"My Left Shoulder"

"Not really Mine"

"My Left Shoulder"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The past few weeks have been hard for me personally. I had dislocated my left shoulder over a very simply thing. I have lifted from the stairs in my house , misjudged how heavy it was , it dropped by the force of gravity to the floor and along with this sudden drop my arm who held it.

So at the very least I did not feel it popping out but I felt it tearing. Suffice to say I would not be able to lift my left arm which made my day to day routines very interesting.

When taking baths I could not shampoo or soap myself properly. I needed someone to help me towel off. So for 2 weeks I had that feeling of being not totally clean or dry in some places. 

To the rescue was my wife and daughter that I was at least dry in the places that I could not reach on my own.

Spraying a deodorant was agony. I needed to put my left arm on a railing , lower my body and spray. One time I sprayed and the nozzle was pointing at my face. Some parts of my face were dry for most of my duties. 

Sleeping. I had to sleep on my right side or on my back. The first week was hell and I had to be on pain meds round the clock. I was scared because I know the harmful effects of these pain meds were. So when I could endure the pain I would not drink them but during that first week where no position provided relief. I had to take them. I slept and woke up in a sling.

Driving. Yes I still went to work. I drove myself to work. Slowly and carefully. There was a couple of days that I had to be driven to work because the swelling in my left shoulder was too much that even sitting down was causing me agony.

Feeding time. I was a small child.At least I felt like one. I had to be spoon fed. Well My wife and Daughter insisted to do it for me. I was fine just eating with my right hand no matter how slow or clumsy I looked but of course these two would not leave me alone during meal times. They would want to hug me but were wary that they might hurt me. 

Work. I still filled charts , logged patients and wrote prescriptions , lab requests , filled out fit to work forms and signed one day passes. I was at work. I was writing. I was in pain but that did not stop me. Ganyan talaga kapag maraming bills...err....mahal mo ang trabaho mo.

So I can now say that I have about 90% function of my left arm. Still hurts like a bleep when I move a certain way but I can do my routines on my own now. Oh and Aven can hug me without remembering my painful shoulder.