It's now almost March of 2008, and I have had a sensational recovery over the last 8 months. Through a lot of hard work and the dedication of many capable and amazing therapists and doctors, I now can do just about everything I did before the operation. The doctors were able to keep one of the three parts of my triceps after removing the tumor, so my arm is considerably stronger than they thought it would be. There is very little nerve impairment in my left hand - none in the fingers and wrist, just a minor and periodic "fuzziness" in my palm that I'm told will eventually go away. I have full extension of the arm and full strength and dexterity in the hand. The incisions have all healed nicely, and I can lift heavy objects and crawl in the mud if I care to!
The physical therapy started in September of 2007 and ended in late November. I had 24 1 hour sessions, plus did exercises on my own at home. As I expected and mused about earlier, this Phase (the fourth) was one filled with work, discipline, and great reward. I just felt that if I put in the work in rehab, all would come out well, and this was the case. I "pedaled" bikes with my arms, lifted weights, used rubber bands for tension and pulleys to regain strength and flexibility. My favorite part of rehab, though, was the ultrasound massages that started every treatment session. These, besides feeling sensational, helped to break up the scar tissue at the incision sites and reduce the scarring. Most importantly, my therapist, Dorlah, was so funny and upbeat, we had a regular laugh riot most days! She was so supportive of my quest to get back the full use of my arm, and she did everything in her power to faciltate my recovery. She even liked my photos so much she bought 3 of them for her husband as Christmas presents! She heads back to Michigan (her home state) in a couple of weeks, to be reunited with her husband.
These days I'm back to exercising regularly, to knock off some of the weight I gained during my recovery period. And I'm taking lots of photographs again. I went back to Cape May in early October of last year, to do a week of photography that I couldn't manage when I visited in August. I went crazy, and took over 1300 shots in that week! Mostly birds, butterflies, beach stuff, and sunsets. It was heaven, and my reward after everything I'd been through. Here are two of my favorites from that time, both of snowy egrets.
snowy egret at Lake Lily
early morning gathering, Cape May State Park
So now it's late February, it's lately been cold, rainy, sleety, windy, and I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I can even put on a jacket without my left arm being too big to fit! I just love a happy ending. And I'm truly grateful for this gift.
