Drama- Week 4 and 5

Let's see...oh yes, I had just been sent home from the second emergency room visit to wait until next week. So on Wednesday, February 4th, I had to get a substitute and went in to take fluid out of my elbow. You know it isn't going to be good when there are two needles...one to numb the arm, and the other big one to hold the fluid.

After numbing the arm (which by the way was VERY painful) he inserted the other needle to pull out fluid. Since my elbow wasn't swollen any more, there wasn't any fluid to pull out. In came another needle with fluid to be injected in so that it could be taken right back out. We finally got some fluid and sent it immediately to the lab. I went back to school with my arm still numb to teach just my after school class. I got a message from the lab results and they all came back negative, so nothing is apparently wrong with my arm! They told me that the orthopedic surgeon was baffled and that since my arm still isn't moving, and it had been so long since it first started that I needed to get into a physical therapist. The next week on the 11th I went to my first physical therapy appointment. I put my arm in a 110 degree whirlpool to start with for 20 minutes. Then my arm was massaged and stretched and measured to see where we were at. So at this point we found out that I have 40% motion. Yeah, only 60% to go...I can hardly wait! :( I was then sent home with 3 different exercises and a fabulous splint. The first exercise is to lie on my back and hold the wrist of my hurt hand and then lift my hands above my head, going as far as I could and hold for 10 seconds. I was to do 1 set of 10. The second one is to lie on my back, put a rolled towel under my arm and straighten my elbow as much as I could. Then I am to just let it hang and have gravity pull it down. I do this for 15 minutes 3 times a day. The last exercise is to hold my wrist and to bend the elbow as far as I can and hold it for 60 seconds with 10 repetitions. I do this one 6 times a day. My splint, I know it looks very attractive...,

I wear at night while I sleep. It is strapped on top of the under part of my arm and it looks as my dad says that I am a beggar asking for money. This is how I sleep all night. I know you are all very jealous now! I did find that when laying on my back and propping my arm with the splint on it that I can lessen the pain and finally fall asleep. So the fun continues and I see the physical therapist on the 16th of February.

And so the journey will continue later...