My social media presence has been close to nothing for several weeks. Since my fall on May 10th of this year (good ole 2019), I’ve been unusually busy with doctors and physical therapists. And to be blunt, it hurts like hell to push a mouse or depress keyboard keys. And, my absence from the scene will continue for a while longer.

On August 8th, surgeons are going to give me a new shoulder—the old one having been destroyed in the fall. You can read more about my dive to the pavement by going to my post:
It Happens in a Flash.

I tore all the tendons in the group of muscles commonly known as the rotator cuff except for the smallest one, the teres minor. The rotator cuff is actually a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder in order to keep the humerus (the ball of the humerus) centered while performing shoulder-related tasks such as lifting the arm. With the rotator cuff gone, the instability causes severe pain and loss of function.

My operation is called a “reverse shoulder replacement.” Because there are no rotator cuff muscles and tendons to keep the head of the humerus in its cup, surgeons change the anatomy of the shoulder reversing the locations of the ball and cup and the deltoid muscles become the main functioning muscle group for the shoulder.

I understand recovery is painful and that it takes three to six months to gain something close to normal range of motion and functionality. However, it is hard to imagine that it is more painful than my current status. Driving is out for six weeks, and I don’t think I’ll be doing much posting. Wish me luck.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com.
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