Monday, May 31, 2010

Ouch

I have my arm in a sling right now.  My shoulder has not been happy for a while.

Last night while sleeping on Diana's futon-done-into-a-couch, I think I figured out what happened.

Back in the beginning of March, my teacher & I were sans students for a couple of days, so we decided to box up & move books & extra computers back to the warehouse for the ESD.  We did use a hand-truck to bring the stuff to & from the car, and we used good body mechanics & worked together.  However, we were loading into my van, and at one point, I overextended my reach.  The teacher is an avid swimmer and has much stronger arms than mine :/

I didn't really notice much at the time, other than a little discomfort in my shoulder.  Over the next few weeks though, I stopped wearing my watch, because my wrist would start to hurt.  I thought maybe it was stress.  My life has been a little stressful lately what with all this nebulous stuff about where I'm supposed to work next year (as they laid off my teacher & I'm supposed to be at a new site in the fall), plus knowing Lee is being cut in hours soon (although he's working very hard to find something else - it's just really super tough right now).

Anyway - as I kept feeling discomfort and aches in my arm, I decided to try acupuncture, because I'd heard good things about relieving stress that way.  I did 4 weeks of treatment, using various Chinese herbs.  I did have some relief, but then it would come back.

Last week I decided to visit a chiropractor & get a massage & an adjustment.  He noted a lot of tightness around my shoulder & did an adjustment, which also helped a while.  I also got a pretty strong massage - actually too strong for me.  I was sore the next four days :(  I'm supposed to get a lighter masseuse next time...

Toward the end of last week, I began wearing an arm sling.  I am taking ibuprofen & acetametaphin pretty regularly when the throbbing won't stop, and when it wakes me up.

After all this, I think I really damaged something in my shoulder from back in March.  No matter what I've done till now, it's not getting better.  I've been babying my shoulder more & more, and it's still not getting better.  I've readjusted my seat in the van, changed my keyboard on my desk to have a 45-degree angle at the elbows, and basically stopped using my left arm whenever possible.

Tomorrow I will go in to work, and make sure the teacher is covered before I ask to leave to go to the doctor.  I will also email HR and let them know I'm going to put in for worker's compensation.  I'm really really hoping something can be done to help, as I'm supposed to work in my old classroom for Summer School in July, and that will involve lifting students again!

Wish me luck & prayers are always appreciated!!
Thanks!

2 comments:

Marybo said...

feel better tina! if it makes yoj tore a tendon in his anke and is on crutches for 2+ weeks, and in a boot...funny story how it happened, he got hit with a golf ball. lol.

Marybo said...

*if it makes you feel better, cj...