10 weeks post-op: milestones!

Today is exactly 10 weeks after my surgery. While I'm still in pain often and in PT weekly, there are definitely a couple of milestones in my recovery. Today, I was able to take off my sweater while standing straight up and lifting it over my head with my arms. For the past 10 weeks, I had to bend forward at the waist until i was making a 90-degree angle with my body, and then use my left arm to pull the sweater (shirt, tank top, whatever) up my back towards my head and pull it off that way. Okay, so I didn't explain it that way, but just realize that it was a big milestone I've been trying to get to all week.

Tomorrow is another one (hopefully) -- my first yoga class post-surgery. Probably won't be doing any sun salutations anytime soon, but it'll be nice to get back into the groove of things. I miss yoga!

What can you buy with $18,975?

Use a little imagination...the explanation for this random figure comes at the end of the post. So, what *can* you buy for $18,975?

- 19,166 songs from iTunes @ $0.99 each (assuming the fixed price from before)

- 18,975 McChicken sandwiches @ $1 each

- 5,345 Iced tall soy white mochas @ $3.55 each

- 54 years' worth of the New York Times @ $6.70 per weekly subscription, or $384.40 per year

- 421 Muni monthly passes @ $45 each, or 35 years of cable car, bus and street car rides in San Francisco

- 253 MoMA memberships @ $75 each, so either you can be cultured for two lifetimes, or you and two hundred and fifty two of your closest friends can pretend to be for a year

- Dinner for 69 people at the French Laundry @ $275 each. Maybe kick some people out of the dinner party if you want to drink wine with your food.

- 34 nights in a Chateau Marmont cottage @ $550 each. Lindsay Lohan *must* be seen at least once if you stay there for over a month, right?

- 1 first class roundtrip ticket from SFO to DXB on Emirates @ $17824.87, plus a grand for spending money while in Dubai

- 1 PT Cruiser, Mazda 3, Volkswagen Rabbit, Honda Civic, or a bunch of other entry level sedans and trucks @ $18000 or less

...or, you could spend it all on a shoulder capsular repair surgery, like I did. Or well, my insurance company did. That's how much my recent shoulder surgery cost -- $18,975 plus some change. Apparently, the anaesthesia alone cost $2,000 and the recovery room was another $3,000. The American healthcare system is completely, mind-bogglingly frightening to me. Thank goodness for insurance. I'd rather spend that money on McChicken's.

11 days post-op: My scars are gnarly...and 4 more weeks of sling-ing it

i had my first post-op check up yesterday and finally had my dressings removed, and stitches taken out. i have 3 gnarly scars (2 in the front, 1 in the back) plus some crazy-ass purple scribbles from their surgery markings. kinda gross but you kinda wanna see them, right? (viewer discretion advised) and yes, my purple shirt was a coincidence.




good news is that i can shower again! woohoo! bad news is that i still have to wear the terminator sling for another 4 weeks.

oh, and no sun, submerged baths, hot tubs, vitamin e cream, or other scar-reducing treatments for at least two months. boo.

4 days post-op, plus 10 things that are hard / impossible to do with one arm (part 3)

it's been four days since i had surgery to repair a tear in my labrum from a fall back in march. the tear was smaller than anticipated so they didn't have to drill any anchors into my shoulder which hopefully translates to a speedier recovery. i'm resting a lot and doing my post-op exercises each day but still learning to deal with the pain and life with my new big sling that I have to wear 24/7.

and in all morbid recovery blog posts like this, i must show you how i look right now! ok, no parental discretion needed. i just have a massive dressing on my right shoulder which will come off early next week.



and here's a pic of my giant sling. i need to name it something, esp since it will be spending 24/7 with me in the next 4-6 weeks and even comes with its own attached stress ball.


oh, and here's another list of things you can't do with one arm. and this time i'm serious since it's not like i can even cheat and use my bad arm if push comes to shove like last time.

1. wash and dry your hair. seriously.
2. trim a christmas tree. luckily friends are happy to oblige if you bribe them with food and drinks. (see below)
3. tie your hair in a ponytail.
4. open med bottles.
5. open bottles of any kind, for that matter.
6. fluff your pillows or blankets.
7. crack open an egg nicely.
8. use an SLR...did you ever notice that the shutter release button is only made for right handed people?
9. wear anything that doesn't contain lycra or isn't at least one size bigger than you.
10. properly capitalize your blig posts. hell this post took 45 minutes to type so you're going to have to put up with no capitals.

and on a merrier note, meet dougie, my tree for christmas 2008!