Through all the long years since I first learned to knit there has never been a time when I didn’t have something on the needles. For almost twenty years knitting has been my constant companion; the first thing I pick up each morning, after I put the kettle on, and the last thing I put down at night. Even when I’m busy during the day, I always make time to knit. Waiting rooms, road and rail trips, every opportunity to sit quietly becomes a welcome opportunity to pull out yarn and needles. I have a hard time imagining leaving the house without knitting in my bag. Lately, however, I’ve had many opportunities to practice doing just that.
It’s been six days since I last knit anything; I can’t begin to count the many ways that I am missing it.
The reason I’m wandering in the wilderness of the non-knitting world is that knitting hurts. I’ve had a shoulder problem for over two years now that is exacerbated by any repetitive motion. Despite employing a variety of different treatments and strategies over the years, the range of motion in my right shoulder is about half what it should be. To illustrate: raise one of your arms right now – yes, now – and bring the inside of your elbow up to your ear. I can’t do that. I can’t manage to raise my arm beyond 45 degrees on the right side. (If I were a Nazi, I’d probably be in really big trouble.) Sitting at the computer for too long is bad, but nothing makes me hurt as much as knitting.
Though I’ve been aware for many months that knitting, specifically, causes me pain, I couldn’t hope to entertain the obvious solution until I’d moved through Elisabeth Kubler-Ross‘ Five stages of (Knitting) Grief. I’ve knit my way through:
1. Denial – This is isn’t happening. Pass the ibuprofen.
2. Anger – Pass the fucking ibuprofen.
3. Bargaining – Just two inches, I swear. No more. Seriously, pass the ibuprofen.
4. Depression – There is no point to a life without knitting. Pass the hemlock. And also the ibuprofen.
5. Acceptance?
This week I decided to put down my needles for as long as it takes my shoulder to heal. I’m still working on Acceptance.
I don’t think that knitting is the cause of pain my shoulder, but I am positive that knitting is one of the things standing between me and being well. Stumbling my way towards the final stage of Knitting Grief has forced me to admit that the many benefits I’ve received from a regimen of acupuncture and gentle exercise, have been entirely undone by my stubborn refusal to give up knitting, and my childish reliance on ibuprofen to mask the pain. That stubborn, childish behavior caught up with me earlier this month, when I awoke in the wee hours with the worst abdominal pain I’ve ever experienced. Worse than childbirth. Worse, even, than the pain after gall bladder surgery, because I was awake to experience it, and not groggy from anesthesia.
The nice EMT’s said I was among the 2% of patients they see whom they believe actually needs pain medication, so they gave me some and took me to the hospital. There the nice emergency doctor poked around and asked a bunch of questions and she suggested that, of four possible scenarios, a problem with the lining of my stomach was the likeliest cause of my pain. We talked about “corrosives”, of which ibuprofen is apparently a biggie. Drugs will help repair the damage to my stomach, and I will be fine, but it’s really gotta be the end of popping ibuprofen like Tic-Tacs.
Without ibuprofen my shoulder is unbelievably painful; the kind of painful that wakes you in the middle of the night, to remind you it will still be there for you in the morning. It’s even worse after knitting, so there will be no knitting, of any kind, from now until my shoulder is pain free. It’s been six days since I last knit anything (did I mention that?); I cannot begin to count the number of ways in which I miss it.
January was a blur of health issues, which ought to go some way towards explaining my silence over the past month. What’s even worse is that it must continue. Editing audio requires a very specific set of repetitive motions on the computer, and is also beyond my physical capacity. Truthfully though, even if I felt better, even if editing audio didn’t hurt almost as much as knitting, I’m not sure I could muster up the mojo for a podcast, nor would the podcast I’d create right now be much fun to listen to. Both knitting, and Cast On are unexpectedly on hiatus, until my shoulder heals.
We’ve all heard stories of people who knit once, but don’t anymore, and I know you’ve probably wondered, just as I have, how in the hell they did it. Did they wean themselves off it, or go Cold Turkey? Did they miss it as much as I do? I’m sure I don’t know.
I am also sure that there is a silver lining, a ray of sunshine, or some kind of bright side to all of this. There must be. When I reach Acceptance, I’ll let you know what it is.
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Oh Brenda, I am so sorry you’re unable to knit anything at the moment.
I myself am finding I need to adjust my posture too, as I’m starting to get pains in my shoulders.
Are you able to crochet? Spin? Sew?
I hope you recover quickly and that the pain eases for you soon – all I can recommend for you are hot and cold compresses.
