sara skates

I had big plans for a newsy and picture-full post tonight – but no way.

Terry had shoulder surgery today for a long-standing injury that finally got too painful to live with.  There was more rotator cuff damage than thought from the MRI, but aside from that, everything went as expected – her bicep connection got moved, the acromion process got smoothed off, some shredded tendons got de-shredded, and the aforementioned rotator cuff got repaired.  No, I don’t know what most of that means, but Terry does, and apparently it’s good news.  She’ll be able to lift her arm above her shoulder as she heals – it has been years since that has happened!

But the very best outcome is that the anesthesiologist and surgeon put their heads together and she got a prescription for zofran – a disolvable anti-nausea med. which means that for the first time ever, she is tolerating heavy-duty pain killers.  (And both a surgeon and an anesthesiologist with excellent patient-talk skills – jackpot!)  She had geared up for mega-doses of ibuprofin and a "tens" unit to deal with the pain (the tens unit somehow disrupts the pain messages going to the brain – seeing as it needs direct skin contact and she has wound-dressing for three days, it wouldn’t have worked until the bandages come off).  But this plan is SO much better.  Anti-nausea meds every 12 hours, vicodan every 4 hours or so, she has started eating again, and while she’s not active, she is rather chipper.  She’s doing a good job of holding down our comfy recliner chair, and one of the cats is supremely pleased at this – Sweetie Pie has taken up residence on Terry’s lap.

I’m working short days from home this week and being Top-Mama for the kids – yes, I worry about work not getting done (I start teaching a course on Monday – hmm, I really should get that syllabus under control), but you know – it’ll happen.

I do have excellent techni-color knees these days from a series of toe-pick falls on ice.  For two weeks in a row on Sunday, I have caught both toe-picks in quick succession, and whacked both knees (in quick succession…).  Admittedly, much less dramatic than shoulders and pain meds – but even Terry was impressed with the colors this morning.