A Work in Progress

What I still cannot do with my dominant hand…

Open doors.

Open any type of pop, top cans, especially cat food cans.

Open jar, lids, and plastic containers.

I am re-learning how to write.

My right hand shakes so bad some people believe I have Parkinson’s disease.

I am unable to drive.

Cannot drive my riding lawnmower.

I am unable to make a fist.

Brush my teeth.

Shampoo my hair.

Eat with silverware.

Pick up anything off the floor.

Reach anything on a shelf higher than my waist.

Walk Kota more than 20 minutes without pain.

Pick up anything heavier than a empty soda pop can.

Getting dressed in the morning properly is a struggle.

Pick up my kittens or my cats.

Pet Kota with two hands.

Text or type.

So far due to the extreme swelling of my fingers and my arm, my right arm is completely useless to me. They tell me that it will take eight months to a year before they know if I will fully recover from the complication of the surgery. They cannot guarantee me that I will have full function of my arm, fingers or my shoulder, or even be able to lift my arm to reach the top shelf in grocery stores, which is something I could do before the surgery.

I am working very hard to prove them wrong. Doing all the exercise exercises as many times a day as I can, and if I’m doing chores around the house, I try to incorporate the exercises with my household chores.

I am fighting to get back and be myself again.