Although I've alluded to it in several posts, more or less blatantly, I've not yet officially announced that I have to have shoulder surgery. An appointment with Dr. Rhyneer in Anchorage yesterday unfortunately confirmed what I'd already strongly suspected.
I slipped in a puddle of water in November (darn Crocs are slippery on wet floors) and fell. It would have been a classic pratfall - feet straight out in front with a hard landing on my butt - if I hadn't stuck my left elbow out and caught it on my kiln table. Unfortunately, I did, and as I went down my elbow got wrenched up above my head. In the process, the supraspinatus tendon was nearly torn in half. According to Dr. Rhyneer, there are just a few strings holding it together. Here's a lovely image I stole from a website (I don't remember which one) that shows a partial tear in the same tendon.
I'd put off mentioning my injury until after I'd seen a surgeon and found out how soon it needed to be repaired. I was very clear with him that my priority was going on my trip to Bhutan, but that my priorities could change if I risked harming myself further or reducing the chances of surgical success. Happily, he agreed that, barring any further injury (like the fall I took on Thursday), I could put off the surgery until after my trip. He was surprised that I was able to ride my bike (on the trainer, anyway) without pain, but so far I can. Real riding on rough roads might be a different matter, but he also suggested I get a narcotic pain reliever prescription before I leave, just in case.
Before I leave I'll make an appointment for surgery, probably in May, but it seems every day something else comes up that makes me want to put it off longer: I want to ride the Clean Air Challenge with Mandy on Mother's Day weekend; there's a writer's conference in Homer in June; I need to take Rowan camping while the weather's nice.... No, no, I need to get it over with sooner rather than later. I'm tired of my shoulder aching, and of not having full strength and range of motion. Surgery will be my Mother's Day gift to myself.
Until then, I have Bhutan to get ready for. Wish me luck in managing to not hurt myself further!