Thinking of you xx
I will miss you terribly, but what must be, must be. This too shall pass?
Rest and recover… we will be here when you return.
Yikes!! I really feel for you, really I do. I just had surgery this past Christmas day to have a very inflamed gall bladder removed and I also have ongoing issues with my neck and shoulders. I only took up knitting again in September after 2 years of giving it a break. But I stopped voluntarily before my aches became too serious. I bought knitting books and subscribed to my favourite knitting magazine so I could at least read about knitting and plan projects.
I see my chiropractor once a month to have my shoulders and spine adjusted and for me, that is key to my health. I also go for therapeutic massages maybe once a month. You know- the very deep tissue massages to break up scar tissue from over used muscles and also to keep my muscles limber.
Recently, a friend told me about your Cast On podcasts and I’ve been slowly making my way through the archives from episode 1. It will keep me happy for a while yet as I knit on shawls and socks and…. sorry. Shouldn’t tempt you with projects.
Take as much time as your body tells you it needs. You can take this time to practice your watercolours or pursue other activities you had no time for. When you come back, you will have a fresh focus and new experiences to share with your listeners. I for one, will be waiting patiently for that day.
Take care of yourself. You are a very special and unique person
Bonny in BC, Canada
Dear Brenda–
Rest, take care of yourself, be smart about your health. We’ll be here when you’re ready to return to work.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I shall cherish my cache of your podcasts even more.
Honnay (elizh)
Your Ravelry Fan Club moderator
Take care of yourself Brenda! The knitting world will be here when your shoulder heals. Maybe the silver lining could even be a new craft that won’t hurt your shoulder – keep your mind open and be well!
Brenda – What a terrible time for you. I just wanted to send a message to say there are lots of us thinking of you and sending you all our best wishes. I hope we can muster some mojo for you, to help you while you get through this. Acceptance is a tough thing. But you’re a talented and creative person, and I have no doubt you will come up with a solution / outlet that brings you the joy knitting does. We’ll miss your unique voice while you recover.
I’m sure it’s not comparable to yours, but I also get pain in my right shoulder when I knit (from a bursitis). Acupuncture has enabled me to keep knitting and spinning. Perhaps it could be some help to you too.
Wishing you well,
Jen in Dorset, UK
Hang in there Brenda. I’d be gnawing off my fingers for sure if I couldn’t sooth myself with some knitting regularly. I too have to listen to my body — I’ve been noticing more and more odd tingling sensations in my right thumb and palm after having knit for a couple of hours. I have to keep reminding myself to take breaks; the knitting will get done in time; there is no hurry and it will benefit no one if I exacerbate what is clearly a repetitive strain issue (not yet painful thankfully; I hope to keep it that way as long as possible).
Sending you healing vibes from across the pond,
Sar
I’m so sorry to hear that your shoulder has gotten to this point (I can’t imagine going without knitting!), but I am happy to hear that you are doing what you need to do to let it heal. I will both miss your show and welcome it back with equal intensity.
Be well.
Oh Brenda! I can’t tell you how sorry I was to read this. Sending lots of good thoughts your way. Feel better soon!
Dear Brenda,
My deepest sympathies. And, my greatest hopes that this forced break from (or end of) knitting is simply your watercolors begging for attention. I have no doubt your creative spirit will survive this physical detour.
best wishes,
H
Brenda, you have been such an inspiration for me to go boldly in the direction of my dreams, and I am truly sorry that you are facing this lack of knitting. I am only one among the many who are with you in spirit, and I’m sure we will all be knitting many of our stitches for you.
We will miss you obviously, but don’t want you putting yourself in hospital to put out a podcast. I’ve had shoulder pain from the rotator cuff and I did have to take small breaks from knitting. The good news is with physical therapy and time to heal you can get better and knit again.
Oh my goodness – this breaks my heart for you (and rather selfishly for myself too – No Brenda!!! Indefinitely!!!! NOOOoooooo!!!)
I am a new knitter (1 year) and the joy knitting has brought me is priceless. I happened on your podcast a few months ago and have downloaded and listened to all of them – several times. (You know how you feel about Norah Gaughan – yeah… )
I do want you to know that you’ve been an inspiration not only as a knitter but in your outlook on life. So many times after hearing an episode – I’ve wanted to write but the words just don’t come coherently and when they do they sound celebrity stalker starry eyed or redundant.
Just know you will be thought of often, wished well and missed horribly.
Please keep us updated on your progress as you can.
