Back in March of this year, I professed that this was going to be my year of project completions. Everything was going well, my plans were reaching fruition, until being in a hurry to get somewhere, I rushed out the house, tripped off the curb and fell flat on my face.
I have a high curb that is over 8 inches off the ground. Landing on that concrete roadway was unforgiving. Falling as I did, I sustained a multitude of injuries. I injured my right shoulder which took the brunt of the fall. I pulled my right achilles tendon in the back of my right leg. As a senior citizen, I know falls are death sentences for us. So though I was injured and refused to go to the doctor, I was prepared for what has proven to be a long, and extremely painful, recovery period.
I am right-handed. So injuring my right shoulder has proven to be a game-changer. The pain that radiates from my shoulder area for no reason, has been harsh. I’ve always been told that pain is a sign of healing. However, that pain caused me to actually go to the doctor and have x-rays taken. Nothing broken, just old bones and arthritis setting in. That gave me some peace of mind, but it did little to alleviate the pain.
I have been forcing myself to move. And it’s working. It is still difficult for me to raise my right hand above my shoulder. Simple actions like scrubbing out the tub with my right hand has become impossible. The pain generated has been brutal. I think it is so horrific because I injured bone more than just muscle. And bone pain cannot be easily alleviated by taking painkillers.
Forcing myself to keep moving is paying off. It’s been almost three months and I can just barely get my right arm above my shoulder. But it’s a slow go.
I am never one to let anything make me sit still. If I can’t do the major stuff, I’m going to definitely do the minor one. One of my favorite relaxation activities is to paint ceramic figurines. It requires concentration along with a steady hand. My right shoulder may have been in pain, but my right hand is fine. Painting this ceramic angel was the therapy I needed.
I’m going to try to catch up with some of the projects that were put on pause because of the injury. I’ve decided to make June my project installation completion month. Every day I’m going to complete a minimum of 3-5 installations around my house. I’ll let you guys know in July with the outcome is.