit will burst. If that happens I will not question that it has happened. He tells me it will be the most intense and severe pain. I will want to cut my arm off. He describes it will a few expletives (obviously I will not be repeating those). If that should happen, I need to immediately call the office and tell them and they will get me right in for a high dose Cortisone Shot. Still I would have pain for about a week and a half, but then it would go away and it would be as though nothing was ever there. Ok, I most certainly don't want to ever have to deal with that pain, but the thought of having it be as though nothing was there would be nice. Still, I will stick with my third option the best I can!!!

Through the evening on Wednesday my shoulder and entire arm just ached and throbbed. I thought if it is like this with the local that stays there for four hours, I couldn't imagine it without it. Thursday I woke up to tremendous pain. So much that I couldn't move my arm. I knew this wasn't the fourth possibility from above, but still I wanted to cut my arm off. As the day progressed the pain level slowly went down and I got a little more mobility. I sent Josh off on a business trip and I headed to my sister's up in Queen Creek. She and Ben were so kind and helped me with so much as I recovered. By Friday it was still there and by Saturday the pain was lower at least to the level it was prior to the shot. Sunday I felt so different. I could move my arm, such little pain. I was excited.

Today I am happy to report that I am virtually pain free! Hip, Hip Hooray!!! I'm so excited, I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!! I feel like a new person. I have not had a pain free day in years. As far as I am concerned, good riddens to the pain. Hello to a new life!!!!! Isn't it a glorious day?