It has been more than four years since I’ve posted on this blog. Out of the many blogs I have written, this is the one where I’ve always spoken my truth. Now living through the coronavirus pandemic, I feel it’s time to speak it again.
First, let me say that there is still no evidence of disease in my body. But that doesn’t mean my body hasn’t taken a beating. I’d lost the last of the additional chemo weight, then on January 5, 2019 I took a tumble down a steep descent on my snowshoes and dislocated my shoulder.
At first I couldn’t move my arm, and was embarrassed to have fallen. I’m a pretty good downhill skier and we were snowshoeing the back side of a local ski hill. It was our first visit there and I didn’t take the route I had originally planned. That was the first mistake. The second was taking advice from my husband on how to get down a tricky section. The third was the temperature was quite mild and my snowshoe crampons were filled with wet sticky snow making them useless.
After my husband pulled me up, I felt my shoulder go back in. I could move my arm somewhat now, and continued down the hill. Two more times I felt it pop out and go back in. I was so relieved to make it to the ski chalet and grab a beer. By this point, I thought it was feeling pretty good. I was even able to hold it up to take a selfie.
But half way through the night the pain became excruciating. So we called the doctor’s after hours clinic for an appointment. The doctor told me I would need an X-ray and to go to emergency at the hospital. The resident doctor sent me for an x-ray and then I waited. He re-examined me and lifted my arm out to the side and dropped it. I screamed in pain and said something like: WTF! I think you popped it out again! So he sent me for another X-ray and then sent me home in a sling.
Of course, this is the same side that my breast cancer occurred. And there are still days when I think back to my cycling accident in 2005. The driver hit me on my right side and the point of impact and bruise on my arm are in a direct line to wear my cancer occurred. I’m not saying that it caused my cancer, but I do believe the stress to that part of my body may have sped up the process.
At the time of the snowshoe tumble, we were living in a condo building full of old people. Most of them were the original owners from when the building was built in the 1970s. And a lot of them visited the local shopping mall for physiotherapy. Because I wanted to get some exercise, I opted to go there too. But I think it was a mistake. The physiotherapist looked at me like I was another elderly frail client. When I started to ride my bike in the spring and mentioned that my shoulder hurt starting off, she said not to ride. On my own, I figured out I just needed to push off with my other foot to put the weight on my other shoulder.
When the shoulder was still bothering me at my annual physical with my GP, she referred me to an ortho-surgeon. But when I googled him, I wasn’t impressed. Instead I decided to book with a sports medicine clinic close to our new place that was almost finished. Once we moved in, I was able to walk or cycle there too.
The sports medicine doctor recommended one of two physiotherapists in the city. Both specialize in shoulder injuries. I chose the one who worked at the clinic. He was great. He asked me my goals (to stand up paddle, cycle and downhill ski) and got me there. But as the months continued, I realized I had numbness in my shoulder and would sometimes get horrible pain with unexpected movements or resistance, usually with my arm out to the side or behind me. He suggested I book with the doctor again.
She re-examined me and referred me for a special shoulder MRI (with dye) and nerve testing. This was January 2020. And then the pandemic hit. And all medical procedures were canceled.
Eventually, when I heard that procedures were up and running again, I contacted the sports medicine clinic and was given the number for the central MRI booking office. I contacted them and was referred to the hospital where it would take place. I contacted them to let them know I am retired and available any time. And suddenly, my MRI was done, the nerve testing was complete. And I discovered I had torn two tendons, not one as originally thought.
The sports medicine doctor referred me to a surgeon in the clinic (much better reviews) and for physiotherapy now that we knew about the second tendon. Ironically I saw the surgeon before I saw my physiotherapist.
So now the plan is to have surgery, likely in January, and to get my shoulder in the best possible shape. Surgery will be followed by 6 weeks in a sling, then physio can begin. If all goes well after 3 months I should be able to do all activities.
And Facebook has reminded me that 10 years ago I was undergoing chemotherapy. So maybe that’s why I posted today too.
My cancer journey 