tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-984330758590198929.post3395107353488487526..comments2023-07-15T08:56:14.052-07:00Comments on ::::::::::Becoming::::::::::: What grief and a torn rotator cuff have in common...Dr. Joanne Cacciatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863060782827061955noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-984330758590198929.post-3058259015852866252014-11-27T14:47:53.195-08:002014-11-27T14:47:53.195-08:00mmmm...I have known grief and rotator cuff damage,...mmmm...I have known grief and rotator cuff damage, and know all too well the pain of both....<br /><br />My PT (who I also liked and trusted immensely) asked me one day "what would you say if I said to you that you wouldn't get any more range of motion than you have now without surgery?" Without hesitation I replied "I wouldn't believe you, because I wouldn't think that I had tried everything I could to heal myself." She laughed. We continued. And I have close of full-range of motion to this day. <br /><br />And yes, the pain from losing both my parents in less than three years, and a wrenching in a long-held dear relationship....well, that takes a bit longer, doesn't it? And comes and goes. But I remind myself of what I am capable of doing, of enduring. <br /><br />Thank you for this post. The timeliness on this Day of Thanks, is spot-on. <br /><br />All best to you,<br />Peggy<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-984330758590198929.post-5445566413617783102014-11-26T08:49:40.811-08:002014-11-26T08:49:40.811-08:00Thank you, Joanne, for your insightful message and...Thank you, Joanne, for your insightful message and mostly for the reminder that it is walking into our pain that heals our bodies as well as our spirits and our grief. One of many tough lessons for me in this humongous loss (of Bill and our life) has been to really "be" in my pain and trust that being there is the only way to heal; i.e. to ignore society's sick messages and expectations about pain and loss and grief. <br /><br />Six months after Bill died (Oct 2010), I fell and tore my rotator cuff and broke two fingers (ironically one of the fingers bears my wedding ring AND Bill's). I did the x-ray, the MRI, and like you it took me weeks to get help for the shoulder and I refused surgery. I did the PT thing and with work and time, sleepless nights and lots of pain, the pain in my shoulder subsided 18 months later as movement slowly returned during that time. I know my body was expressing the deep grief I was in having just lost Bill...and knew they were deeply related. I learned I had to walk into all my pain...body, soul, emotions.<br /><br />When I began to ignore my grief and pain more than I "should" have last February (2014), somatizing it for sure, I once again injured the other shoulder shoveling snow that I knew was too heavy and wet for my body-an act of anger I believe. So for the past 9 months, I have been working to heal the right shoulder as I also walk with and sit in the pain of grief and loss when it calls to me. How many times must I learn to heed (and accept) its call?<br /><br />Thank you, Joanne. I am so glad your shoulder is healing and movement and strength is yours again....and thank you for sharing the insight you gained about grief. <br /><br />Peace and healing, MaryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com