Not been a good week

 really.  Since the cold weather set in, despite having the heating on I have been terribly cold and have gone very stiff again. Combination of the medical conditions and missing the warmth of the Sun, no matter how little. My system has therefore decided it is throwing a wobbly as a result.  So much so, I have been having issues with my arm again. One of the issues when I first started the physio was that I could not put my arm much above waist level and to the side when I first started off.  I can now do this quite regularly and easily with no discomfort.  I had been doing well, but the cold has affected me quite badly and I am now having issues with forward movement of the arm, compared to being able to put my arm to the side and lifting it up as far as I can. So there has been a complete juxtaposition of how the arm is reacting!

In any event at 8:00am this morning, I had an update appointment with my Physio.  I have instructions for a modification to some of the exercises I have been completing and have a follow up appointment for about 3 weeks time on 6 December at 10:30am  to see whether I have managed to shift things forward or not.  In effect I have rotor cuff damage where one of the tendons at the back of my upper shoulder, is not attached and is floating. Apparently the other one is not clever either but it seems to be impacting the tendon in my upper arm to elbow as a result and at its worst the muscle in the top of the arm feels like it is being strangulated! I do in any event have quite a high pain threshold and only usually complain when it is at about an 8 or 9 level.  People do not want to hear you "moaning" all the time. So I tend to keep my distance when I am not good.  It is bad enough I have to contend with myself rather than inflicting me on other people. I fight! I have to put things in perspective at the end of the day though. I am a lot luckier than most others.  It is just that I do not give in very easily either.  I have always pushed boundaries and do not always take "No" as the absolute answer.  It is not in my nature - me give in - nope not without a battle - even if it is with myself! 

I have managed to do things in the house again, but not as much as I had anticipated.  I am going to stop setting myself goals I think (although I do this to try and motivate me), it is at the moment though getting me down a bit and very frustrating in the process.  I think it is a case of two steps forward one step backward.  In effect, because of my symptoms,  whilst I have been going to see her, Physio thinks that I may not be able to move the arm much more than I have already achieved at class.   In any event I intend to make a concerted effort to see if I can regain some of the strength back in the arm that I attained whilst going to the full physio class.  It is a bit of a set-back, but it is only a failure if you want it to be.  I am not ready for that yet.  

We had a roast chicken for tea yesterday and there was quite a bit of meat leftover.  Because of the cold I fancied a proper simple hot meal made from the remnants of the chicken and lots of veggies.  It has certainly hit the spot, and will do a lot of good in the longer term as it was absolutely full of veggies too.  Carrots, onion, swede, parsnip, leek, red onion, chopped broccoli stems and flowers, cauliflower, fine noodle pasta, and a few more veggies beside.  Ended up being very warming and tasty.  Have a big bowl of French fries and flavoured Mayonnaise later on.  Homemade of course.

Right am off to put my feet up.  Am ready to crash so I think it is going to be a really lazy evening.

Keep safe and warm wherever you are.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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