Did you know that waking up one morning and being unable to move your arm is a thing? Well, it is. I have learned about this terrible phenomenon firsthand as this is exactly what happened to me.
The official diagnosis is "adhesive capsulitis". Sounds ominous, doesn't it? The Dr tells me that it is something that happens to 'older ladies'. That is true. Frozen shoulder is something that plagues women more than men. For some reason, however, all the pictures on the internet showcase the woes of men.
Wow. Besides the casual sexism from the internet, the 'older ladies' comment was like icing on the cake of my disappointments and broken dreams. Have I grown so old and decrepit that I can just wake up one day and no longer have working limbs?
I take heart in my observation that my physician does not seem to be any older than 12 or 13 years old. I just SEEM like an old lady to him.
Oh I forgot the best part. A frozen shoulder can take 1 to 3 years to heal. That's right. I may not be able to move my arm for 3 YEARS!! I wonder if the healing time is so long because medical scientists are putting all their energy into researching treatments for men rather than women??
Hmm? I mean seriously, that poor guy in the picture. How unlucky of him to suffer a problem most common in older ladies.
The good news is that, although I cannot lift my arm up or put on my own clothes even, I am still able to hoe my garden. Isn't that lucky? I can move my arm side to side, but not up and down. It's these small blessings that can get us through the difficulties of life.
It is snowing today, anyway. I can still plant seeds with my other arm. Maybe I will heal in time. Perhaps I can invent a garden clog with shovel toes? If I say please, will the gnomes work extra hard?
Thanks for reading.
