Physio started on Monday morning with a 1 hour 20 minute very thorough assessment. The therapist isn't really sure what is going on. There is a problem with my deltoid muscle for sure, and quite likely some nerve impingement as well. She said there is definitely something neurological going on. Could be as a result of my arm being externally rotated and in a fixed position for my 5.5 hour surgery in June.
Physio gave me a couple of exercises to do at home three times per day. Epic failure on the abductor extension to do a spider walk with my fingers up the wall. I am in absolute agony trying to raise my right arm to the side. I cannot extend my arm fully further than a foot from my side with it straight. PAIN, burning, searing PAIN!! And then I bend my elbow or turn my torso to lessen the pain. Hmph... a definite sign of something terribly WRONG!
I also had my full physical on Monday afternoon. Won't die of high blood pressure according to my family dr. And just to be safe he sent me to the lab for the usual fasting blood work - cholesterol, sugars, B12, blood counts, etc. Everything else looks good.
Wednesday morning before physio I went to the lab and sat for an hour... and they didn't get me in (!) so I went back after physio to see the vampires. (Why when you tell the lab tech that you won't get blood out of my right arm did she insist on finding out for herself!! ARGH!!) At physio it was more assessing and some nerve flossing and passive motion. She is trying to get my shoulder moving.
Wednesday night I also had my MRI of my right shoulder to help find out what's up with it. Results will be back in about 14 days. The "magic fingers" sensation of the MRI bed is NOT good for a 12 week post decompression patient. I still have a headache 2 days later... (sigh...)
Last night I went for tea with a Chiari sister. We met before my decompression. She has had 4 brain surgeries 7 years ago - decompression, patch, shunts... All at the age of 17! She's a wonderful young lady and I'm so happy to know someone in town who I can sit down and talk to. In a town of 100,000 people it's a rare find.... or not so rare... I know of 2 other Chiarians who have not had surgery and 1 sister-in-law of a co-worker who did have surgery... so in other words, Chiari is more prominent in my little town than it should be!
And back to physio this morning. Heat, more nerve work and passive stretching, and IFC to finish off for pain management. It's funny - I'm not generally in pain, but I go through fits and spurts. Pain when I try to do something - fold towels, wash dishes, shampoo my hair. But having the therapist move me through the motions is fine. And frustrating. It's hard to figure out what is wrong when she can't reproduce my pain.
Appointments are done for the week, thankfully. Next week I have physio x3, massage therapy, eye doctor appointment, lunch with a friend, and that's just for starters!! Thank heavens I'm driving again!
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