Feel better and much love to you and Tonia ~
October
PS – I’m really enjoying The Age of Innocence too! Great work!
Brenda,
Yes, this has happened to me, although I’m a sewist. I’ve been sewing all my life, and there was a period of time where my shoulder hurt so bad I couldn’t sew. I thought my world would end. It didn’t, and I’m back at the sewing machine.
Patience, and new ways of working are the key. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Thank you for all the work you’ve done and we’ll wait!
Love and healing,
Deb
I’m terribly sorry to hear this, Brenda, but I understand.
Pain like that is terrible–and tiring. Please do rest up, and let us know how you’re doing when you can–even if it’s blog entries.
You will find other things to fill in the time, honest.
Thanks again with the help on altering men’s shirts to women’s blouses.
I’ve been knitting for less than a year and a half, and about six months in, my thumb started to hurt from wrapping the yarn for purling (trying to purl Continental style took me a while to do without hurting myself), and the pain spread down into my wrist. It was very difficult to set my knitting aside and let my hand heal. My husband kept taking it away from me because I didn’t want to stop for a few days, even though it hurt. And that was with less than a year of ingraining this habit into my hands. I can’t imagine how hard it is to set it aside after years and years of knitting, even with such impelling health reasons. I hope you heal well and soon.
Heal well and quickly. We’ll miss you while you’re gone. I was listening to you just this morning walking through the snowy woods and laughing at the image of you carrying the dogs through the boggy bits.
Thanks for all your hard work and dedication in sharing yourself with us. I hope you’ll be back on the airwaves(?) someday.
Oh! I’m so sorry that you’re in so much pain. Take care of yourself and do what needs to be done to heal.
I don’t know how to express my sadness… Well, I mean, I feel really sad for you of course. But I’m sooooo incredibly sad that you have to resign, which means that I don’t have anything left to feed my addiction
I thought many times I should write to you to say how much I relate to you in so many ways, and now I know I should have. I will, eventually…
Take care Brenda, and come back as soon as possible. We already miss you so much!
Carole
All the best for a peaceful recovery time. I hope the weather allows you to take some wonderful walks in your millenium woods! We’ll all be here when you get back.
Oh Brenda I can’t even imagine how hard this is for you. Giving up knitting is unthinkable to me as I carry mine around like a talisman to ward off evil. My best advice is to try to find some humor in all of this. I often find humor to be my bestfriend and guide to accepting the unthinkable. Get well soon!
Hi Brenda, I hope you get well soon. I love your podcasts and will miss them, but your health is more important. Whatever you can do to decrease painkillers is vital. My husband is tall and was having a lot of neck problems a few years ago. He was eating ibuprofen like it was candy. One day he had horrible horrible lower back pain and was peeing blood. Long story short – he had become allergic to ibuprofen and his kidneys were in failure. Spent a few days in the hospital, had a few days of dialysis, and luckily with an excellent doctor has made a full recovery. But he can never ever ever take an ibuprofen or other drug in that class ever again. It was scary and awful and made me even more convinced that finding non-drug therapies for aches and pains is sooooo important. So I wish you lots of luck, while feeling optimistic for you that it can be done. (My husband now manages neck and back issues with more physical therapy and regular massages).
Take care of yourself first, the rest of us will do the same and all meet again when we’re ready. Be well Brenda.
Wishing you all the best for a full recovery and finding something to fill the gap (hopefully temporarily!) the knitting used to fill.
Be well
Debbie
Brenda I will never again complain about losing my knitting needles to security on a trans-continental flight! I thought 8 hours with no knitting was bad! Please heal up soon,being very careful not to damage yourself by too much too soon.
Dear Brenda,
I was so sorry to hear about your shoulder – and the abdomen. I did my shoulder in just over a year ago from over-knitting as a passenger on a long drive down from Newcastle to home. It wasn’t just the knitting but years of sitting badly at the computer and lugging a heavy laptop around. I ended up with some posh-sounding condition, but what mattered to me was that I could barely move my left arm, it hurt like hell all the time, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t drive, and I couldn’t knit. Rest, physio and pills that made me feel sick so gave up taking them, slowly, nearly, cured it. I still can’t get my left arm all the way up to my ear, but that has become normal. And the knitting? Oh yes, I can knit again, just not for too long. I guess I was lucky it was my left arm. Do left handed knitters knit the other way around? My mother had a rule that she would not allow herself to knit in the mornings, supposedly because once she started she wouldn’t want to stop and the daily chores would never get done. Perhaps she had a secret shoulder ache too?
