Hard to believe that I'm still having this shoulder and neck problem seven months out from the original onset back on August 10th. As I've mentioned before, this began with a very intense pain in my shoulder blade, extending down my right arm and turning into numbness in the right hand. It has very gradually improved, but I would never have believed it would still be present after 7 months. It is now manifested as a general aching in my shoulder, a weakness in the arm, a stiffness in the neck, and a numbness in the right index finger. A combination of Neurontin and high dose methylprednisolone seems to help, but these are expensive, and so I try not to take them every day.
While in Yogyakarta, it was decided that a massage might help. I use the term "massage" lightly, for this, as it turned out, was much more like getting the crap beat out of me for a period of about an hour. The westerner tends to think of a massage as a relaxing sort of activity, with the application of soothing oils and soft hands, a gentle kneading of the muscles, pleasant aromatherapy and maybe some quiet music. Not so on the island of Java. Rather, this is a violent, trying, frightful experience with some question of the likelihood of coming out alive on the other side. In short, it's serious business. This is not a pampering. It is a pounding.
Nonetheless, I did actually feel significantly better when finally allowed to escape, and slept like a baby that night. As the days pass, the customary pain and stiffness returns little by little, and so it may be necessary to allow myself to be beat mercilessly on a regular basis.
While in Yogyakarta, it was decided that a massage might help. I use the term "massage" lightly, for this, as it turned out, was much more like getting the crap beat out of me for a period of about an hour. The westerner tends to think of a massage as a relaxing sort of activity, with the application of soothing oils and soft hands, a gentle kneading of the muscles, pleasant aromatherapy and maybe some quiet music. Not so on the island of Java. Rather, this is a violent, trying, frightful experience with some question of the likelihood of coming out alive on the other side. In short, it's serious business. This is not a pampering. It is a pounding.
Nonetheless, I did actually feel significantly better when finally allowed to escape, and slept like a baby that night. As the days pass, the customary pain and stiffness returns little by little, and so it may be necessary to allow myself to be beat mercilessly on a regular basis.
No comments:
Post a Comment