30th annual michigan rennaissance festival

pain, pain and more pain

Several months ago, I pulled a well stuck, long piece of gaffers tape off the Mendelssohn Theatre stage in Ann Arbor and ripped something in my shoulder. I knelt on the stage and squeezed the top of my right arm and should until the pain was bearable and went back to work. Pushers were gathering set pieces, music stands, mics, etc. and packing them away while the electrician worked around the havoc in "it's all about the load-out" speed. Because of the hub-bub on the floor, we weren't able to bring the electrical pipes all the way in and were forced to reach further than normal to loosed the lights. One pull on my crescent wrench and the immobilizing pain returned. Something was wrong but, like so many times before I thought time would heal my shoulder and I would be strong again soon. One month later and the pain seemed to be lessening but would come back unexpectedly with common, normally benign moves. Without much ado the doctor sent me to physical therapy. Eight weeks of physical therapy three times a week and There was little or no progress, as a matter of fact, I was worse in some ways. The mobility of my arm is greatly reduced, bursae flares from the tendons surrounding my arm from my wrist to my neck and I can not work on stage, drawing is extremely painful and I can only do it in short spurts, most sports are completely off limits and I am suffering financially. Chelsea Hospital's Ortho Department is working me in on the 26th. Until then, my arms hand asymmetrically at my sides, the right one severely limited in movement and slightly askew. Everyday, I have to have help getting dressed, down to having my husband work my deodorant under my right armpit, which doesn't open enough for me to do it myself.
At least, last week's swollen jaw and tooth ache are gone...