It has been far too long since I updated these posts. My shoulder injury has turned out to be more complicated than I suspected and has made it difficult to type at my desk. The height of my desk is just a little higher at home than my desk at work and the slight increase in elevation of my arms causes pain in my shoulder if I spend too much time at the computer.
As it turns out I have a severely damaged rotator cuff. The MRI revealed one of my tendons is completely severed and because it is actually an old injury it had atrophied and retracted. There is also tears in two other tendons. Unfortunately, there is no surgical procedure to correct the problem. The specialist hopes after about 6 weeks of physical therapy, I can get my shoulder back to where it functions like it did prior to my fall. The fact the major injury had been something I had been living with for some time was a little surprising. The Doctor said many folks argue with him under similar circumstances because they were unaware of a previous injury but after considering it, I was able to recall when I played basketball I would get occaisional sharp pains in my shoulder when I would extend my arm in certain positions. I can't remember a time when I probably initially injured the shoulder unless it was the time over 14 years ago when I seperated the shoulder while playing football.
At least the injury was to my left shoulder and not my dominate arm. I've been able to carry on with work but many things I do are much more difficult and the injury is certainly annoying.
Basically. I've been a one and a half armed man since the Ice Storm in February. Hopefully, the exercises I started last week will restore function and decrease the pain.
These exercises and lots of icing the shoulder is my current therapy
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I wanted to acknowledge a few things that have happened since my injury.
First, I am pleased to announce Jason has finally found a job! Jason starting working for Au Bon Pain at their new Airport location the first week of March. Kyle was instrumental in getting him hired as Kyle has been working for Au Bon Pain's Methodist Hospital location for over a year now and he has made a pretty good name for himself with the company. Jason appears to enjoy working and has taken his responsibility seriously as he never turns down an opportunity to help out and has been getting more hours than he originally thought he would.
The company has recently expanded services by opening Granite City (sort of a sport's bar) adjacent to their fancy sandwich location in the terminal. Jason finds himself working in both locations.
Before Granite City opened, Jason invited me to attend a special trial run for the employee's families and other airport personnel. Jason and I were served a free meal to give the staff practice before opening to the public. It will probably be the only time I get to eat there because being in the terminal you need a pass or ticket to reach the restaurant not to mention a security check.
Here is the link to learn more about Jason's work place.
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A few weeks ago, we noticed our Golden Retriever, Noah, running over to a corner of our sunporch and begin scratching at the floor. He was annoyed by something. After hearing a chattering from under the porch and seeing a raccoon wandering in the back yard at dusk a couple of evenings, we concluded we had a raccoon problem. I contacted a Wildlife removal service and couldn't have been more impressed with the young man who came to our house to help rid us of the potentially destructive critter.
Joe assured me, he never destroyed animals he caught (unless they were sick) and he had a wooded area in Moorseville where he was allowed to release wildlife. Joe carefully pulled up the floor board above where Noah was scratching and sure enough, just as Joe predicted we found 5 baby raccoons. Joe carefully lifted the baby raccoons from there resting place and placed them inside a trap with the idea the mother would be trapped when she went into the trap to reach her babies. It didn't take long for us to see the mother peering up at us from under the porch. We placed the baby filled trap next to the porch and Joe proceeded to replace the floor board. While Joe was finishing, I saw the mother raccoon, examining the trap, but she wouldn't go in. She ran off, darting out of our yard. Joe assured me she would be back. He left and said he would return the next day.
A couple of hours later, I decided to check on the trap and to my dismay 4 of the babies were missing. I was sure there was no way they could have wandered off. Besides they would have triggered the trap preventing their escape. I suspected Mom had returned and was smarter than the trap and she had rescued her little ones. I decided to set up watch and see what would happen. It wasn't long before I saw mom wandering in our neighbor's yard. She was obviously trying to sneak back into our yard. She was so very cautious. She would climb the security fence seperating my yard from my neighbor's and she would peer over looking at the trap holding her last baby. She then slid back down and went up into a tree near our garage. I think she saw me and she ran back into the neighbor's yard. I decide to move to a new location to watch and after a short while she appeared at the other side of my yard and slipped in. She moved very cautiously and then I watched her approach the trap, slip inside and then pick up her baby in her mouth and slip out without triggering the trap. She slipped back under the porch. I was hoping she wasn't returning the babies to thir original nest. I continued to watch and I saw her reappear with her baby still in mouth. She ducked back under the porch when she heard Noah bark from inside the house. She poked her head back out, baby still hanging from her mouth, and then she hustled herself and baby away and out of my yard. I tried to catch up and see where she was taking her young but she was too fast. She obviously had transported her young to the woods just north of our home.
I called Joe to tell him the story and he was impressed. He theorized the mother had at one time had an experience with a trap. It all turned out well. We no longer had to worry about raccoons in the yard. ( As Joe said, they can be destructive but worse they had a tendency to be carriers of round worms which could be transferred to our dogs or even humans)
It was very enjoyable and interesting watching the sequence of events.
Here is Joe's business card and a link to his web site.
http://www.wildliferemovalandrepairllc.com/
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Last but not least, I want to give a shout out to Matt Hale. Matt went and got hitched this past week in a very nice wedding ceremony. I've known Matt since he was just a youngster and I couldn't be happier for him. His bride, Tara is lovely and from what his folks, John and Vicki, say
she is a perfect match for him. It is truly wonderful to see how God works in the lives of people and places them together.
Here is Matt dancing with his lovely bride, Tara
Judy, myself and Jason in attendance for the wedding.
