Glad this past week is over and a new one is beginning
I have been very grumpy and moody this week, which is why I have been putting off writing. The pain is really bad in my shoulder, which really seems to encompass everything else in my life. And since I felt like I had the flu for over a week, I just figured out on Thursday night that I had a shingles outbreak. No fun. Of course, the nerve band affected goes around my left shoulder. Go figure. That most likely has been adding to my shoulder pain.I don't know why I ever even had a shingles outbreak. I did have chicken pox when I was about 8 years old... and then my first shingles outbreak was in my early 20s. Boy did that hurt. Thankfully it is only on my left shoulder blade on my back. Steve has never had chicken pox so I need to be careful around him. Otherwise, I am getting better. But I still shouldn't get it, since I am an otherwise healthy adult!!Ok, I started writing this 2 days ago, and now (Monday) am finishing it. Today is a much better day health wise / shoulder wise. I have a lot more mobility in my shoulder, it is amazing. I really feel it healing. I don't want to jinx anything, but 8 1/2 weeks after my bicep tenodesis, and I am doing pretty well.I have to remember to NOT OVER DO IT! I don't want to mess anything up.I also am afraid of getting addicted to my pain meds. So, what I am going to do is do one darvocet tonight, and then tomorrow night do none. Then the following night, a vicodin. Then the next night a darvocet again. So in any 3-day period, I am only taking 1 vicodin, and 1 darvocet. Then I will also trade off iboprofen and aleve during the day. And, keep icing!! I am still doing stretches morning and night (the range of motion, etc). And every other day I am doing some strengthening. I think a lot of my soreness is stemming from my muscles after the strengthening. And, I am able to sleep better the past two nights. I just have to remember when I wake up in the middle of the night in pain, to move my arm, stretch it a bit, and then turn into a new position.I will report again at the 9-week mark (which is really in just 3 days... since I waited so long for the 8-week update!!