Gift of RA

I am starting to use capital letters at last.  Plus I had enough strength in my right hand to finally cut my finger nails – they have gotten much longer than usual and they were driving me nuts.  It was harder to do things with them long.  And I was able to actually reach across and put deodorant under my left arm.  That may be TMI for some.

Wednesday I see the orthopedic surgeon – that will be 5 weeks, with 3 more to go.  I am still limited in being able to do things – I will admit to being scared to move the arm too far because I don’t want to mess it up in any way.  I am also tired of having to wear the sling all the time.  Small things I know – on the whole I am doing well and am so grateful and thankful for all that Eddie does for me.  He has always been a treasure, this has taken it to another level.

We had a good rain and even stronger blowing winds – some people were without electricity yesterday.  We had ours go off, then come back on, then go off for maybe 15 or 30 minutes.  We saw a lot of leaves and branches down, some large branches broken and hanging in the tree.  We did our stuff and came home by 1 – windy and rainy isn’t our favorite weather to be out.

I still spend a lot of time sleeping or feeling sleepy – I am ready for a nap now and it is only after 11 a.m.  I had a shower this morning and washed my hair, I can’t have a nap or it will look all wonky.  I was telling Eddie when he was helping me with my shower, I am so glad we have a stall shower instead of a tub.

It is a really good time to catch up on my reading, the only problem is I don’t feel like it and it is hard to focus on it.  That was they way I was in rehab, books to read and no interest in them.   Strange because reading is such a great pleasure.

I can feel this in my upper right arm, so it will be short this time..

i started thinking that i could write a bit each day and then publish the post all together since i can only write a certain amount at a time.  we’ll see how it goes.

monday

not one of my better days on sunday – a very low point.  guess it was a poor-me-isis day. i was feeling down, very limited and fed up with being stuck at home.  when i am home, i can find all kinds of things to do, at the moment that isn’t the case.  everything is disorganized and it is bugging me, yet i have to watch what i do until my arm is healed.  after 46 years eddie still hasn’t quite figured out what to do when i am so low.  i asked for an attitude overhaul into positive territory – it’s better but i know i have to conscienciouly  choose positive.  thank goodness i am getting better at that.

we have had some miserable air lately because  of the forrest fires – i haven’t seen the mountains in a while.  it is smoky, hazy and yucky, which in turn makes the sunshine more uncomfortable.  i haven’t been out since saturday and i think it is time for me to see if i can get a little exercise by walking up and down the sidewalk.

it felt so good yesterday afternoon to have a shower and wash my hair – i’m not quite at a point i can do it myself yet.  eddie has been so great at helping me do simple things and still work and do all that he does.  i am blessed to have such a wonderful husband.

tuesday

a really crappy night, my shoulder ached and hurt so much i wasn’t able to go to sleep except in fits and starts.  i was surprised i didn’t spend the night in the living room chair, but stayed in bed.  around 5 when eddie left for work, i was finally able to sleep for 3 or 4 hours.  i had only an hour’s liedown this afternoon, i am hoping to sleep better tonight.

i finally  was able to put eddie’s kaplanian report on the blog this morning – took some doing with rests several times to make sure i don’t mess up my shoulder.  i feel as if i have accomplished something rather than being like a bump on a log.

it feels as if it is not quite so smoky, though i can’t see the mountains ever though it is sunny.  the sun doesn’t look quite so hazy today, i really need to put some slacks on and go walk down the sidewalk in the fresh air.  i have been cooped up in the house too much.

i have had several orders come up, so i have asked the owner of cmti to help with them.  one of them is for an online store, new territory for me.  i am hoping pete will have a 3 way conference call with the client to answer questions and explain how it works – i don’t really have a clue.  should be interesting to see how it unfolds.

wednesday

a really good night’s sleep at last.  felt so good.  I find the not sleeping really messes me up.  today is doc day again – we both are seeing our primary care doc.  he wanted to see me in two weeks – i am doing better now that when I saw him 2 weeks ago.  he must think i am doing well because he wants to see me in 4 weeks.  eddie has the stuffy, runny nose and sneezing that everyone has because of the weather.  i sneeze and cough – some days are better than others.  nothing he can do and said eddie could take over the counter stuff.  not something eddie wants to do.

after the doc, we went down to have coffee – things seem to tire me out easily.  i didn’t plan to go into the grocery store, but i realized i needed to walk a bit.  I have been inside the house most of the time – hard to get my slacks on and go outside and walk up and down the sidewalk.

thursday

i had gotten a call from dave gagley on tuesday to see how i am.  we met with him today to help with the accident and see what my options are and how to handle things that come up.  I feel better knowing i have him on my side.  the other insurance company isn’t all that cooperative, so we’ll see what develops.  it was also a time for eddie to let off some steam and talk about what is bothering him.

