Can't win for losing
May. 20th, 2011 10:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessI went to Columbus to the shoulder surgeon at OSU. First, however, I got there early enough to go to lunch in the Short North to the Happy Greek. However, getting off the highway I was filmed by a reporter. Right next to the street, there were cops everywhere, K-9 and yellow tape. I suspect someone got killed there. Got my gyros (after a very bad parallel park job….)
Got to the clinic, met 2 residents (well one resident and one student), got sent for X-rays and they actually LISTENED to me (that’s the good thing about residents, they’re so damn paranoid about messing up they actually take their time). They did muscles tests and I could hear them with my actual surgeon asking and answering questions about my MRI. I was right. The radiologist screwed up. He totally ignored the inflammation of my biceps (which is where a lot of pain is). Even I saw it on the MRI and I don’t know how to read shoulders well. The surgeon here went by report alone (partially my fault. I thought the MRI’s were at the clinic but they weren’t but when he had me come back in 2 weeks he did NOT have me bring them with). They even listened to me and told the doc when I told them my brother is a PT and he’d already advised me about treatment times and had me working the shoulder.
The doc (who is young and very yay gadget) brought out a little doodad that was like a hand dynamometer for every muscle. I would have killed for that when I was doing muscle evals. There is definite weakness in my left arm. There is obvious pain. There is arthritis at the acromioclavicular joint (where the collar bone meet the shoulder blade). AND he believes that I DO have a partial of full-thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon (one of the shoulder rotator cuff muscles) and I may have the same on the origins of the biceps. This is bad news. Like the worst news you’re going to get for soft tissue outside of hey it’s cancer in there.
We talked and agreed another MRI would be a waste (it’s been nearly a year). I’ve already failed on shots and PT. I have to have the surgery. Best case, it is only what the first doc thinks it is, they’ll take out the burse and shave off the arthritic spurs and I can get done with PT in a month. Worst case, they have to do the above and then fix the rotator cuff AND cut off the biceps and move it to where it’s not getting the damage it is now. I’m in a sling for 2 months. I can’t start PT until 4 weeks post-op and then I’m in therapy for 4-6 months and it will be a full year before I’m fully healed.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to go to work. I should be able to drive myself there but I’ll need help in lab. I have no idea how to work PT around my schedule since they have no evening sessions. I don’t know who’s gonna help with the cats. My brother was really hoping this wouldn’t be the case since it’s one of the most painful rehabs out there. In contrast a total knee replacement are usually done in 8 weeks. It’s scary and depressing.
So I put it behind me and went shopping. I mean, what else can I do? I drove to 80 miles to see the doc. I’m in Columbus. The shoulder is what it is. I’ll have to deal with it. Might as well go enjoy myself. I have this thing, you see, where I can’t resist high end fancy foods. I bought cheeses, wine, incense, tea and sprouts at Whole Food Market (I would have bought the fiddlehead ferns but I need to research what to do with them first). I went to Trader Joes and stocked up on Indian food for lunch, mango-ginger chutney and more cheese. JoAnn Fabrics have nothing I want and last night I came to the realization that frankly the sewing involved in Steampunk is so intense and so much fabric is needed I might as well buy the dress. It won’t cost much more.
I hit Tadka’s the Indian restaurant I wanted to try, owned by the fancy-butt Chinese restaurant (ELD you’ve been there) were everything is ala carte and by the end you owe 25$ or more. No one was in the place. I almost didn’t go but it was like 430 (it was busy by the time I left), got some odd appetizer with mushrooms and cheese which was okay, I got paneer tikka which was supposed to be paneer cheese and tandoor grilled veggies. Well I thought it would be in little cubes as paneer usually is. Imagine if you will the block of tofu you get at most grocery stores. It was slightly bigger than that cut into 6 hunks. O_o. Yay for eating a huge hunk of cheese for dinner. I’ll probably be dead by morning. It was good (I only ate half, I’ll kill myself with the other half tomorrow) and I got the gulab punjar dessert and oh a mango lassi.
I rolled over to the Barnes and Nobles (since ALL the Borders are no more in Columbus) and got a Starbucks to go home with. Also, it’s amazing how SMALL your manga collection is when you censor all the yaoi stuff (wonders if they know how yuri parts of Qwaser of the Stigmata is). Came home. It was very nice outside.
So now the shoulder hurts. I’m depressed. I called off going out with friends tomorrow (three couldn’t go and the other two live in the opposite direction and I would have driven back to Athens myself to do exactly what I did yesterday plus the farmers market). I wish I wasn’t going to that convention. I just want to deal with the shoulder and be done with it. Also, Seatbelt & Enemy this pretty much dooms any hope I have of coming to the con if it is in fact the worst case scenario.
I’m just going to sit hear and eat all the olives and organic vanilla wafers I bought (yes together, leave me alone).
I love this particular spot on this walk.I often stop and sit here awhile. You can't really see it but the tree in the wash of sunlight is a rare tree for this area, a broadleaf or umbrella magnolia (not sure which but there are both in these woods and both are unusual for OH)
also if today is the last day, thanks for making it fun guys! Cuz you know I'm pretty sure if there's a rapture, I'm not going. Or more fun, I would go and shock a whole lot of people...
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Date: 2011-05-21 02:22 am (UTC)I guess the good food is good food? Yay for some books?
But the rest of it, man.
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Date: 2011-05-21 02:35 am (UTC)OMIGODS I love that photo!!! What a beautiful meditation spot!!
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Date: 2011-05-21 03:35 am (UTC)it is a very nice spot
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Date: 2011-05-21 03:45 am (UTC)You have the nicest spots for taking walks!
