So how's my shoulder?

A few times I've noticed pain in my right shoulder but it's never more than a 3 on a pain scale of 1 – 10, and there's never a need for a pain pill. I do try to figure out what might have brought it on. Then again I remember my physical therapist Linsey mentioning that sometimes pain simply means I've been doing ordinary moves instead of protecting it – and that's a good thing.

Being without pain doesn't mean I haven't got limitations. My shoulder will never be the same and I doubt I'll be able to move it up above my head. There have been 2 noticeable times when I have problems. When I get in and out of a van (marsrutka), and when I try to reach high to erase a blackboard. I can open the door to the van with my right hand, but then I'm unable to reach with my right arm into the van to pull myself up and into it. So I accept a hand-up to get in and just decide that I need to take my time. After all, drivers and people here are not in a rush like in America.

Oops. I just went to use the toilet and was reminded of a third noticeable time when my arm doesn't function well. Imagine squatting and then trying to reach to the right for the water hose located on the wall about 2 feet away. Toilet paper is not used here, so I have to stretch my right arm to reach the faucet and hose. (Is that too much information for you? This is a personal blog, isn't it?) Anyhow, that's when my shoulder aches a bit. (At least the bathroom is new and clean).

In spite of all the personal adjustments of the past few weeks, I've made it a point to continue my daily shoulder exercises. Well, all except the one that requires a cane or broom handle. It seems ludicrous to spend money for that since I'm not about to use the house broom.

So here's a photo from a class at school last week. I'm so proud of Teacher Shalala who is the only one of my English teachers to draw the pictures on the blackboard to help students visualize words.