the biggest thing is whether or not i want to do the joint replacement when the bone has healed.  that will be very costly but more to the point – i will ave to go off my meds for 2 months and then the recovery period.  if i don’t, i will have a dicky shoulder for life.  i was off my meds when i broke the hip and ended up with a huge flare-up, hate to think what 2 months would be.

friday

pete had a call with the woman who wants an online store – but she wants to do individual things – one shirt here, a pin there.  it’s not what we do.  so that is the end of that.

this is getting a biting, so i will publish it and start another one.

this coming wednesday it will be 4 weeks since i was rear ended.  4 more to go before the arm is healed.  i am doing better, not feeling so vulnerable when i go out.  since i don’t have a car, nor can i drive with a right arm broken in 2 places, i have to rely on eddie to take me places.  it was doc week, wednesday afternoon with the orthopedic surgeon.  he took more x-rays and said it is healing and the joint is settling into place.  it still hurts and of course i am very protective of my arm, though he has given me 3 very simple exercises.  2 are fine but the 3rd hurts – i’m less likely to do that one much.

i saw my primary care physician last wednesday – he isn’t gung ho on the idea of the joint replacement – i am at a higher risk for that surgery.  thursday i saw my rheumatologist and she too isn’t gung ho either – more risk of infection.  eddie liked her a lot and then we went up for my infusion – a glimpse for him of what my life is like.  this coming wednesday is primary care doc for both of us.

monday my friend char came by and we went out to lunch.  I felt more normal, more my regular self.   but i didn’t realize i scared eddie – he called several times and there was no answer.  he was scared i had fallen or something had happened to me, so he left work and headed home as fast as he was able.   he saw books on the dining table and thought char had come and we were out.  when we came back, i saw the bedroom window open – i was sure i had closed it because i was pleased i could do it one handed.

i am a bit more flexible, slowly getting better every day.  saturday we went to the suburu dealer so i could sit in an impress.  it’s not bad but it will be a while before i can drive.  as with most outings, i was ready for a nap when we came home.

i spend most of my time at home, not able to much of what i can usually do – it is frustrating to be so limited that i can’t do simple things for myself.  i can manage a small sharp knife with a peach, but not ready to do an apple.  even when i think go something simple, like some tuna salad – i realize i am not quite flexible enough to use the can opener.

we received a check for the car, more than we expected because eddie keeps the cars in such good shape.  eddie is ready to by a car and keep it in the garage and drive it himself.  plus it is the end of the model year and the prices are really good.

i think i wrote more this time than the last time – i can feel it in my upper arm, so i need to stop.

this post will be short since i can only use my left hand.  on wednesday, 29 july i was on my way home when i had to stop suddenly to avoid hitting the car in front of me.  i was relieved i didn’t hit anyone – no idea why cars in front were stopping.  then a few seconds later, the car behind me rear ended me.  somehow i got the car over to the side of the road – my right shoulder was killing me and i could only sit there trying to  recover my wits.  the other driver didn’t come up to me for quite a while – his air bag deployed.  he let me use his phone to call vickie – my insurance agent.  i told her what happened but then his phone cut out before i could tell her where i was.

he had called his mom and when she came, i asked her to call vickie to let her know where i was.  then she asked if i wanted her to call the police and an ambulance – hell, yes!!!  the fire department and ambulance came, they pull a collar on and put me on a backboard.  it wasn’t easy to to get me out and i felt i was falling.  the highway patrol officer got all the information for me and i asked that they tow the car to murray’s.

eddie was at the archives, so i asked vickie to call him after 1 to let him know what happened.  then i was on my way to er.  i found out later that murray’s had called eddie to say they had my car, so he called vickie to find out what was happening.  poor love, by the time he found me, he was really shaken up.  i had been having x-rays and a c-scan to find out what had happened.  they didn’t really tell me much, only that my right arm was broken – they put a sling on and told me i could go home.  i was to call the orthopedic surgeon’s office for an appointment for early the following week.

i have been quite miserably uncomfortable, sleeping the chair, the bed – anywhere i could find a comfortable position.  i had some heavy duty med for pain, but it wasn’t doing it for me.  i saw the surgeon on tuesday and finally found out what the problem is – at the top of the humorous is the ball, there is a fracture along the bottom, plus another one a little bit down as well.  i need to be in the sling for 8 weeks for it to heal, then they will do an inverted joint replacement.  another 6 or 8 weeks.

the car is totaled, so that means another car.  this is the end of my energy, i’ll do another post in a bit.