Hokay. So.

Alright so I know I failed miserably at updating like I said I would. I have an excuse though! Remember in the last post how I said EDS can cause your joints to "slip", sometimes dislocating? Well my right shoulder slipped out when I was sleeping (don't ask how, I have no idea) and it woke me up. I put it back in and went back to sleep but the next day it was really swollen and I could barely move it. I saw my doctor who did an x-ray to make sure a) that it was fully back in place and b) that I didn't break anything when I popped it back in. I didn't break anything, thankfully, and yes it's back in place. He told me I have balls for putting it back in on my own, kudos for me! Haha. About a couple weeks later it was still hurting, it pinched whenever I tried lifting it over shoulder level or leaning on it and the mobility range was way down. In other words it feels exactly like my ankle did when I needed ankle surgery. I've had two doctors tell me I'm really "insightful and exact" when it comes to my body (woohoo!) so bear with me. I know there's nothing seriously wrong or torn or generally screwed up with my shoulder, but I know there's something wrong. With my ankle it just wouldn't move past a certain point, and what my surgeon said at the time was that there was a build up of scar tissue from when my joint hyperextended and a couple ligaments got stuck when it came back into the joint. I think this is similar, I just managed to make something in the joint unhappy. As happens with me. A lot. I'd be so much happier if it was my non dominant arm. Or not at all. But hey.

I saw the PA-C of the surgeon who fixed my ankle, and he has EDS. What are the odds? Seriously? He was incredible. He suggested trying the gentlest pt possible for a couple weeks before I see the surgeon, trying to prevent surgery (meaning I'm banned from any weight over a pound. Which is so incredibly annoying.) because once you operate on a joint with EDS the odds of you needing another operation on that joint later go up exponentially. This is because everything is too loose to begin with and operations open the joint further until pt can tighten the joint back up again. He was speaking from experience, apparently he has an impressive six-inch scar on his own shoulder. (I didn't ask him to take his shirt off to prove it. I'm not a total creep.)

The swelling and pain's gone down a lot, but it still pinches and the mobility is still really bad so I'm keeping my appointment with the surgeon on the 27th. Really, really hoping I don't need surgery, but I've come to terms with everything I've been diagnosed with. There's no point in staying upset over all of it. At least if I need surgery this time it won't be on someone's birthday. I hate people spending special days in a hospital because I had another medical crisis.

Ok. So now on to POTS.

I'm up to the upright bike and I might be able to start walking on the treadmill soon!! So. So. Incredible. I refuse to think about this in terms of what I used to be able to do when I was a dancer. I'm looking at it in terms of how sick I was before my diagnosis. Also! I'm up to balancing and stretching with the rest of the class, meaning standing up. Instead of sitting by myself in the corner doing stretches on my own. I got a lot of comments of "our baby's growing up!" when I moved up to the big kid stretches haha. I love my group. Especially a super sassy lady who told her doctors they need to stop practicing and actually do something. Hee. I love her to pieces.

And now I'm going to take a moment in shameless advertising.

If you're in the Denver area and you have a cardiac issue (surgery, attack, warning signs of either, POTS) and your doctor wants you to do rehab for it, please, please, please go to the Cardiac Rehab unit at Lutheran Hospital. You may use my blog as reference. They have different class times so whatever works for you, they have nutrition classes, stress management classes, counseling and it's all under the program so it's paid for. Every nurse and physical therapist there are the kindest, most supportive people you will ever meet. I'm dead serious when I say that God sent me there. They're wonderful and hilarious to work with. Trust me. If they can put up with a 24 year old with five chronic illnesses and a million and one questions and concerns they can help whatever it is you're going through. I'll bet that after me they'll say they've seen it all.