Details...

So my previous post was sorta vague, and I had a number of questions asked. So here's the scoop.

For the last month I have been having some minor shoulder pain and stiffness. I figured it was from the way I was sitting on the couch at night with my elbow perched up on the arm of my couch while I was using my laptop. So I quit sitting that way, and started doing some exercises to try to loosen up that muscle and get rid of the stiffness. Last week the pain started to get a little more intense.

Thursday afternoon I noticed I was unable to reach my arm above my head and was a little concerned. Then Thursday night on my way to pick up Cowgirl from soccer practice I tried to make a left hand turn, and the pain in my shoulder was excruciating. It literally brought me to tears. With that Hubby said, "We're going to have it checked."

Friday morning I had lost more mobility and had more intense pain. My doctor was able to squeeze me in on Friday afternoon, and after a brief examination, and some X-rays, he found that I had a large calcium deposit growing on my rotator cuff. The doctor said that given the size, it has been growing for months. He says that at some point in my life I injured that tendon, and now it has begun to calcify. The growth is right where everything is supposed to slide, and move and rotate together when you use your arm and shoulder, and that's why it is so painful. He said I would likely need surgery and referred me to a specialist. I made an appointment for Monday.

By Friday night I had lost all mobility in my arm and the pain was enough that I felt like I was going to pass out. Each day through the weekend the pain got worse. It got to the point that I felt as if there were a knife plunged into my arm on the side and on the top of my shoulder constantly, and with every beat of my heart the knives were being twisted. I was popping over the counter pain medication right and left, with little relief. I couldn't sleep, because there was no position that didn't increase the pain.

Sunday the Bishop pulled me aside and had Hubby and I come into his office, and they, along with the other member of our bishopric gave me a priesthood blessing. He had noticed from the stand during Sacrament Meeting that I was in bad shape. The peace this brought, and the actual slight relief of pain in my arm that followed helped me make it through the rest of church.

By Monday morning I was a mess. We went to the surgeon, who reviewed my X-rays and recommended that before surgery we try a steroid injection. If it didn't work, or if it worked but only lasted a short time, then the next step would be surgery. If it worked and lasted for a year or more, then maybe we would just do another injection at that time.

I braced myself. I am NOT a fan of needles. I don't know why, but I am just really freaked out by them. And this was no small needle! So here's the doctor and his assistant, and they are telling me to relax, and it will be less painful. The assistant then proceeds to pull my arm downward in order to separate everything in the shoulder so they can get the needle positioned. I wanted to scream! The needle went in through the BACK to reach the deposit which is in the front! I tried to breath deep and stay calm. There. Made it. It's over.

Or not. Now the assistanta says, "now we need to work that medicine in", and starts jerking my arm all around, up and down, side to side, around in a circle. This is the point I wanted to start stabbing someone.

I did start to feel relief very quickly. I went home and was able to sleep for a couple of hours, and when I woke up I didn't have much pain at all while sitting still, and I had a lot more mobility than before. I still couldn't lift my arm very far before it was painful, but definitely being able to move it was promising! I've been exercising and trying to get that muscle back in shape. Today I have a little more pain than I had Monday afternoon or yesterday, but I'm hoping it is just from working that muscle and having it be a little sore. It is still nothing like it was, so I am trying to stay optimistic.

Thank you to EVERYONE for your concern, and kind words. It means so much.

Needless to say, I pretty much fell off the Muffin Top to Skinny Jeans wagon - at first I was in so much pain that I couldn't eat anything, but then when I had relief I wanted and felt I DESERVED to eat as crappy as I wanted to! But that's no excuse, and I hope I have better progress to report next week!

Happy Wednesday!