Just when I’d convinced myself there was nothing wrong.<\/p>\n
The turning point was physical therapy, last Thursday, improvement was nearly nil, I knew this was more serious than I hoped it might be.<\/p>\n
So I came home and immediately called the bigwig doctor, who couldn’t see me for five weeks, I could see the number two on May 9th, this can’t be!<\/p>\n
I made the appointment. And then I called my go-to guy. You have to know people in this world, and you know who this guy is, and thank god he was on the case, I got an appointment first thing Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Where the doctor was reluctant to shoot me up. Because if it’s a torn rotator cuff it makes it worse.<\/p>\n
I intentionally didn’t stretch before I saw him, I wanted to be the worst I could be. As it was, it was tough for me to go, I felt I should brush it off.<\/p>\n
I was stunned when he commented on how bad my movement was, mortified when he spoke of a potential rotator cuff tear and surgery, he said I needed an MRI to be sure.<\/p>\n
CAN I GET ONE RIGHT NOW?<\/p>\n
That’s my personality, when I’m on the case there’s nothing in the way, I clear the decks and get right on it. I went into the tube Monday night, during the first available window.<\/p>\n
And in the interim I reeled.<\/p>\n
A 4-6 month recovery period? With your arm immobilized in a sling for the first thirty days? How was I gonna type? And what about my standard transmission car, and my obligations?<\/p>\n
But by time I was finished with the MRI I’d calmed down, a bit anyway, to tell you the truth I was agitated, but I’d done all I could, now I just had to wait.<\/p>\n
My original plan was to call the doctor, the report would be ready midday Tuesday. Then I reconsidered. What if there was more, would it translate well on the phone?<\/p>\n
It wouldn’t have.<\/p>\n
Today I got there early and I had to wait. Stunningly, the doctor apologized.<\/p>\n
And by this point, as I stated above, I thought I was out of the woods. I could lift my arm above my head. Pain was lessened. But there was still that pop.<\/p>\n
That pop turned out to be a biceps tear. And there’s a labrum tear too. And theoretically I could skip surgery, it’s only one of four rotator cuff tendons, but the doctor said he would tell a family member to do it, because there’d be weakness for the rest of my life, and possibly pain.<\/p>\n
But I can lift my arm over my head now, I showed him!<\/p>\n
And he pointed out the hitch in the lift.<\/p>\n
So they pass the info on to the surgeon, who reviews it and gets back to me within three days. This is the guy I couldn’t see for five weeks, this guy is world class.<\/p>\n
And what’s the recovery like?<\/p>\n
Well, there’s a good amount of pain.<\/p>\n
Well, I can’t take anything with Tylenol, it interferes with my Gleevec.<\/p>\n
But the doctor reeled off a bunch of alternatives.<\/p>\n
So where does this leave me?<\/p>\n
I’m gonna have surgery, I’m not dumb. You don’t fix things and they haunt you in the future. It’s kind of like a car, I don’t let it slide, I get the repairs, I don’t want the thing breaking down on the side of the road, I don’t want to be hit with an even bigger bill in the future.<\/p>\n
And to tell you the truth, I’m numb. I was forewarned, but I’d convinced myself I was fine.<\/p>\n
But I’m not.<\/p>\n
P.S. Had kidney tests yesterday, awaiting results. I don’t anticipate a problem, then again there’s the above, however I haven’t bled since.<\/p>\n
P.P.S. There’s a brief window within which you can do the surgery, a month or two, it depends on your biology. So, if you wait and see, you lose your opportunity.<\/p>\n
P.P.P.S. The tube, the MRI… Don’t be afraid, it’s just a psychological game. The first time I signed up for the sedative, but then I decided I’d give it a shot without. Now I’m a regular, I almost look forward to it, where else can you be undisturbed by phone calls and e-mail?<\/p>\n
P.P.P.P.S. As I said, the doctor apologized for running late, but I’m willing to wait… Yet it’s good to hear. And I’m standing over his computer screen where I see a report detailing an acute rotator cuff tear…and I go into shock, this cannot be me! And I’m not sure it was. The MD had to go back and bring up another screen, had to type my name in. Maybe I got a reprieve, but it was not to be. We looked at the pictures and it was clear. I asked him would the MRI have shown problems even without the trauma and he said yes, maybe there was a preexisting condition, but what he saw now needed to be addressed. And I can’t get over the pops in my arm, the biceps muscle out of its groove and the rotator cuff tendon flailing, that sensation when it slides from under the bone.<\/p>\n
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