Ruth Update, September 12, 2007

Dear Friends, Relatives, and Prayer Partners,

My weight loss program was going okay until last week. I walked two miles, and did not enjoy it. I don't know if that had anything to do with what happened to me the next day or not, but it seemed to be related.

On Friday, after the no fun walk, my back started hurting, and it got worse through the day. I had walked that route before, so I don't think I over did it. I had been having pain in my upper arm off and on for some time, and I had an appointment with a physical therapist for it. I thought I could kill two birds with one stone when I went to see her. The backache felt like a "crick," a pain that might last for a while and then go away. As of Monday, it still had not gone away, and as of Tuesday, it was a bad as ever, and I had my PT appointment. When I demonstrated what made my upper arm hurt (the reason I actually had to see her), I think she knew what it was right away. It was my rotator cuff. You don't have to be a baseball pitcher to get that, I guess. And it seems the back pain, just below my shoulder blade on the same side, was related. She taped my shoulder and gave me some exercises to do. I went home and did some of the exercises -- nothing strenuous.

This morning I woke up and sneezed and thought I was going to die from the pain. My whole back on that side seemed to be on fire. Paul had to help me get dressed! I called the HMO. I wanted to see somebody who could give me drugs. I also called in to work to tell them I wouldn't be in.

I got to see the nurse practitioner who works with our family practice doc. Turns out she has some first-hand experience with rotator cuff problems. I guess I have Bursitis and Tendonitis (Impingement). All the pain is related. I got an x-ray, a shot of some powerful anti-inflammatory, some pills of another anti-inflammatory, and the muscle relaxant, which is just starting to kick in, so please forgive my typos.

I am feeling better. I just hope the relaxation of the muscles lasts long enough to get me to work tomorrow, and to New York on the weekend. Yes, we are finally giving Matt the trip to Broadway he has been wanting for so long. It seems that two of the original cast members of Rent are back in the show for a few weeks. It is a logistical nightmare to get Matt from Radford, get him home, and then get all of us to New York in time for the Saturday matinee. I have a motel reservation for us at a Super 8 in North Bergen, NJ, right by the Lincoln Tunnel. I hope this works out and I don't sleep through the whole thing.

Just in case you were wondering what I need prayer for at this late date!

Excuse me while I go take a nap.

Get your mammograms, do your self-exams.

Ruth