epaule.spalla.hombro.schulter

I messed up my shoulder. I'm not quite sure how this happened since I didn't physically injure it, but it sure hurts like heck. It all started on Sunday when I was sitting in the movie theater watching "The Davinci Code" for fathers day. (It was much better than I was anticipating since many people told me it was crap. I actually liked it.) My right shoulder started feeling stiff, but I thought it was just from sitting still for a while. By dinner it hurt to raise my arm forward, but I could still do it. That night (actually Monday morning if we want to get technical) I was up from 3am-4:30am because it hurt so badly. Even if I lay completely still, there was no position where it didn't hurt. I took some meds, and slept with a bag of ice on it. By Monday morning, I couldn't even move it forward or to the side at all. I could move it backwards (with only moderate pain) which was helpful in the dressing dept. So I decided to pay a visit to my favorite primary care doctor- Dr. Coggins, but found that he was on vacation this week. I didn't care. I needed to get in there to see someone, so I saw another PCP. I got an appt for 10am, and after dropping *m* and *l* off at tennis camp, *e* and I headed down to Mass General. The doctor pointed out that it was swollen (something I hadn't noticed since I was so concered with making the pain stop) and then had me make my arm limp while she moved it around. It didn't hurt much when she moved it up and forward, so I let my guard down a little. As she started to lower it, I was hit by a wave of pain so severe that I almost started crying. My eyes actually teared. (For those of you who don't know me...I NEVER cry. It's almost like I was genetically altered at birth since the other females in my family cry at the drop of a pin.) So the Dr. seems to be worried about there being fluid in the joint since apparently it's not common for there to be swelling and intense pain in shoulder injuries (without the obvious cause like being hit with a sledgehammer or something). So I patch together coverage for the kids (thanks *tm* and *j*) and spend my day getting blood tests (for infections), x-ray's, and consults. What did I end up having? A dislocated shoulder? Bursitis? Nope. They don't know. My WBC was high, but apparently not so much that there could be a raging infection going on. So after spending $7.50 and $8.00 for parking, $15 co-pay, taking trips back and forth from the hospital to the PCP office, shuffling the kids around, and putting out my friend and sister, all I got was a bottle of ibuprofen, a fancy grey sling, and an appt to see an orthopedic on July 12th. All I have to say is that if my shoulder is still hurting this much, I will not be sitting around until JULY 12th waiting to see what's up with it. That's three weeks away. Crazy doctors.