ann tarleton Ann's Healing Network

Welcome to this CaringBridge website. I learned about CaringBridge following a friend's illness and subsequent death several years ago.  It seemed logical to me to have an easily accessible site where  friends and family could provide emotional support, helpful healing hints, and stay in touch during a time when a healing network is truly needed. I even found the words of strangers comforting as they shared their stories about our mutual friend. After that, I thought no more about CaringBridge until my friend Chaka reminded me about it.  I figure it'll be good for me and might give others a resource they can use for themselves or a loved one now or at some time in the future.  Now on to my tale. . .

About seven months ago, I realized that I had lost a large percentage of my range of motion (ROM) in my right shoulder.  My right arm was markedly different from my left arm when doing simple things like hatha yoga postures. I was still able to lift items, but I could no longer reach behind my back or easily lift my purse from the car seat next to me.  I went to an orthopedist, because I knew that none of the alternative modalities I routinely use could solve this problem.  One set of ordinary X-rays showed nothing but a shadow in my shoulder area. The doctor seemed uninterested in intitiating other diagnostics, but I knew this was more than an aging shoulder.  All one had to do was compare it to my other one to affirm that.  I asked for 6 weeks of PT and made signficant improvements in ROM.  I returned to the doc, who took another set of X-rays, which showed nothing new.  I asked for 6 more weeks of PT.  About two weeks into this round, I started to lose ground.  I went back to the doctor two weeks later and asked for an MRI.  it was, in the words of the doc, "a very interesting MRI".  BUT she said she didn't do the kind of surgery that was needed.  (What she also said was that if I were in my 20's, she'd recommend surgery.  !!??#^*!) Two more orthopods later, I have a clearer picture of the trusty right shoulder.  The biceps has pulled the labrum from its usual attachments inside the shoulder socket, so the labrum is disconnected.  A fluid-filled cyst has unsuccessfully tried to keep everyone in that area happy.  Through arthroscopy, my new orthopedist will detach the biceps head, reattach the labrum through sutures, drain the cyst, and reattach the biceps head to the AC in a new location with non-metal screws.  While the surgery is not a long one, I've been told by two practitioners that it will be a painful year of rehab.

Candace has graciously asked me to stay with her until I can manage on my own with my sling-restricted shoulder.  While she's at work, I've asked friends to visit singly to assist me for lunch and to bring news of the outside world.  I'm looking forward to tea parties and lunchmates.  Hopefully this site will enable family and friends to read updates and leave messages for me in one place, because I am most anxious about taking unfamiliar meds and I need reassurance from those who have gone before me into this arena. Too, I think the site may allow people to indicate days on which they like to visit.  I most certainly appreciate your support and all words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting and for assisting in your special way with my healing.