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Date: 2011-05-21 02:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-24 01:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-24 02:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-24 03:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 03:47 am (UTC)good food is good food (and pricey)
one manga only
i know right
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Date: 2011-05-22 02:19 am (UTC)Remember where Roy-Boy's shaved ice shop is? A new oriental market has opened right behind it. Talk about incongruous.
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Date: 2011-05-22 03:21 am (UTC)hahaha or in the case of Roy boy, oddly appropriate
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Date: 2011-05-22 01:34 pm (UTC)Yesssss. It was open last night, but I was too tired to stop (both Roy-Boy's and Aihua's).
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Date: 2011-05-22 04:21 pm (UTC)too bad. well it's not like it's far
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Date: 2011-05-22 05:27 pm (UTC)No, not really.
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Date: 2011-05-22 05:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 03:18 am (UTC)Yeah, I ask the same question as ELD. My goodness, you must have really pissed off karma in your last life! But at least the food sounds like it was good (and I have learned that good tofu can be REALLY FREAKIN' GOOD).
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Date: 2011-05-21 04:05 am (UTC)Seriously, I think I was Ed gein or something
food was good and yes good tofu can be tasty food
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Date: 2011-05-21 05:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 02:49 pm (UTC)How about Giles de rais, even worse than Jack
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Date: 2011-05-22 01:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 02:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 03:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 04:42 am (UTC)As for the rapture thing, save me a good spot if you go. I should be able to make Heaven in a couple hundred reincarnations.
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Date: 2011-05-21 04:51 am (UTC)I shall give that a whirl
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Date: 2011-05-21 09:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 11:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 02:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 01:45 pm (UTC)I love Indian food! And at least you had good food on top of all the nastiness of the day. Man, what a bummer that must have been.
Gorgeous picture.
lol The rapture. I'm about 95% certain that even if it happens, I won't notice. I don't go out much, and I doubt anyone on my flist will be going! XD
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Date: 2011-05-21 02:19 pm (UTC)Indian food is good stuff
it is a prettty place
Yes I have a feeling a lot of people I know will be left behind
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Date: 2011-05-21 03:56 pm (UTC)That's another beautiful pic. The moss on the rocks is something you'd never see here.
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Date: 2011-05-21 04:57 pm (UTC)I'm not much of a shopper unless it's books tea or food. I love to food shop.
Thanks. I love mossy rocks
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Date: 2011-05-21 06:46 pm (UTC)shopping therapy and expensive good fancy eats -- good for you and you earned them..(diet be damned)
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Date: 2011-05-21 08:36 pm (UTC)It's moving forward and hopefully not getting worse
diet be damned for sure after yesterday
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Date: 2011-05-22 03:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 03:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 12:52 pm (UTC)Good luck with the surgery. Wish I were closer. I'd take care of the cats. :)
Oh, and I didn't get raptured... or ruptured or whatever the hell it was. Glad to see you're still here.
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Date: 2011-05-22 04:59 pm (UTC)I almost got ruptured (fell in the tub) but otherwise God wasn't impressed even to take me home (let me put on my shocked face)
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Date: 2011-05-23 01:25 am (UTC)As far as your classes, can you elect/ask for some volunteers from your class to act as an extra arm for you until you are allowed to use your arm more fully? Maybe put them on a rotation so no one is stuck being helper all the time (unless they want to be) I gather that the school doesn't have a teaching assistant position available for you that you could fill even in an extenuating circumstance like this. But even with just volunteers, I mean, is this something that the school would frown upon? Something the students would bitch about to higher authorities? I'd think since most of your students like you pretty well, that you'd have not trouble getting at least a few to volunteer to help out a little when it comes to holding things up, and moving things around.
Your cats are big dorks, but I'm not sure I fully understand what worries you about taking care of them. Do you mean things like picking them up for vet visits and junk like that? Or is it more about things like opening cat food bags and stuff like that? Can you start practicing now with the things that concern you, so that you can work out how to do them before it's your only choice? Scoop them up one handed... cut open bags with scissors.
Seriously, if you can give me more of an idea what you're worrying about as regards them, I may be able to help with some ideas. Remember when I had that car accident in 2006 I had three cats to take care of, and for a while I had almost no use of my right arm. Definitely couldn't open the cat food the normal way haha. (another thought on that, I believe that's when I started pouring it into a rubbermaid crate so that I could open it one handed and scoop it out with a scoop instead of having to try to deal with the bag every day two or three times a day.)
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Date: 2011-05-23 03:41 am (UTC)I'm speaking to my boss tomorrow. Most of the labs I can get the students to move stuff for me but i have a few big ones in the summer that have lots of set up. I'm going to see if anyone know of one of our majors who needs lab time to help me out.
I'm more worried about where they're staying if I start bouncing between here, columbus and PA and cleaning the litter mostly. I can put food and litter in my wagon to cart it from my car (since I can't carry in my right hand either)
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Date: 2011-05-23 04:42 am (UTC)This one here doesn't help you as far as carrying, but I'm thinking about getting one when I can spare the change: http://www.petco.com/product/14467/Clevercat-Top-Entry-Litterbox.aspx?cm_mmc=CSEMGooglebase-_-Cat-_-Clevercat-_-426822&mr:trackingCode=8000EC15-8381-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA Star's main litter box is in the bathroom and it's very difficult for me to get my offspring to sweep the bathroom floor properly or in any sort of timely manner. Apparently she thinks I should be doing it! hahahah!
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Date: 2011-05-24 01:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-24 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-24 03:13 pm (UTC)