Recovery day 47 – pain and boredom!

Today was physiotherapist appointment number 5. The previous 4 visits had a few minutes of torture followed by half an hour or more of pleasant massage (with and without ultrasound) and tingly electric current. But then I had an appointment with the surgeon on Friday who, seeing the good results of his work through X-rays, gave the physio the all-clear to really torture me in an attempt to loosen up my arm quicker. The arm felt like it was ready to drop off after today’s treatment, but I can now get it within about 5 degrees of complete extension. Completely bending it is another matter and will take more work. Everyone says when you break a bone and have a limb immobilised for weeks, it’s hard to get it moving because the muscles have wasted away and are too weak, but I have not found that. I’ve found my arm movement is limited because it is just really really stiff. So someone has to dig their thumbs in and loosen all the muscles and tendons. Not pleasant! But I now only use the splint in crowded public places for extra protection, and have lots of exercises to do. Progress. 2 weeks until I can get back to work.

Until then, I must stay here. Near Brisbane where I have a few friends, but not really in it. It may be a pleasant environment near Bribie Island but socially, not much happens here. I’ve got to the point where I’m even too bored to start doing the useful things that I could be doing. It was a struggle to start another blog entry while recording a 1980’s vinyl record onto a computer for transfer to a CD, but here I am. Discretionary time is great when there are people to see and things to do with them, but so much of it is pretty maddening otherwise. And don’t even mention the cricket I could have been watching to kill the hours. All that has served to do is induce depression and irritability, as the Aussie team got distracted by the ridiculous media hysteria in the previous week and forgot how to win! Friends and family in Brisbane are busy. So are friends in Sydney but there are regular things that I see many of them at. These things are all still happening but are going on without me, how much will have changed while I’ve been away? It will be great to get back there in just under 2 weeks, and hopefully pick up where I left off in December.