(NOTE: Most of this account has been stitched together from emails I've been sending to concerned friends and co-workers. For expediency's sake I'm plagiarising myself.)
I have (temporarily) joined the ranks of the disabled. This weekend, at a corporate softball game, I dislocated my right shoulder. It happened over the course of two collisions, the first of which involved a boy of ten and the other the Director of Professional Services. I was playing first base when the boy hit a single into the infield. Someone (the second baseman?) tossed me an awkward throw and I caught it but as I turned to try and tag the boy he was already on top of me and I lost my balance trying to avoid him. We went down together into the dirt, me trying to twist away from him to keep from landing on top of him. I avoided that (kind of) but the way I landed on my shoulder I must have partially dislocated it because the next collision put my shoulder out of its socket completely. A coworker drove me to the hospital where I was X-rayed and had my shoulder reset which, incidentally, was a lot less painful than the Hollywood movies make it out to be. Now I'm trapped in an immobilization sling for the next 3-4 weeks.
It's been an interesting challenge learning how to do simple things like washing and dressing (putting on socks is a piece of sophisticated performance art I could sell tickets to). I'm typing this one-handed and it's slow going. So far I'm doing okay with chores around the apartment. I have to plan in advance how I'm going to butter my toast or wash a plate but so far so good. Everything just takes longer (and takes more patience). Working is going to pose some interesting problems. Maybe I'll turn on Windows' "accessibility features" if one-hand typing loses its attraction (he says rhetorically).
Left Arm, which has had only a supporting role in my daily life until now, has really stepped up its game and taken on more responsibilities while Right Arm takes a sabbatical so Shoulder can heal. It'll be calling most of the shots for the next little while.
Here's a funny little story that happened while I was being treated.
A pretty nurse was sent in to strap me into the sling and as she worked we got to talking.
"Has this happened to you before?" she asked.
"Nah. First time."
She said, "How did the doctor reset your shoulder?" so I told her in great detail how he manipulated it back into place.
"Wow! I was watching from the Nurse's Station and you didn't even flinch."
Now in all honesty, resetting it didn't hurt at all like I said, but I didn't want her to know that so I just gave her a wink and said, "That's 'cause I knew you were watching."