I really hope the shoulder recovers soon
with love and best wishes from Harriet in the Home Counties
So sorry to hear about your pain. Sending warm, heal-y thoughts your way. We will miss your soothing voice and cheering podcasts, but not nearly as much as you must miss knitting. Yarn is such a faithful friend, it’s really hard to imagine having to give that up. Let’s hope that this is temporary!
I feel for you. I had carpal tunnel for over 10 years and handled it the way you have your shoulder. I finally had surgery on both hands and was knitting ASAP – within a day or two. Still, the hours of knitting take their toll on our bodies.
I see that you are a reader – read on! Now is the time to get to all those books that have been waiting. Relax, meditate.
Thank you for staying in touch through your blog. We all love your podcasts and will miss listening but you have not lost your voice. Good luck.
Just dipping again into “Rigmaroles and Ragamuffins” and remembering what a great find you brought us in Elinor Kapp and the other great interviews you’ve done… would it cheer you up to go out and collect some more for future podcasts? You wouldn’t even have to edit them right away, if that’s too painful. Go out and “collect material” and you might distract yourself. It will enrich us too, later.
Brenda,
I read this yesterday right after you posted, and just couldn’t find words…..I cannot imagine what this must be like.. I think so many of us find some of our identity in our knitting, not to mention normalcy and solace. It is as though we become more and more woven into the works of our hands that it becomes an extension of ourselves. I am sure that this is a struggle….I hope that the rest will bring true and permanent healing to your shoulder, and I also want you to know that we do not love just “Brenda the knitter” or “Brenda the knitwear designer” or “Brenda the podcast creator” but we love you for who you are. I am certain that though your knitting future is unclear, that you will find some way to flex your creative energy in ways that will inspire us, for it is in the making where the true magic is.
love,
Heidi
Oh dear, Brenda, I totally understand. And you’ve been a trooper all these years, with the amazing podcast and knitterly creations. Think of it as being on the injured reserve list. It doesn’t mean your career is over, just that you need to set aside the time to be well. May the world send you new things that will widen your love for the world and life during this time!
I send all my healing thoughts and warm wishes your way. Your radio silence will mean many of us will be knitting along more slowly, more lonely. I have also experienced the “corrosive” stomach thing, damn ibuprofen.
Oh Brenda I’m so sorry… I have been “out” for many months due to ilness. I can relate to the pain of not being able to do what you love. Be patient with yourself and your body. It will heal. Don’t worry about anything but your health at this point. We’ll stick around!
Take lots of time off, heal and relax. We’ll miss you, but we have your mountains of your podcasts to listen to over and over again while you’re away.
I hope you can knit again. If not, there’s always radio. You have the voice for it you know.
I wish you many creative adventures in your life. I hope we all hear you again talking about your knitting – someday.
Hi Brenda,
I also have had to curtail my knitting over the past year due to a shoulder injury (different symptoms). I end up passing blood if I take typical OTC pain meds (Advil or asperin). I can tolerate Tylenol but don’t want to stress my liver more than necessary. I have had success with Boswellia. Shaklee uses it in their “Pain Relief Complex” and I’ve also seen other sources of it in the health food stores. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boswellia
(I’ve also had excellent success with Intramuscular Stimulation from my physiotherapist to release my painful and pain-creating muscles. http://www.intramuscularstimulation.com/2.htm)
Best of luck to you.
Dear Brenda, last year I had a painful hand and thumb that the doctor diagnosed as some unpronounceable thing or other. I couldn’t type or knit for a month. At the end of the month I still wasn’t well so I deeply mourned the death of my knitting life. After three months it was gone! And I knit on. Yours will heal too.
Hi Brenda, so sorry to hear about your shoulder. I went through rsi via tendonitis and was off work for over one year and retrained to do something else but the silver lining for me…and maybe for you…is that after 18 mos. of enforced non-use, I learned how to do the right things to take care of hands/arms/neck and can now use the computer again, in moderation. It was a very scary experience and in the end it made me a stronger person with a better career. Recently I had surgery and can’t lift my left shoulder, just as you said, and it hurts just as you said. How do you wear a seatbelt? Oh, and finally, I have gastroenteritis, hello, from all the meds. Just wanted you to know that you are most def not alone in your experience and acceptance will come when it decides to. Take good care.
Take Care…and rest and do what you need to do to be well both in mind, spirit, and body.
