[Cathar]

Pah, a mere insect bite!

Actually my rate of healing is surprising me, and I am wholly convinced that I owe it all totally to the excellent orthopeadic surgeon and his team who reassembled my shoulder. Am off all the strong pain-killers now, and only take the occasional ibuprofen whenever my broken ribs give me some grief, and even they are healing quickly. One rib in particular seems to be taking its sweet time before ceasing its pain inducement though. If not for that rib I could say that I'd be in almost no pain at all. Then again, it has been only 12 days since the accident, so given another week it should quit bugging me so much.

Strength has already started to return to my left shoulder. Still weak as a kitten though. Am able to lift the arm with a lot of effort so long as I keep it close to my body (i.e. can touch my head with it, but I can't reach out and grab anything with it). At least it's no longer a lifeless lump attached to my body. Very disconcerting when you take the ability to move your limbs for granted, and then one day you find that you can't, no matter what your brain is trying to tell your body to do. Certainly has opened my eyes just that little bit wider about how much I, and I would guess most everyone, takes the ability to control their body for granted.

It's certainly been a learning experience. My wife has been incredibly patient with her fool of a husband. I don't know what I'd have done without her. Just started being able to do a bit of careful rough-house play with my little girls again, bringing a huge smile back to everyone's faces.

Things are looking up, and I'm hoping to be mostly back up and running within 4 weeks from now, just with some degree of ongoing strength building required after that once the bones and muscles have knitted again properly and I can start to exercise them more vigorously, rather than the cautious stretching and limited movements which I'm presently limiting myself to.

Cheers.