I don't know how painters live through their training and become old painters, because I've injured myself doing this. First off, there's a ton of scrubbing and scraping to be done, carrying of stuff back and forth and all the weird ways one must contort one's body for hours at a time to do the job well.
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| Rose followed a magnetic mosaic pattern on this art project. |
And keep in mind, I'm only doing the foundation bits! I'm not standing on ladders or scaffolding or anything really crazy even. But somehow I've managed to injure myself so badly that I've had to go to the emergency room for the pain. They think it's a rotator cuff injury maybe, they don't know for sure except nothing is broken. Sent me home with a prescription for like, 10 measly pain pills and a "hope that works!"
Well. I don't find that adequate medical care, really, but things were so dreadful youbetya I filled the prescription at 4:58 on a Monday morning and stopped in at the donut shop next to the pharmacy when it opened at 5 to get the kiddos a dozen donuts and a free coffee for me. (I don't know why but there are some stores that give out free coffee on Mondays if you're buying a buncha stuff. I needed the coffee anyway and the kids like donuts, right?)
Then I followed up with my family physician in the hopes of REAL medical care. He made the doctor in training do all the paperwork and listening and then he came in and just poked me in the general vicinity of my shoulder only one time and - based on my unfortunate reaction - declared the whole area so bad off that he couldn't even test where the swelling was! So. Steroids and crap and I don't know what else has been prescribed. I have a drug schedule and a follow-up appointment and yes, I will time the meds so that I will just cringe through however long it takes and not do any dope-driving.
So anyway, if it turns out there are weird unpainted patches on the back of the house this winter, I've just decided it's looking "good enough," ok? I'm done until spring or rather? Patrick is gonna take over in the spring.
OH. The x-rays I got at the hospital show I have some pretty bad arthritis. I sort of felt like I had it for several years now but then I rationalised that I was too young and so on. Nope. I have arthritis and it shows up on x-rays from the neck down. Yippeee!
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| Woodjie HATES art but humoured me anyway to make me happy. He loves me bunches. :) |
Anyway... all that to say? Right now, I'm hanging out at home and not driving anywhere. Also I hate prednisone. At this rate of weight gain on that drug? I will have my own "slobby and staying in bed/ strangers must wipe my bottom when I poo" TV series in about a year. It's discouragin', folks. Hopefully I bounce back pretty soon but meanwhile I am doing all sorts of non-cooking activities at home with the little homeschoolers. Every art project that's been lying dormant for a while and just about every book is getting a good going over because why not.
This week I got a jury summons also! I hope they buy, "I'm not sure if I will be able to drive by mid-December and also I'm homeschooling a disabled kid" as an excuse but if not, maybe I will have to show up all doped up and do the best I can with impaired judgement and all that. I hope not for the defendant's sake but I'm not going to jail for failure to appear on top of all this going on, thanks.
I'm wanting to enjoy my new siding when-ever it comes in and gets popped up on my house and I can't do that from prison.
Oh well, I'll keep you posted. Please mentally correct any grammar mistakes and incoherence in this post as it was written in a pretty cheerful but rather impaired state - thanks. xx
Ouch, ouch, ouch. I've had a torn rotator cuff, the pain is pretty bad so you are tempted to keep it as still as you can, but the best treatment is to keep the shoulder moving so the joint doesn't freeze. Do as much as you can normally, and when sitting still do little shoulder movements during the day. Little shrugs, tiny forward rolls, backward rolls. It will hurt but the joint will stay flexible while the cuff heals.
ReplyDeleteArthritis won't help, but again, keeping moving is the best option. And it doesn't discriminate, even little kids have been found to have arthritis.
The kids artworks are lovely :)
Oh my! Hopefully just a strained shoulder and the physical therapy and some rest will fix it. I remember dropping a heavy wooden ladder on my head and neck while painting my parents house: it cost Dad X-rays as well has having to hire the pros to finish the job! Here's hoping you feel better soon....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes, River and Dad!
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope you feel better soon. I tore the tendon completely off my shoulder and the pain was bad. I hate taking pain meds. I had to have surgery for the repair, but that actually wasn't as bad as I feared. I hope some phys. therapy is all you need.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I used the homeschooling a special needs child as my reason to not go to jury duty and they accepted it. I've done jury duty in the past, but at this time in my life-impossible.
Also, love the art!
Thank you thank you! I sure hope they accept my excuse as well. "Patrick" (age 23) would LOVE to go but they said it's some sort of lottery at the state level and I can't ask to send him instead.
DeleteWill be sending prayers and get well wishes your way! Hope you recover soon. That does not sound fun at all.
ReplyDeleteNice artwork! Take care.
I'm sorry you are in pain honey. I got really sore arms and shoulders painting my Auckland house I can tell you! I painted the entire house (apart from the high bits) all by myself. I have ALWAYS managed to get out of jury duty because I was breast feeding a baby! Hmmm... I wonder what I will use as my excuse if I ever get called again? lol
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