I hope that you can hold a book comfortably, walk and enjoy the outdoors, listen to the radio and let someonelse do the podcasting work that you can enjoy listening to for a change. These illnesses and events which stop us in our tracks serve to remind us of the fragility and at the same time of the beauty of life. I absolutely love your podcast, think it is the best one around…and there are many many of them, and I will miss hearing from you and I am sure all your listeners feel the same. SO-take very good care of yourself, be kind and understanding of yourself and enjoy what you can from each day, knowing that lots and lots of people out here in cyberspace are thinking of you and wishing you well.xx
Brenda,
I will miss you! I just love your podcast and will sorely miss your voice and stories as I drive around the Amish countryside late at night, after catching a baby….
I will send healing love your way, and the hope you will find something that occupies your heart and mind as much as knitting, in these weeks you must rest. At least you can still read! and listen! and walk!
Best to you,
Cnyttan
Brenda, sorry to hear about the shoulder, I to have had the same issue, if you stop when the pain starts for about six month, you will be able to knit again. Same for carpel tunnel, you have to quit whatever you are doing,and yes, you can come back, I did.
Brenda, I am so sorry that you are going through this. Here’s hoping that you will heal and be able to get back to knitting soon.
Hello! There are more of you out there… A friend of mine had to give up her music (as in concert flute player) for a shoulder issue, she now has another creative hobby in making stained glass window ornaments (can’t knit either).. but needed the time to get well. I hope you can start finding other joys to distract you from your loved activities as you get better! As everyone is saying, we are sad you are not here but will still be here if you can come back.
Rest rest rest!
It’s 5:30 pm here in frigid NE Ohio and the sun is STILL out and the sky is BLUE, that blue that gives the housebound and cabin-fevered hope that spring WILL come! However, in checking in with your group on Ravelry, I discovered that you are OUT OF COMMISSION for some time to come and a wee bit of a cloud passed by. I think that this is a good time to schmooze the sick girl.
And so, I will tell you, you who I have never even met but who I feel I know from your delicious, heartfelt writing, your soothing voice and style and your meticulous production, I will tell you how much your words have meant to me over the years. I came on board over a year ago and have enthusiastically recommended your podcast to my knitting buddies who were not familiar with it. I will tell you that they thanked ME for steering them to such quality information and entertainment. Just by referring you to them gave me credibility (how is this schmoozing going so far? You should NOT be reaching for ibuprofen at this juncture!!) When I first began to listen, I listened backwards and have about a dozen podcasts that I’ve yet to listen to, just waiting for a Cast-On Emergency! I will take this hiatus to utilize those emergency podcasts!
(As an aside, for those of you who have not “listened backwards”, I cannot recommend it highly enough. You get the answer to the hanging question before the question is asked and because of the integrity of the writing in this series, there is value in the reverse chronology method as well as the “listening forwards” method.)
Should you, Brenda, decide that this will be the end of your podcast (G A S P! I surely hope that it would not be so, but the river of life moves us along sometimes whether we know how to swim or not!), then I will grieve appropriately and wish you all the happiness that you have given to me be reflected back to you.
Thinking of not knitting is crazy but I too have noted that both the knitting and a bit of the spinning I only recently learned can cause shoulder pain. I too have been relying more and more on the “ibuprofen is my friend” route and have been helped miraculously by said friend and can NOT imagine a day without it. **sigh** What wise elder was it who said, “Getting older is NOT for sissies!”? Well, we are NOT sissies but we are wise enough to learn to listen, even when we do NOT want to, to what we HAVE to do to do what we WANT to do in the future.
All this just to say that there are those of use who have NEVER commented before but who appreciate and care about your health and well-being. You have enriched me through your podcast. The schmooze is over (thankfully!), but the sentiment is true.
Heal well. Sending prayers out to the Goddess of Patience for YOU!
I’m sorry to hear that your knitting have caused you problems. I hope that you don’t have to be on knitting purgatory too terribly long and that you’re able to find something else to satisfy your creative drive. I’ve been there.
Brenda,
I LOVE your podcast and will miss hearing from you. Take your time to heal. Unfortunately I can sympathize.
I first experienced chronic hand/wrist/arm/shoulder pain at the tender age of 19 (NOT old enough to feel trapped in an 80 year old body). At at trip to the therapist I realized that MOST EVERYTHING I love to do in life (graphic design, knitting, creating art, playing the piano) intimately involves my hands. But it has helped me look around and see what is left for a repetitive motion junkie. Talking with friends and reading are two of the greatest joys in life, and with the help of hands free phones and book rests, hands are not strictly required.
