Health Update

So I saw the orthopedist about my shoulder Monday, and it went fairly well — he overruled the generalist I had seen the week before, and told me there was no tearing or other permanent damage to my rotator cuff; just a bad contusion (bruise) to my muscles and tendons. It’s been five weeks but he said I should expect to wait another two months before it feels fine, and that until then I should do nothing more strenuous than light stretching. I asked about physio, in part so that I’d feel like I was taking an active role in my recovery, but he insisted that all I needed was rest. Wikipedia tells me that using a badly bruised muscle too soon can result in bone tissue forming inside the muscle (!) and “lasting stiffness and pain”, so I think I’ll take his advice. Apparently massage can also delay healing at this point, so there really is nothing I can do besides apply ice when it’s sore (which isn’t too often now). The generalist had wanted to see an MRI of my shoulder, which would be great except for the months-long waiting list, so I’m relieved to hear that’s not necessary.

Meanwhile, my leg continues to recover, slowly. I’ve recently become able to walk short distances without turning my foot outwards to avoid using the ankle joint, before this I was basically hobbling along with my right leg held completely stiff. I’m very happy to be putting yet another set of unused muscles back into service, although of course it means they’ll be sore for a few days. My main symptom now is that my ankle seems weak, and I’m not sure why, but the orthopedist had it x-rayed again and assured me all the bones were intact and in place. It seems I managed to somehow strain and/or sprain my ankle in the accident, which is certainly believable given that I don’t really remember anything between waiting at the intersection and hitting the ground. Anyways, as long as I don’t try to use it too much it seems fine. All of this is supposed to heal within about two months too.

Overall, then, I’m doing alright. The pace of my life has been brought down several notches but I’m still able to get out, visit a few people, and run small errands. I’ve been swimming a little at a pool nearby, and it feels great to get some exercise at last. I miss my bike but I’m happy to be living in a city with decent public transit. Shannon and I are even planning to see a show tomorrow night (locals: it’s at the Lighthouse; let me know if you’re going!). We’re still planning to visit all the friends and family in Ontario we didn’t see over Christmas later this month, which will be nice. So, things are good. And thanks for your concern and well-wishes, they mean a lot.