Succinct Summation of Week’s Events 2.17.17

My recovery continues to move steadily forward, now able to bend my left arm enough to touch my forehead and right shoulder, quite a change from just last week.  Last night I even ate my entire dinner feeding myself with my left hand.  With any luck at all, I may be given the green light to start some limited driving again a week from tomorrow.

Succinct Summation of the Week’s Events 2.10.17

A one day delay this week so that I can bring you the latest medical update.  The doctor today gave me an A for my progress.  I am now able to bend my left arm to within inches of my mouth such that, with effort and some pain, I can now feed myself with a fork if I use the utensil at full extension.  The biggest handicap remains that, though I can lift weights up to five pounds, I cannot exert any weight at all against my arm, nor does the doctor want me to try for a while.  We are still looking minimally at March 1st before I can do any limited driving (she will make that assessment at my next appointment two weeks from today) and April 1st before I can do more.  Those dates may change again in two weeks.  Even though I'm being high grades for how much muscle strength I've acquired so far, from my point of view they are still so tight I find it hard to believe I'll have full function again by April.  But we'll see.

Succinct Summation of Weeks Events for 2.3.17

One week from tonight I see the doctor to again evaluate my recovery.  Things are going as well as can be expected and fortunately the pain is quite manageable.  I currently have the ability to bend my left arm to about a 70 degree angle, which isn't much, certainly not enough to feed myself, brush my teeth or essential daily tasks.  I need to get to at least 120 I believe before I will be able to do any of these, let alone drive.  I am curious about next Monday to find out whether 70 degrees is where I should be right now or if I am lagging behind despite a studious devotion to my exercises.  As far as I know, the verdict is still one month before I can drive, two months before full recovery.

Succinct Summation of Week’s Events 1.27.17

Once again, I am filing late as I am preoccupied with recovering from the major arm surgery I had last Thursday.  Today I saw the doctor for the first time since the surgery and she could not have been more pleased.  The arm is healing wonderfully and, though there is still pain, I am officially now out of danger of losing the arm if I have even a minor spill, something that has had me very anxious.

Succinct Summations for the week ending January 20th, 2017.

Worse news this week,  On my tenth day with this "hematoma," and no improvement though I was supposed to be recovered in a week, new x-rays taken on Friday (the 10th day) revealed it is not a hematoma after all but a fracture of my left elbow, an injury that requires surgery to repair.

Succinct Summation of Week’s Events 1.13.17

It's Day #8 with my arm in a sling so I'm running behind again.  Imagine breaking your arm but being forced to live with it until it heals on its own, without it being set or in a cast.  That's what a hematoma is like except that thankfully the healing is two weeks instead of two months.  I still lack function in my left arm and any use of it at all is very painful, but fortunately no longer excruciating as it was up until a couple days ago.  I should have full use by next week.  I'd better have because classes start two weeks from tonight and I presently can not drive or take notes.  Routine essential tasks like bathing and eating remain extremely difficult.  What a challenge it was just to open a can of soup tonight!

Brief update

I've had a slip-and-fall accident on concrete on the ice so my arm is in  a sling for the next week or two making writing and even reading very difficult with only one functioning hand.  But I do deserve a break and this past week has been a pretty good time to take one since last week was pretty much just more of the same on Wall Street.