There is really no good way to go through knitting withdrawal. I sort of replace it with swimming as repetitive motion, but you can’t exactly do that while watching TV. I have come to live in an all or nothing existence with my beloved knitting. I can probably safely knit for about 10-20 minutes, but I never seem to be able to stop either. My main coping mechanism has been listening to Cast On to live vicariously through everyone else’s knitting. I wish we could somehow do something so wonderful for you!
Even though I rarely actually knit, I still fall victim to heady, reckless purchases of delicious yarns. Expect this on the path to recovery. I hang the skeins up to admire so I don’t deprive myself of some yarn enjoyment ; )
I have found several good repetitive strain injury books with a variety of concrete advice.
-It’s Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! RSI Theory & Therapy for Computer Professionals by Jack Bellis and Suparna Damany has lots of good advice for anyone with any type of arm pain.
-The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief by Clair Davies has really helped with my pain.
-He also has an excellent book about frozen shoulder, although I have not dealt with this personally. The Frozen Shoulder Workbook: Trigger Point Therapy for Overcoming Pain & Regaining Range of Motion by Clair Davies
What has helped me the most is to carefully monitor my “hand budget” (ie not too much knitting, typing, etc), download and pay attention to a computer break monitor, and get massages as frequently as possible to work out the muscle adhesions.
So sorry I can’t be of more help from across the pond. I would love to hear how things are going for you as your computer use permits. If you find it helpful I’m sure my fellow listeners would love to be a long distance support system. And even if your future podcast might not comment on you knitting, I would love to hear your beautiful stories on any subject.
All the best.
I
Darling Brenda, I’m so sorry to hear about your pain issues and the necessity to give up knitting for a while. I can’t imagine how hard it must be right now, but I know you are a creative, talented woman, and you will find some kind of outlet that will at least help to distract you from the knitting loss for a while.
I had been saving the last two podcasts for the perfect time, and just listened to them yesterday as I was flying home, knitting a noro striped scarf. It was such a comfort to hear your voice on a stressful and anxious day for me (my cat was flying with me!). Please know you have friends and supporters all over the world, and our prayers and knitting mojo are with you.
Take care of yourself!
Dear Brenda,
When I sync up my ipod and unplug it from my computer I always first look to see if Cast On has been downloaded. Since it has been a little while since the last one, I was distressed to come to your blog to check the status and see that you are in such pain. I can’t imagine not being able to knit. It is hard enough to imagine some months or times ahead when I will not be able to knit to Cast On as it is one of the small pleasures in my life that add up to making my life – a very good life. I think if I had to stop knitting for a while – it would be one of those circumstances that would re-order my world – as it is such an intrinsic and ordinary part of how I live my life everyday – like drinking my coffee first thing in the morning and brushing my teeth last thing at night.
My thoughts and best wishes with you for a speedy recovery from your pain. I hope you have a good physical therapist to help you through this and that we will hear your singular voice again very soon.
All the best to you, from across the pond…
Brenda, I too have very hurtie shoulders. I have had one injection in the joint of my left shoulder and now am awaiting the scan results so I can get the right one injected. Anything I do makes them hurt right now: moving, sewing, reaching for the remote, lifting a cup of coffee to my mouth. The pain awakens me nightly several times and I can’t wait till the pain is over. I had to stop the oral anti-inflammatory medications a month ago because I developed an ulcer. Luckily it was caught early and the ulcer meds worked. Geez getting old is a $%@@@. So… I understand completely of why you need a break. I can’t put down my knitting totally, so currently I prop my elbows on foam pads and try and move my upper arms as little as possible. Kind of humorous to watch but I have to have at least 30 minutes of knitting a night or I would go insane. Be well and I can’t wait till your recovered and can knit like the wind again.
I can so empathize with you. I am still going twice a week to physical therapy for an inflamed rotator cuff and frozen shoulder that began way back in August. However, even though I don’t have full use of the arm/shoulder combo yet, I have been able to continue to knit throughout the ordeal. Sitting at the computer and using the mouse is another issue altogether. I know my desk and mouse are not at the ideal height and that seemed to exacerbate the situation for a long time. Waking up at night in pain was also a way of life. And, I’m with you – fuck the ibuprofen (1200 mg at a time was like taking candy). I was onto the darvocet way of better living through chemistry. Cortisone shots have helped a lot, PT is tough but rewarding although tiresome after 3 months. You will be in my thoughts whenever I feel the achiness and I hope you get to that happy place when you can knit again soon.
Take care!
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