I am now the bionic woman

Greetings:

Lamb reminds me I "drop[ped] off the face of the earth," came back, slipped in I have a new shoulder and left again.

I had my left shoulder replaced on August 23. Of course, in my usual fashion, I couldn’t “just” have the surgery. When the doc was reaming out my arm bone for the implant, my humerus broke.

That meant when I started PT two weeks later, we moved muuuuch slower--only four exercises, two with support under my arm and two without. That went on until late October. I was finally able to get both hands on the keyboard sometime in November.

When I saw my rheumy in December, the first thing he said was you look like you feel well. I told him I could pinpoint the last time I felt this well to our 25th wedding anniversary five years ago. He first congratulated my husband (wonder why ;-) and then said we were both to be complimented.

I told him one other reason why I was feeling so well (and so much less depressed) was because I hadn't been injecting Methotrexate since mid-August. I explained that while the medication helped, I never truly got rid of the g-i side effects, to the point that I was afraid to go too far because I never knew when I would go racing for the bathroom or have to return home to change clothes.

He was also happy to hear I had begun doing yoga again (with some allowances for lefty arm).

Upshot: NO MORE METHOTREXATE!!!!! I'm on an every 10-day cycle of injecting Humira for the cold weather period because I have PsA in my hips, ankles and feet and “degenerative disk disease” in my neck (between c5 and C6 is practically bone on bone). (Sheesh). Writes worse than it is….some days.

When I go back in APRIL (first time I've had a four-month out appointment) "unless [I] get in trouble before then," we'll talk about my warmer weather protocol.

I’m still in PT and will be for quite a while but things are much better. I went back to work the first Monday in January. Then on February 4, I pulled the trigger on stepping down as a supervising attorney. Being off for four months after surgery left time to think about what I want to do, what will make me happy and where I can do my clients the most benefit.

The thought of being a senior attorney, of working on one of my new projects—the veteran client—excites me in a way I haven't been in quite a while. I also have to focus on this complicated lefty arm situation. I feel a great sense of peace, in part because I have a clear direction where I am a senior attorney/mentor, not a supervisor.

In short, I’m happy I had the surgery. I feel better than I have in five years. I can do the funky chicken again and I'm working on being able to wash my hair and pull it back, not to mention dress without help.

Of course, there is a complication. In December, the ENT diagnosed me with vertigo. This past Monday, he said my "benign" positional vertigo is recalcitrant. In other words, it did not respond to multiple Epley maneuvers. Monday, I have an appointment at Cardinal Hill--rehab place about 20 miles from me--to begin vestibular rehabilitation. I'm looking forward to getting my head back on straight again.

Anyway, that's why I dropped of the face of the earth.

Sixcat! How nice to hear from you. I’d been wondering as well where you’d disappeared to. I’m glad, after what you’ve been through, that life’s good for you again.
One of the problems with a board like this is that people tend to disappear when the going gets better. That’s great, but it does give a slightly biased look at the world of PsA patients. We do tell people that things will get better, and it’s so nice to have you check in and remind us of that.
All the best to you. Drop in again and say hi!

Glad to hear such a great update overall! After not being able to do my own hair for a while this fall, I really feel your pain. It's also great that you had to time to sort through your priorities and make some lifestyle changes to better suit where you want to be.

Do I sense someone sniffing partnership?

l LOVE the comebacks we read about. We CAN fight and win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m lost, Lamb. Maybe I need some organic brownies and scotch.

LOL

Senior Lawyer is just about the coolest position in a Law firm. They are somewhere between partner and managing partner. Sometimes its equity partner sometimes not. BUT they are the visionaries and goal setters for their firms. Not so long ago Sixcat was wondering what her role would/could be...........

I'm not easily impressed, and I am MORE than impressed. So once again BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Despite what the public thinks damn few lawyers are succesful iwithn their profession. Sixcat is one of them

Congratulations Sixcat! Way to turn lemons into lemon aide (or something stronger!)

Of course, Lamb. I got up this morning, and had it figured out before I read your post. That is what happens when Seenie hangs out here late at night.

Do I remember correctly, Sixcat, that at one point you were wondering whether you’d be able to continue working at all? Or was that someone else?

In any case, big kudos!

Y'all are good for my ego. Thanks for the congrats, but before my head gets too big, I'm not in a firm nor am I a trial lawyer. I'm not a partner, managing partner or a rain maker. I'm a public defender doing appellate work (my clients have been convicted and sentenced before I get them).

I've been there nearly 25 years; most days, I love my job. Hard as heck to do--some of my clients are exactly what they appear to be--but I enjoy seeing the constitutions (state and federal) at work every day.

Being a senior lawyer means I'm to be good counsel for the other experienced lawyers and mentor for the next generation. Not being a supervisor means I get to concentrate on my cases (including the long trials I like) and on developing some training so other appellate lawyers know what to do when we get clients who are veterans.

We just started veterans courts in our two largest cities--I'll probably become involved with those in some way. I have a vested interest--my husband is a vet and served in Iraq 2004-2005.

I'm more excited about the new parts and the old job of appellate advocacy than I've been in a long, long time. I was one of the folks who wondered whether I could keep working. Before the surgery, I had more than one person tell me to take early retirement. I didn't want to. But when I came back in January, I had added up the number of weeks before I could retire (72 at the time), in hopes I could make it that far. Now that I've stepped away from bean counting and hall monitoring, I'm not counting weeks. I'd like to continue working another five years, Humira (and God) willing.

I haven't told my rheumy but I know he's going to be happy I have less stress in my life. I've had bad days--my left ankle and foot and right toes have been unhappy for the last couple of months-- but I haven't had bad days on top of horrible days the way I did before I began MTX/Humira and then had surgery.

I just really want to get the vertigo under control so I can go back to my slow but sure progress on walking better so I can go walking with my husband again. And get my arm up behind my head so I can dress and do my hair without help. All of that will help when the PsA bad days come again.

Even better, Sixcat! A lawyer with a sharp eye and mind looking out for the rights of those in society with problems. Big problems.

I am totally impressed. I hope your recovery goes well, and that you get the vertigo under control. (I’m doing battle with Meniere’s at the moment, so I empathize!)

Wishing all good things for you.

I was gonna say....... But seenie did already. Even better.

It's so wonderful to hear all of your good news, sixcat!!! Wishing you well as you recover. It's great to "see" you around here! :)