I'm Back

I can't believe it, but I've been away from the blogosphere for almost 12 weeks! If there is anyone left who might still look at my blog, you may well wonder where I've been.

A week after my last post, I had surgery on my shoulder for a glenoid fracture. It turns out, when I dislocated my shoulder, I also fractured the glenoid, which is the "cup" that holds the "ball" of the shoulder joint. It's a fairly rare injury, and one that required immediate surgery once discovered. The surgery itself required the doctors to disconnect the piece of bone that had been fractured (it was healing in the wrong place), put it back where it belonged and attach it with screws. To get to the fracture, they had to disconnect the deltoid muscle and cut through the rotator cuff muscle, then put that all back together, too. Needless to say, it was not the most pleasant experience - one that I don't recommend to anyone!

The surgery and recovery are essentially the same as any other non-arthroscopic shoulder surgery. I was in a sling for 6 weeks after surgery, and am looking at about 6 months before I have (hopefully) full use of my shoulder again. At this point, recovery is going about average. I can lift my arm about 3/4 of the way straight up, and have similar motion in other directions. I go to physical therapy twice a week - although that might be going down to once a week fairly soon - and have daily stretching and strengthening exercises to do.

So, I have not done a bit of gardening since the initial injury on August 12th. Until just a few weeks ago, I was pretty p.o.'ed about it, too. When I first dislocated my shoulder, the vegetable garden was at its peak. I had planned to plant a whole new garden this fall. And even though fall clean-up isn't my favorite thing, I could hardly even help with that. Luckily my DH was kind and understanding, and helped with everything.

And, now that the gardening season is 100% over, I'm finally at peace with the fact that I had to drop everything, and am ready to look forward to the new year.

So, to anyone who's still out there - Hi! It's great to be back!

Comments

[Carol]

Welcome back. Now's the season to sit around and look at seed catalogs anyway, so you are getting back just in time for that, and it sounds like something you can do.

Best wishes for a continued, speedy recovery!

(I subscribe to your feed, which is how I found you again!)

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

[Jenny]

Ouch. I hope your recovery continues to go well. Welcome back!

[Annie in Austin]

Your body may be still recovering but your garden dreaming can carry you through January and February!

Welcome back, Tracy - I hope you get strong and flexible again, soon.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

[Kim]

Welcome back, Tracy!

YEEEOOOUCH! I cringed through that whole description... but hope that you are able to rehab (and garden-dream) plenty over the winter, so you're ready to go again in the spring. :)

[RuthieJ]

Hi Tracy,
I don't subscribe to your feed, and forgot to check your blog earlier this week.

Gosh, that surgery sounds so painful, but it sounds like you're doing everything you're supposed to and getting better now. I'm glad you're back to blogging again.

I finally finished cleaning out my little garden yesterday afternoon (before the snow) and I can't even use shoulder surgery as an excuse. I was thinking of you as I was throwing the frozen tomatoes in the wheelbarrow and dreaming of some beautiful heirloom tomatoes for next summer. A Minnesota snowstorm makes us appreciate summer that much more, doesn't it?

Take care and I hope your recovery continues on schedule.

[Tracy]

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate that you noticed I was back!

Yep, now is the time to dream about next year, so my recovery is not nearly so bad. I've already received three seed catalogs, so the planning is underway!

[Deb]

Ouch! I just checked back here and I am glad to see you back. At least you have an excuse for not tending to the fall garden chores...

[steven]

Welcome back, sorry your gardening season was cut short!

[Tracy]

Deb: In many ways it wasn't such a bad thing. :)

Steven: I was a bit bummed out. Since my surgery was right about at our average last frost, I wasn't able to get in a lot of the tomatoes and peppers - lots of rotten fruit when I got back. Oh well, next year is a new year!

[Ali]

Hi Tracy,

So glad to see you are back in (limited) action, I'd missed you! Your injury sounds like one I want to avoid. Glad you are settled in for the winter and ready to read garden catalogs and enjoy the off season. Enjoy,

Ali

[Kathy]

Hi, Tracy--
Don't slack off on your exercises! (Been there, done that) You want to be in prime condition for digging season next spring.

So sorry you had to go through such misery.

Kathy